Interests & Recruitment in Science:
Factors influencing recruitment,retention and gender equity in science,
technology and mathematics higher education
IRIS associated partners
The IRIS consortium invites groups and institutions in countries other than the five IRIS consortium countries to collect and submit data from their respective target populations to enable international comparisons.
These “IRIS associated partners” will mainly have to find their own funding for data collection and research; however, there might be some funding for joint working seminars etc.
The six partners in the IRIS research consortium will develop the main research instrument, which will be a questionnaire to be completed by first-year students during spring 2010. The logistical details of data collection (definition of population, sampling procedures, details of data collection, common items as well as possible national components etc) will be developed in the initial phases of the project, starting from summer 2009. As of the preparation, there will also be extensive literature reviews, consultations, workshops etc. All partners will contribute to instrument development. Ideas and input from the associated partners will also be invited in this phase, possibly also through workshops. A vital component of the IRIS project is to encourage informed discussions of the issues related to issues related to interest, choice, motivation and interest in STM studies and careers. Hence, central stakeholders from e.g. education, research and industry and will be brought into the work and results will be disseminated widely.
Professor Svein Sjoberg coordinates the IRIS associated partners.
Please contact him at svein.sjoberg[at]ils.uio.no if you are interested in participating as an associated partner. Associated partners should start as soon as possible to apply for funding and to contact central stakeholders in their respective countries in order to facilitate quality instrument development and good sampling procedures.