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) RCN 的目标是建立一个可持续的网络，加强原住民社区、主流科学/学术界和雇主之间的联系，并支持美洲原住民成功地通过地球科学学术项目并进入地球科学劳动力队伍。 GA-RCN 项目的基础是利用社交网络理论来理解和改善美洲原住民在地球和环境科学领域代表性不足的问题。 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；当地长者和社区成员；行业、机构和企业代表；学生（本科生和研究生）；正规和非正规教育工作者；以及其他感兴趣的个人。美洲原住民地球科学家准备为该学科做出宝贵且独特的贡献。对地球科学的深入了解对于明智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 1 次研讨会和 1 次全面的地球科学联盟全国会议；专业会议上提议的会议；制定适合文化的地球科学研究方案；以及一个网络测绘和分析项目，该项目将使用社交网络框架收集和分析有关地球科学联盟成员资格的数据。 GARCN 将由代表参与这项工作的不同社区的指导委员会指导。 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方面取得成功的最佳实践、利用本土和现代科学研究方法进行研究的尊重方式、受到社区启发并对印第安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.