Wayne State psychology doctoral student Keith Zabel was awarded a 2011 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

His research focuses on whether whites rating black mentors as less effective than white mentors, even when they perform identically, are motivated by prejudice toward blacks. If so, Zabel will work toward developing a technique to reduce such prejudice.

“For example, one possible reason why protégés have higher objective outcomes with white mentors as opposed to black mentors may be bias against black mentors,” Zabel said in a statement. “Specifically, protégé perceptions of low mentor effectiveness when the mentor is black could change the way in which the protégé acts around the mentor. Thus, self-fulfilling prophecies may be a culprit for lower objective outcomes observed from protégés with black mentors as opposed to white mentors.”

A stipend of $30,000 and support for three years over a five-year period is awarded to all fellows.

The NSF awarded fellowships to 2,000 applicants, while 2,064 applicants received honorable mentions.

The goal of the highly competitive program is to ensure the vitality of the U.S. scientific and technological workforce and to reinforce its diversity. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctorate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines relevant to the mission of the foundation, according to the foundation’s website. Fellows are expected to become globally-engaged experts in their field.

Associate department chair and industrial/organization psychology professor Marcus Dickson said this was a victory in more ways than one.

“The NSFGRF is an example of the federal government supporting science and supporting young scientists,” Dickson said. “Awards like this are highly competitive, and they’re (not only) based on the quality of the science but also on the importance of the science.”

Psychology student Jana Ranson, Dickson mentioned, received an honorable mention for her proposal in the same fellowship competition.

“The university is encouraging our graduate students to be very proactive in seeking external funding for their research,” said Dickson. “Only the highest quality graduate student research will be funded in competitions like these, but we are confident that our students are doing work of that caliber.”

Since its start in 1952, the foundation has funded over 46,500 graduate research fellowships, 30 of which have become Nobel Laureates and 440 of which have become members of the National Academy of Sciences, according to the program’s website.

The Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts Review panels of disciplinary and interdisciplinary scientists, engineers and other professional graduate education experts review applicants.

Student research funded by this program is crucial to maintaining and advancing the nation’s technological infrastructure and national security, as well as contributing to the economic well-being of society at large, according to the foundation’s website.

Any WSU student may apply for the NSFGRF.

“Our challenge right now is that too few of our graduate students are applying for this sort of funding,” Dickson said. “That’s something that (graduate school) Dean (Hilary) Ratner … has made a priority for the university.”

The psychology department is proud of Zabel’s achievement.

“The best advice that (psychology professor) Dr. (Boris) Baltes and I have for Keith is to focus on his research and to remember that research is most effective when it takes place in an academic community,” Dickson said. “Working with his adviser and with other graduate student researchers within the department will help him build his own research skills. He should make the most of this research fellowship by pursuing as many research opportunities as possible.”