Co-Principal Investigator: Rodriguez, Fernando

The Career Pathways for Research in Learning and Education, Analytics and Data Science (CP-LEADS) at the University of California, Irvine (UC-Irvine) is designed to provide undergraduate juniors and seniors with experiences in conducting education research while preparing participants for doctoral study. Over the course of the 5-year grant, UC-Irvine will offer up to 60 students 1-year fellowships.

The interdisciplinary training program's theme focuses on reducing inequities in the fields of learning analytics (LA) and educational data science (EDS). Through attending a proseminar series and workshops, fellows will gain an understanding of LA and EDS and will learn how to code using the R programming language. Fellows will also participate in year-long research-practice apprenticeships with faculty mentors and will conduct an independent research project. In addition, CP-LEADs will provide fellows with mentoring, professional development, and assistance in applying to doctoral programs.

For participation in the training program, each fellow will receive a stipend, housing and meals for the summer apprenticeship activities, and a small fund for GRE preparation, graduate application fees, and travel costs.

Increasing Diversity in the Education Sciences

A primary purpose of all Pathways training programs is to help increase diversity in the Education Sciences. UC-Irvine is well-positioned to recruit fellows traditionally underrepresented in the education sciences. The University is classified as both an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) and as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). In addition, nearly 85% of the undergraduate population identifies with an ethnic minority group and the University also has a large proportion of low-income students and of first-generation students who are the first in their family to attend college.