Mark Leddy, PhD, Program Director
Research in Disabilities Education
Directorate for Education and Human Resources
National Science Foundation
Postsecondary Students with Disabilities in STEM: Degree Choices, Retention & Career Options
National Science Foundation
NSF Strategic Performance Goal
“Prepare and engage a diverse STEM workforce motivated to participate at the frontiers.”(NSF 11-047)
National Science Foundation
Percent with disabilities
Number with disabilities
Population 21-64 17% 28,145,000
US workforce 21-64 10% 12,836,000
STEM workforce 6% 306,000
SOURCES: Population and U.S. workforce—U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation, 2005; Workforce and doctoral faculty—National Science Foundation, SESTAT data system, and Survey of Doctorate Recipients, 2006.
NSF Division of Science Resources Statistics
“The economic growth of our country requires a highly skilled and diverse technical and scientific workforce to advance
innovation and competitiveness on a global scale.”
National Science Foundation
Percent with disabilities
Number with disabilities
Students 6-17 11% 5,538,900
STEM undergraduates ▼10% 461,710
STEM graduate students ▼ 7% 49,300
STEM doctorate recipients ▼ 1% 386
Population 21-64 17% 28,145,000
US workforce 21-64 10% 12,836,000
STEM workforce 6% 306,000
STEM doctoral faculty 7% 11,700
SOURCES: Students 6-17—U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, 2008; Undergraduate and graduate students—U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 2008; STEM doctorate recipients, NSF/SRS, Survey of Earned Doctorates 2009, Workforce and doctoral faculty—National Science Foundation, SESTAT data system, 2006, 2008.
NSF Division of Science Resources Statistics
National Science Foundation
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act (ADAAA)
(Public Law 110-325)
• Disability is a current or past physical or mental impairment, or “being regarded as having such an impairment,” that substantially limits a major life activity or a major bodily function of an individual.
• Major life activities may include caring for oneself, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working
National Science Foundation
Types of Disabling Conditions• Attention Deficit Disorder • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder• Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing• Physical Disability/Mobility Impairment• Systemic Health Condition• Mental Health Condition• Learning Disability/Dyslexia• Blindness or Visual Impairment• Acquired Brain Injury• Autism or Aspergers Syndrome
National Science Foundation
Barriers to Student Success
• Poor academic preparation
• Negative faculty, family & peer attitudes
• Labs, classes & materials inaccessible
• Limited campus services
• Lack of financial support
• Poor self-advocacy skills
National Science Foundation
Lost STEM Talent in High School
• 100% of non-learning disabled high school students reach their potential in Algebra II.
• 62% of students labeled with a learning disability with the potential to complete Algebra II by the end of high school do so.
HRD-0834177; HRD-0965444 (Muller, Shifrer & Callahan , 2011)
National Science Foundation
HRD-0834177; HRD-0965444 (Muller, Shifrer & Callahan , 2011)
Lower Expectations for High School Students to Attend College• By Teachers of Students with Learning Disabilities• By Parents of Students with Learning Disabilities• By Students with Learning Disabilities
National Science Foundation
Alliances for Students with Disabilities in STEM2001-2011
U of Washington
U of Wisconsin
New Mexico St. U
Ohio St. UCity U of NY – Hunter Col.
U of So. Maine
Wright St. U
U of Hawaii
U of MO Kansas City
Auburn U Tuskegee U Alabama St. U
RIT
U of GAGA Tech
National Science Foundation
Nagle, Marder & Schiller, 2009
Alliance Practices Contributing to College Retention
National Science Foundation
University of Southern Maine’s EAST Alliance for Students with Disabilities in STEM• 50+ undergraduate research experiences on
campus.
• 33% of participants successfully transitioned to
graduate school.
• Research in labs and environmental science.
HRD-0833567 (Langley-Turnbaugh, Whitney, 2010)
National Science Foundation
Building an Alliance for New Careers in STEM: A Collaborative Model for the Inclusion of Youth and Veterans with
Disabilities (University of Missouri-Kansas City)
http://www.kcstemalliance.org/
HRD-0929212 (Jenson, Truman)
National Science Foundation
AccessSTEM AllianceUniversity of Washington, 2005-2008
HRD-0227995 (Burgstahler, 2008)
National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
Free Download:www.lulu.com/sevo
HRD-0622885 (Todd, Sevo, 2011
Basics About Disabilities and Science and Engineering Education
www.nsfepscor.ku.edu/publications.html
Kansas NSF EPSCoR Office
Foley Hall2021 Constant Ave.Lawrence, KS 66047(785) [email protected]
(This report was prepared as account of work sponsored by NSF Award 0854967 and NIH’s NIGMS)
www.washington.edu/doit/RDE/
(Funded by National Science Foundation Award 0929006)
RDE Collaborative Dissemination
National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
Mechanism 1: NSF’s Merit Review Criteria Applied Across the Foundation
• What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity
• How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)?
National Science Foundation
Mechanism 2: Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED)
Consult the NSF Grant Proposal Guide
National Science Foundation
Mechanism 3: Specific NSF Programs
• General and Age Related Disabilities Engineering Program (GARDE)www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=501021
• Research in Disabilities Education Program (RDE)www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5482
National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
Mark Leddy, PhD, Program DirectorResearch in Disabilities EducationDirectorate for Education and Human ResourcesNational Science FoundationPhone: 703-292-4655Fax: [email protected]
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