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

Project Description

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We are an 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 program aims 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 want to become strong discipline-based education researchers. Our program provides mentorship, training, and resources to help postdocs develop their research skills, enhance their teaching abilities, and advance their careers in academia. We also collaborate with faculty and other researchers to conduct cutting-edge research in STEM education.

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MISSION: The PROPS4DBER program will:

• Promote autonomous interdisciplinary DBER researchers

• Develop competent DBER researchers

• Develop relatedness within a community of practice of DBER researchers

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VISION: 

• Increase inclusion of scholars with marginalized identities 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

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VALUES:

• We lead with gratitude, have empathy for others, and view individual differences and 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

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