Conference: STEM-APWD: LangDiv: SBP: Strengthening the Pipeline for Deaf Scientists in Signed Language Research

Gallaudet University, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This project strengthens the pipeline for deaf scientists and actively supports the diversification of researchers who work with signed language communities. Historically, the majority of signed language researchers have been hearing people, most of whom are adult learners of a signed language and do not use it as their primary language. Currently, there are few deaf and hard of hearing (hereafter deaf) signers among the ranks of signed language researchers. This project uses a mentorship and access model to provide a small group of deaf college and university students with professional-development activities and support for an international and leading sign language conference. Conference participation offers rich networking activities for the students. The aim is to provide key opportunities for deaf students that support their progression in graduate work and future involvement in the field of signed language research, thus expanding the numbers of deaf sign language researchers. The project accomplishes its goals in two key ways. First, deaf students are chosen via a rigorous application process to be part of pre- and post-conference mentorship activities that include meeting with current deaf researchers to discuss methods for engaging in academic research, presenting one’s work at conferences, disseminating the results with signed language communities in mind, and engaging with the signing communities in order to share research findings and promote future recruitment of deaf students to the field. Mentorship and training meetings occur virtually and in-person, before, during and after the conference. These meetings are accessible and attended by deaf researchers and students. Second, deaf students participate in an international conference (either in person or virtually), supported by interpretation and captioning services. The access services are crucial to afford full participation in conference presentations and activities. Interpretation and captioning support allows the deaf candidates supported by the project to access spoken language content and engage fully with the conference program and with other researchers in the field, again strengthening the pipeline for deaf scientists. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.