NSF Award
2437379
About 15-20% of the adult population identifies as neurodivergent. These individuals offer immense unrealized potential as employees; however, they are a vulnerable community subject to extreme social and systemic inequities in jobs and higher education. Neurodivergent adults experience chronic unemployment and underemployment. When employed, they are underrepresented in management and leadership roles within organizations. Solving this complex problem goes far beyond the reach of any single discipline, but requires theories, methodologies, and approaches that encompass policy, organizational, group, individual and technological insights as well as meaningful involvement of neurodivergent individuals. The objective of this planning proposal is to assemble a team of researchers, employers, educators, advocates, and neurodiverse individuals to study, develop and disseminate organizational and technological evidence-based practices to better support the advancement of neurodivergent individuals in meaningful, productive work and increase worker productivity, job satisfaction, and career advancement.<br/> <br/>This project brings together an interdisciplinary team of researchers with expertise in artificial intelligence, behavioral science, data science, game design, organizational psychology, physical therapy, rehabilitation science and special education, to collaborate with advocates, educators, employers, and neurodivergent individuals to transform the current state of employment for adults who identify as neurodivergent. Building on previous NSF funded research, the work described in this planning proposal will create a muti-university, multidisciplinary Center for Neurodiversity Development and Advancement that includes both researchers and key stakeholders collaboratively designing research questions and developing solutions. Integrating scientific knowledge from educational, organizational, technological, and psychological research, each participating university capitalizes on its unique strengths and builds a collaborative team with neurodivergent individuals and advocates included as partners. Products of the center will include research to solidify factors underlying lack of employment opportunities, development of supports to enhance access to higher education and job training in collaboration with the neurodivergent community, development of strategies to facilitate meaningful employment and career advancement, and education to organizations and other key stakeholders within the broader community to promote employment equity.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
