Your participation in this survey is entirely voluntary. This research has been approved by the University of Chicago Institutional Review Board (IRB), which oversees the protection of human participants in research, and has been classified as minimal risk (IRB23-0714), meaning the potential harm or discomfort is no greater than what is encountered in daily life. Before agreeing to participate, it is important to take time to read and understand the information below. If you have any questions or if any sections are unclear, feel free to reach out to the coordinators.

Purpose of the study

The aim of this study is to explore how personal identity, including sexuality, relates to students’ motivations and career goals in STEM programs. By examining factors such as family and peer influence, cultural background, physical characteristics, role models, financial accessibility, and others, we aim to understand how social experiences and identity shape their decisions to pursue and persist in STEM majors in higher education.

Potential benefits for participants and/or society

In addition to the opportunity to win a prize for your participation, you may gain insights into how you view yourself, your identity, and others’ identities. You may also benefit from reflecting on aspects of your life—such as goals and career aspirations—that you may not have previously considered. This project will generate data to uncover patterns among both current and prospective STEM students regarding their diverse social environments. The results of this study may assist stakeholders, educators, professionals, and organizations within and beyond the University of Chicago in better understanding how personal identity and life experiences interact with academic and career decision-making. Furthermore, the data collected has the potential to influence the development of evidence-based policies in higher education institutions. The significance of the knowledge gained highlights the valuable contributions this research makes to both social and natural sciences.

Potential risks and discomforts

The survey includes personal questions about identity, including your own and others’ sexuality. We recommend completing the survey in a private, intimate setting without interruptions. If you find these questions distressing when answering, please reach out to UChicago Mental Health 24/7 at 773.702.3625. All communications associated with this project are sent via email, so by participating, you acknowledge that email is not a fully secure form of communication. To limit the risk of others accessing your personal emails, protect your email password and the devices linked to your account (smartphone, tablet, computer). If you wish, you can delete your browser history after completing the survey to further protect your privacy (refer to the Privacy Notice for steps). This study ensures that the information provided will remain confidential, and the data will be treated anonymously to safeguard the integrity of the participants. For more information, please refer to the online consent form.

Your participation in this survey is entirely voluntary. This research has been approved by the University of Chicago Institutional Review Board (IRB), which oversees the protection of human participants in research, and has been classified as minimal risk (IRB23-0714), meaning the potential harm or discomfort is no greater than what is encountered in daily life. Before agreeing to participate, it is important to take time to read and understand the information below. If you have any questions or if any sections are unclear, feel free to reach out to the coordinators.

Purpose of the study

The aim of this study is to explore how personal identity, including sexuality, relates to students’ motivations and career goals in STEM programs. By examining factors such as family and peer influence, cultural background, physical characteristics, financial accessibility, role models, and others, we aim to understand how social experiences and identity shape their decisions to pursue and persist in STEM majors in higher education.

Potential benefits
for participants and/or society

In addition to the opportunity to win a prize for your participation, you may gain insights into how you view yourself, your identity, and others’ identities. You may also benefit from reflecting on aspects of your life—such as goals and career aspirations—that you may not have previously considered. This project will generate data to uncover patterns among both current and prospective STEM students regarding their diverse social environments. The results of this study may assist stakeholders, educators, professionals, and organizations within and beyond the University of Chicago in better understanding how personal identity and life experiences interact with academic and career decision-making. Furthermore, the data collected has the potential to influence the development of evidence-based policies in higher education institutions. The significance of the knowledge gained highlights the valuable contributions this research makes to both social and natural sciences

Potential risks and discomforts

The survey includes personal questions about identity, including your own and others’ sexuality. We recommend completing the survey in a private, intimate setting without interruptions. If you find these questions distressing when answering, please reach out to UChicago Mental Health 24/7 at 773.702.3625. All communications associated with this project are sent via email, so by participating, you acknowledge that email is not a fully secure form of communication. To limit the risk of others accessing your personal emails, protect your email password and the devices linked to your account (smartphone, tablet, computer). If you wish, you can delete your browser history after completing the survey to further protect your privacy (refer to the Privacy Notice for steps). This study ensures that the information provided will remain confidential, and the data will be treated anonymously to safeguard the integrity of the participants. For more information, please refer to the online consent form.