NSF INCLUDES Planning Grant: Project Radial

该项目将建立一个集体影响计划，利用射电天文学研究来促进美国多样化STEM劳动力的发展。国家射电天文台（NRAO）需要广泛的高通量计算基础设施和熟练的工作人员，以开发计算和数据科学方面的创新方法，管理和利用其射电望远镜产生的大型复杂数据集。深入的学术研究调查了美国STEM领域少数族裔持续代表性不足的原因。NRAO的需求和研究结果激发了NRAO和少数族裔服务机构（msi）之间的初步会议。在这些会议上，人们一致认为，天文学和多样性都可以从一个多机构、跨学科的合作伙伴网络中受益，以提供互补的专业知识和资源。由10个msi和NRAO组成的放射联盟将寻求为这10个msi提供高吞吐量计算处理基础设施和支持；来自NRAO超大阵列巡天的数据集；开放获取、互动的本科和研究生课程，在天文学、计算和数据科学方面培养代表性不足的少数民族学生。这种创新的方法将得到“从摇篮到职业”发展计划的支持，包括为msi周围的学校提供互动的K-12课程；本科研究经历和学生指导计划；为学生、教育工作者和教师提供专业发展计划；MSI校园的平权空间；以及针对学生家庭和社区的外展项目。这个计划奖助金的目标是完成放射线联盟的启动和计划阶段。启动阶段将最终确定一个明确的业务案例、共同的愿景、使命和目标，并将包括前端评估，包括文献回顾、直接需求评估和资源审计。这将通知一个开发实验室，在此期间，Radial合作伙伴msi、其他合作伙伴、受益者和受邀的主题专家将亲自会面，最终确定这些要素，并共同设计Radial联盟的目标、关键活动和指标。规划阶段将为放射联盟建立组织结构和三年计划，包括共同的愿景和目标，以及沟通、评估和可持续性计划。该计划由美国国家科学基金会（NSF）在全国范围内的工程和科学领域未被充分代表的发现者学习者社区（NSF INCLUDES）资助，这是一项全面的国家倡议，旨在通过关注多样性、包容性和扩大STEM的大规模参与来增强美国在发现和创新方面的领导地位。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will establish a collective impact initiative that will use radio astronomy research to advance the development of a diverse US STEM workforce. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) requires extensive high-throughput computing infrastructure and a skilled workforce, to develop innovative approaches in computing and data science, to manage and exploit the large and complex datasets produced by its radio telescopes. In-depth academic research has investigated the causes of the persistent under-representation of minorities in the US STEM sector. The needs of the NRAO, and the findings of the research, inspired initial meetings between the NRAO and minority-serving institutions (MSIs). At these meetings, it was agreed that both astronomy and diversity could benefit from a network of multi-institutional, cross-disciplinary partners, to commit complementary expertise and resources. The Radial Alliance, consisting of ten MSIs and NRAO, will seek to provide these ten MSIs with high-throughput computing processing infrastructure and support; data sets from the NRAO’s Very Large Array Sky Survey; and an open access, interactive undergraduate and graduate curriculum, to train under-represented minority students in astronomy, computing and data science. This innovative approach will be supported by a “cradle to career” development program, including an interactive K-12 curriculum for schools surrounding the MSIs; undergraduate research experiences and a mentorship program for students; a professional development program for students, educators and faculty; affirmative spaces on the MSI campuses; and an outreach program targeted at students’ families and communities. The goal of this planning grant is to complete initiation and planning phases for the Radial Alliance. The initiation phase will finalize a clear business case, shared vision, mission and goals for the Radial Alliance and will consist of a front-end evaluation, including a literature review, direct needs assessments, and resources audit. This will inform a development lab during which Radial partner MSIs, other partners, beneficiaries and invited subject experts will meet in-person to finalize these elements and co-design the objectives, key activities, and metrics of the Radial Alliance. The planning phase will build organizational structure and a three-year plan for the Radial Alliance, including shared vision and goals, and plans for communication, evaluation, and sustainability.This planning grant is funded by NSF Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES), a comprehensive national initiative to enhance U.S. leadership in discoveries and innovations by focusing on diversity, inclusion and broadening participation in STEM at scale.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.