Increasing Minority Participation in Tropical Biology: Supporting activities for the OTS Advisory Committee for Academic Diversity (ACAD)

项目摘要热带研究组织(OTS)是一个由60多所学院和大学组成的联盟，该组织请求支持其学术多样性咨询委员会(ACAD)编制一份最佳做法手册，解决环境和生物科学领域具有代表性的少数群体的识别、招募和保留问题，这是科学界的迫切需要。该手册的基础将在去年夏天由ACAD和OTS在霍华德大学主办的研究研讨会上提交的数据和信息。ACAD是OTS董事会的常设委员会，负责就扩大OTS在本科生、研究生和专业水平上的参与向OTS提供建议和理事会。自1999年以来，OTS加大了努力吸引少数族裔学生进入热带倡议领域，如ACAD和少数群体学者方案。广泛影响创建最佳做法手册是增加从事环境和生物科学职业的非裔美国人、西班牙裔美国人、美洲原住民和太平洋岛民人数的重要下一步。热带研究组织在其42年的历史中，主要致力于与私立精英学院和大学合作。通过这个项目，ACAD委员会将促进州立大学、HBCU、西班牙裔服务人员、部落学院和大学更多地参与OTS联盟。

Project SummaryIntellectual MeritThe Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) a consortium of more than 60 colleges anduniversities requests support for its Advisory Committee for Academic Diversity (ACAD) toproduce a manual of best practices that addresses identification, recruitment and retention ofunderrepresented minorities in the environmental and biological sciences, a critical need withinthe scientific community. The foundation for the manual will data and information presented at aresearch symposium sponsored by ACAD and OTS at Howard University last summer.ACAD is a standing committee of the OTS Board of Directors and is responsible for providingadvice and council to OTS on broadening participation of underrepresented minorities at theundergraduate, graduate and professional levels. Since 1999, OTS has increased its efforts toattract minority students to the field of tropical initiatives such as ACAD and the MinorityScholars Program.Broader ImpactsCreation of a manual of best practices is an important next step to increasing the number ofAfrican Americans, Hispanic, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders who pursue careers in theenvironmental and biological sciences. The Organization for Tropical Studies for much of its42-year history has primarily focused on working with private, elite colleges and universities.The ACAD committee through this project will foster greater participation of state, HBCUs,Hispanic Serving, Tribal colleges and universities in the OTS consortium.