| NSF Org: |
OIA OIA-Office of Integrative Activities |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | June 21, 2018 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 21, 2018 |
| Award Number: | 1812997 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Bernice Anderson
banderso@nsf.gov (703)292-5151 OIA OIA-Office of Integrative Activities O/D Office Of The Director |
| Start Date: | July 1, 2018 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2021 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $232,110.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $232,110.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
505 KING AVE COLUMBUS OH US 43201-2696 (614)424-4873 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
CO US 80301-2735 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.083 |
ABSTRACT
As an emerging field, data science has the potential to broaden participation of minorities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) by offering multiple career pathways that span a variety of fields. Growth in the availability of large environmental datasets has also resulted in the need for a diverse workforce with technical data science skills. A variety of organizations support individuals currently underrepresented in STEM that are interested in entering data science careers through training, mentoring, and networking opportunities. However, many of these initiatives have been developed in isolation, limiting opportunities for an exchange of ideas and lessons learned. The Battelle Memorial Institute and its partners will host a 3-day conference to strengthen initiatives across organizations to recruit and retain individuals from underrepresented groups in data science careers. Conference attendees (with selected allied representatives from NSF INCLUDES Design and Development Launch Pilots) will be comprised of academic, training, and business partners that offer training and career opportunities in the data sciences; project leaders conducting research on recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups in this and related fields; employers who have an interest in hiring and retaining a diverse data science workforce; and individuals with experience in mentoring interns and early career professionals in research and technical positions. The products of the conference will include a conference proceedings report; specific recommendations for filling the gaps in understanding the multiple career pathways of underrepresented groups in data-intensive environmental science careers; and a strategy for continued development and expansion of a collaborative community focused on increasing workforce diversity in the data sciences.
The Conversation IDEaS (Conversations on Inclusion in Data Science for Ecological and Environmental Sciences) Conference will be a 3-day conference with the ultimate goal of developing a networked improvement community (i.e., Environmental Data Sciences Inclusion Network) that strengthens initiatives across existing alliances and organizations to recruit and retain individuals from underrepresented groups in data science careers. By establishing connections between existing organizations and alliances that are working towards a common goal, this conference will build their capacity to provide opportunities and remove barriers for underrepresented groups. Making special efforts to bring in collaborators that may not currently be known as potential stakeholders in these conversations will broaden the network's impact. The conference will be structured around three primary components of potential career pathways (awareness/recruitment, training, and retention/mentoring) at each of three possible entry points (K-12, higher education, career change/advancement). The conference activities will be designed to address the following questions relevant to each day: (1) what is the problem we are trying to solve?; (2) what expertise is needed to solve the problem?; and (3) how might our network be structured to support our work? The products of the conference will include a conference proceedings report; specific recommendations to the INCLUDES network for filling the gaps in our understanding of the multiple career pathways of underrepresented groups in data-intensive ecological and environmental data science careers; and a strategy for continued development and expansion of the networked improvement community.
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.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Bringing Conversations on Diversity and Inclusion in Data Science to the Ecological and Environmental Sciences, was a 3-day conference hosted at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research?s (UCAR) Center Green in Boulder, Colorado, April 2-4, 2019. The conference had two primary goals: (1) To develop a network with representatives from academia, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and the private sector who are interested in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across the environmental data science field; and (2) to promote and support initiatives across existing alliances and organizations that facilitate DEI across careers in this field through collective action. The conference included 6 plenary presentations, 17 lightning talks, 12 posters, 1 panel discussion, and 46 breakout sessions. A review and synthesis of notes taken during the event identified eight priority areas: Accessibility, Allies, Data Ethics, Training, Community Relevance, Culture Change, Professional Development, and Recruitment and Retention. Summaries of each area are provided in a conference proceedings report, and these priority areas continue to drive activities of the network that formed during the conference.
The Environmental Data Science Inclusion Network (EDSIN; edsin.qubeshub.org) is committed to making progress in DEI across the environmental data science field through a growing membership, collaborating organizations, and ongoing programs. Since the conference ended, membership has grown to include 258 individuals and 19 contributing organizations. Resources and best practices are shared across the website, social media, and monthly community calls, where network members have identified new initiatives and research questions that should be prioritized to make significant impacts in broadening participation in the environmental data science field.
Specifically, two grants were developed and funded through collaborations among EDSIN members. The first initiative was funded by the Code for Science and Society (grant number GBMF8449 from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, https://doi.org/10.37807/GBMF8449) to support the Culturally Relevant Education in Environmental Data Science (CREEDS) Workshop. The workshop explored what it means to approach education around data science principles and skills from a culturally responsive perspective. The second initiative, Identifying Assets and Collaborative Activities to Support Student Success in Environmental Data Science at Minority Serving Institutions, has been funded by the National Science Foundation?s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program (Award# 2135830). This project will bring together representatives from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and professional organizations to build resource networks, identify barriers to data science education, and co-create a set of recommendations focusing specifically on environmental sciences.
In addition, the project has also produced two peer-reviewed publications, co-organized a new webinar series on inclusive teaching practices, and co-led a fellows program that launched the BuiLDs program. BuiLDS (Biological, Universal, and Inclusive Learning in Data Science) is focused on the exchange of ideas and resources supporting biological and environmental data science education, grounded in practices of universal design for learning and inclusive pedagogy.
Last Modified: 10/22/2021
Modified by: Alycia Crall
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