SRS Outreach Meetings on the SED Report (SRS/SED)

OUTREACH MEETINGS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION’S SCIENCE RESOURCES STATISTICS (SRS) DIVISION ON THE IMPACT OF DATA SUPPRESSION IN THE SURVEY OF EARNED DOCTORATES (SED) REPORTS                   FALL 2008

With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), via a subcontract with SRI International, the Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network is conducting a series of five institution-focused and three professional society-focused outreach meetings designed to solicit feedback to the National Science Foundation’s Science Resources Statistics (SRS) Division on the “Impact of the Suppression of Small Data Cells” in the SRS Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) reports. At the meetings, we are seeking input regarding the need at the invited institutions/societies for data on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) doctoral degree recipients and how such data can best be presented to meet this need while at the same time addressing privacy and confidentiality concerns expressed by SRS staff and staff in the Office of Management and Budget.

Provide Input to NSF's SRS Division on ways to improve SED tables
     (to address both issues of privacy/confidentiality and the data needs of users)

As reflected in the calendar below, the five institution-focused meetings will be held on the campuses of doctoral degree-granting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSIs) in various regions of the country to get input directly from producers and users of SED data. If a given campus is unable to host the meeting on campus on the date indicated, the meeting will take place at a hotel in the city noted on the calendar. The three professional society-focused meetings will be held in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. Professional societies in Texas, New Mexico, and California also have been invited to participate in the institutional meetings being held in Albuquerque and Houston. NSF/SRS staff will participate in the meeting as a resource on technical issues, including the suppression of small SED data sets due to issues of privacy and confidentiality.

Invitations to participate in the meetings are being extended to STEM doctoral-granting HBCUs or HSIs as well as STEM-focused professional societies. Each regional meeting is designed to accommodate 6 institutional two-person teams, consisting of an institution’s Chief Academic Officer (or designee) and the Institutional Research Officer (or equivalent). Each society meeting is designed to accommodate 10 representatives, consisting of each invited organization’s Executive Director (or designee). QEM will cover any associated travel and lodging costs for invited participants who are not located in the meeting city, in accordance with QEM’s Travel Policy. Additional participants may attend at the institution/organization’s expense, but must register in advance with QEM. Continental breakfast and a working lunch will be provided at each meeting.

The registration form (see top of this page) should be completed and returned electronically to smmcbay1@qem.org by the deadline date noted above for the respective workshops.  For further information on the QEM/NSF SRS SED meetings please contact Shirley McBay, QEM President, by email at smmcbay1@qem.org or by telephone at 202/659-1818.

Created and Maintained by:
The Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network
1818 N Street, NW, Suite 350  •  Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202/659-1818  •  Fax: 202/659-5408
Updated: November 2008
For questions or comments email us at qemnetwork@qem.org