Preparation & Refinement of Postdocs in STEM for Discipline-Based Education Research

Project Description

We hosted a NSF sponsored Post-Doctoral Fellows program called Preparation and Refinement of Postdoctoral Scholars in STEM for Discipline Based Education Research (PROPS 4 DBER) at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). Our two-year professional development program (Fall 2024 - Spring 2026) aimed to leverage the strong interdisciplinary DBER community at MTSU to provide professional development opportunities for postdoctoral scholars with Ph.D.'s in the STEM fields who wanted to become strong discipline-based education researchers. Our program provided mentorship, training, and resources to help these postdocs develop their research skills, enhance their teaching abilities, and advance their careers in academia. We are currently in the fourth (NCE) year of the program, during which we will begin disseminating findings from this project. For products associated with this, see this page.

MISSION: The PROPS4DBER program:

Promoted autonomous interdisciplinary DBER researchers
Developed competent DBER researchers
Developed relatedness within a community of practice of DBER researchers

VISION:

Increase the number of scholars in the DBER faculty community and prepare them as leaders
Enhance the research infrastructure and build STEM education research mentoring partnerships within, across, and beyond MTSU
Disseminate post-doctoral development models to enhance the transition of disciplinary PhDs into the DBER fields

VALUES:

We lead with gratitude, have empathy for others, and leverage different abilities as strengths and foundations for growth
We encourage colleagues to take ownership of becoming independent scholars while engaging with others through authenticity, humility and honesty
We value the development of excellence in research that is broadly impactful and has high intellectual merit
We seek to empower individuals to engage in and contribute dependably to a strong community of practice