The PEER Project

The Nevada State University Pursuing Equity to Enhance Retention (PEER) Project was funded in fall 2022 as part of the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program. The ADVANCE program aims to promote gender equity among STEM faculty and broaden the participation of women and other historically underrepresented groups in academic workplaces by addressing systemic inequalities within the institution’s policies, practices, and organizational culture and climate.

The specific aims of the PEER Project are to address three institutional challenges identified by female and underrepresented racial minority STEM faculty at Nevada State, including: 1) inequitable service and teaching loads, 2) lack of recognition and rewards for invisible service, and 3) inadequate scholarship and career development support.

The PEER project will adapt and implement evidence-based systemic change to address the intersectionality of women in STEM and reverse power dynamics by creating transparent workloads, developing policies and procedures to address service with students, and increasing scholarship and psychosocial support to improve faculty job satisfaction, research/publication, and tenure/promotion.

The PEER Project activities will benefit the entire Nevada State campus community by expanding the lens at which faculty members are evaluated and redefining an inclusive culture. Any findings generated will contribute to campus-wide initiatives that support justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.