Geoscience Alliance Research Coordination Network--Broadening Participation of Native Americans in the Geosciences

地球科学联盟研究协调网络（GA-RCN）的目标是建立一个可持续的网络，加强土著社区，主流科学/学术界和雇主之间的联系，并支持美国土著人成功地通过地球科学学术课程进入地球科学劳动力队伍。GA-RCN项目基于使用社会网络理论来理解和改善美国土著人在地球和环境科学中代表性不足的问题。GA-RCN成员将包括来自部落学院，大学和研究中心的教职员工;本地长老和社区成员;行业，机构和企业代表;学生（本科生和研究生）;正式和非正式教育工作者;和其他感兴趣的个人。美洲土著地球科学家准备为这一学科做出宝贵和独特的贡献。对地球科学的深入了解对于明智和有效地管理水和土壤等资源至关重要。GARCN的主要活动将包括一次讲习班和一次全面的地球科学联盟全国会议;在专业会议上提议的会议;为地球科学制定适合文化的研究协议;以及一个网络制图和分析项目，将利用社交网络框架收集和分析关于地球科学联盟成员的数据。GARCN将由一个指导委员会指导，该委员会代表参与这项工作的不同社区。GARCN的智力价值将是在以下领域建立知识：支持美洲原住民在地球科学教育和实践中取得成功的最佳实践，使用土著和现代科学研究方法进行研究的尊重方式，社区启发和对印度国家具有重要意义的研究项目，以及创新的劳动力发展计划和战略。

The objective of the Geoscience Alliance Research Coordination Network (GA-RCN) RCN is to build a sustainable network that will strengthen ties between Native communities, mainstream scientific/academic communities and employers and supports Native Americans in moving successfully through geoscience academic programs and into the geoscience workforce. The GA-RCN project is grounded in using social network theory to understand and ameliorate the problem of underrepresentation of Native Americans in the Earth and Environmental Sciences. The GA-RCN members will include faculty and staff from tribal colleges, universities, and research centers; native elders and community members; industry, agency, and corporate representatives; students (undergraduate, and graduate); formal and informal educators; and other interested individuals. Native American geoscientists are poised to make valuable and unique contributions to the discipline. An in-depth understanding of the geosciences is imperative for wise and effective management of resources like water and soil.The major activities of the GARCN will include 1 workshop and 1 full-scale Geoscience Alliance national conference; sessions proposed at professional meetings; development of culturally-appropriate research protocols for the geosciences; and a network mapping and analysis project that will collect and analyze data on the membership of the Geoscience Alliance using a social networking framework. The GARCN will be guided by a steering committee representing the different communities engaged in the effort. The intellectual merit of the GARCN will be to build knowledge in the following areas: best practices for support of Native American success in geoscience education and practice, respectful ways to do research using both indigenous and modern scientific research methods, research projects that are community inspired and of significance for Indian country, and innovative workforce development programs and strategies.