LEAPS: A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workshop at the Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting

科学协会在吸引青年科学家参与和创造通向STEM职业生涯的机会方面发挥着重要作用。由于这种作用，这些协会可以帮助国家增加有色人种学生和其他代表性不足的群体在科学和科学事业中的参与。与此同时，科学社会也给包容性设置了障碍，因为它们的领导、政策和做法几十年来一直固步自封，没有考虑到包容和欢迎代表性不足群体的必要性。该项目制定了一个程序，以开始审查科学社会中的做法、程序和政策，这些做法、程序和政策可能会为代表性不足的群体创造一种不包容、不参与和不友好的环境。将为水产科学学会联合会(CASS)开发包容性、多样性、公平性和获取(IDEA)审计工具，CASS是一个由九个科学学会(美国渔业学会、湖湖学和海洋学协会、沿海和河口研究联合会、淡水软体动物保护学会、国际五大湖研究协会、北美湖泊管理学会、美国生理学学会、淡水科学学会和湿地科学家学会)组成的附属机构，其中大多数从事生物科学工作。IDEA审计工具的构建将能够确定(1)使现状文化、政策和程序永久化的政策和程序；(2)扩大对不同人群，特别是黑人和有色人种、部落学院和历史上的黑人学院和大学的社区的参与的具体障碍；以及(3)在中国社会科学院社会中取得成功的做法和计划。中国社科院成员学会的领导人将与促进代表不足的学生参加STEM的社团和组织的领导人接触，在一年的时间里开发审计工具，并举行一系列便利的会议和讲习班。这一进程将包括在联合水产科学会议(JASM)上举行一次面对面的讲习班会议，以及在面对面会议前后举行一系列远程会议。预计JASM2022将是迄今为止规模最大的水生科学家聚会，因此是让不同社会及其领导层参与集体规划的机会。开发审计工具将是创造文化变革的第一步，它将帮助中国社科院学会确定参与障碍所在。审计工具和现有最佳做法汇编将在我们的网站上广泛传播，通过NSF Includes网络、会议报告和出版物，让代表人数不足的群体的成员参与水产科学。IDEA审计工具以及从开发过程中吸取的经验教训将与希望扩大其专业成员参与的其他协会分享。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Scientific societies play an important role in engaging young scientists and creating opportunities that lead to STEM careers. Because of this role, these societies can help the nation increase the participation of students of color and other underrepresented groups in science and science careers. At the same time, scientific societies also present barriers to inclusion because their leadership, policies and practices have solidified over decades without consideration of the need to be inclusive and welcoming of underrepresented groups. This project develops a process to begin to examine the practices, procedures, and policies within scientific societies that may create an atmosphere of non-inclusivity, non-engagement, and an unfriendly environment for underrepresented groups. An inclusivity, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) audit tool will be developed for the Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies (CASS), an affiliation of nine scientific societies (American Fisheries Society; Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography; Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation; Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society; International Association for Great Lakes Research; North American Lake Management Society; Phycological Society of America; Society for Freshwater Science; and the Society of Wetland Scientists), the majority of whom work in the biological sciences. The IDEA audit tool will be constructed to be able to identify (1) policies and procedures that perpetuate status quo culture, policies, and procedures (2) specific barriers to broadening participation to diverse populations, specifically Black and Indigenous people of color, communities from Tribal Colleges, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and (3) practices and programs that have been successful within the CASS societies. Leaders from the CASS member societies will engage with leaders from societies and organizations that advance the participation of underrepresented students in STEM to develop the audit tool over the course of a year and a series of facilitated meetings and workshops. This process will include an in-person workshop meeting at the Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting (JASM), as well as a series of remote meetings both before and after the in-person meeting. JASM2022 is expected to be the largest gathering of aquatic scientists to date and thus an opportunity to engage diverse societies and their leadership in collective planning. The development of the audit tool will be the first step in creating cultural change, by helping CASS societies determine where barriers to participation exist. The audit tool and a compilation of current best practices for engaging members of underrepresented groups in aquatic sciences will be disseminated widely on our websites, through the NSF INCLUDES network, and conference presentations and publications. The IDEA audit tool, as well as lessons learned from the development process, will be shared with other societies wanting to broaden participation among their professional members.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.