Scientific Researcher Inventory (SRI) Project

The SRI project addresses a critical problem: the small proportion of individuals from “underrepresented” groups (e.g., first-generation, low-income, minority, disabled, and/or female students) persisting over the long term in scientific research careers.  The SRI Project has developed a survey instrument, the Scientific Researcher Inventory (SRI) that measures individual traits likely to correlate with persistence as a scientific researcher.  This tool can be used for informal or formal assessment or, possibly, for predictive purposes.  We are currently in the process of testing the reliability and validity of the SRI with support from the Research Center for Health Disparities, Fayetteville State University.  We think that the prospects for our instrument are significant because assessment of programs intended to increase the proportion of research scientists from underrepresented populations has proved challenging.

It is likely that constraints on assessment of these programs derive primarily from three sources: (1) leadership that has traditionally been based on charisma and intuition; (2) the reluctance of directors and evaluators to employ inferential and/or multivariate statistical methods as well as experimental or quasi-experimental research designs (e.g., controlled “double-blind” studies); and, (3) the failure of funding agencies to require awardees to report levels of significance (“p” values) for quantitative assessments.  Thus, it is particularly difficult to demonstrate with confidence that any observed gains from these programs are, indeed, statistically and significantly greater than those one would expect by chance alone.  Apparent gains may, also, result from “placebo effects”. Several publications have described a variety of enrichment programs targeting underrepresented students. However, it is still unclear whether or to what degree these developmental initiatives produce positive outcomes over the long term for an undergraduate’s future as a research scientist persisting in the mainstream. On average, many students in underrepresented groups experience behavioral-, emotional-, economic-, social-, cognitive-, and/or information-asymmetries compared to many students in more advantaged groups, and we believe that the SRI has the potential to target traits correlated with persistence in mainstream scientific research for all of these students.  Thus, the SRI may enhance efforts to “level the playing field” for students in underrepresented groups by facilitating the process of needs-assessment for purposes of intervention.  Any academics or administrators interested in our tool and our protocol are invited to contact the SRI Project Director (see contact information below).  We are seeking additional participants (students or seasoned researchers) for our study. 

Project Members:  Drs. Jeffrey Cassisi (Assessment Specialist), Clara B. Jones (Director, Theory), David Wallace (Quantitative Specialist) (left to right in photo), and Jonathan Breitzer (Applications Specialist, not shown).

Contact:
Clara B. Jones, Ph.D.
Director, SRI Project
Office Phone: 910-672-1575
E-mail:cbjones@uncfsu.edu