Broadening Participation Activities in Chemistry

1. Broadening Participation Activities in Chemistry Celeste M. Rohlfing National Science Foundation Chemistry Division September 20, 2007

2. Rationale Being broadly inclusive: seeking and accommodating contributions from all sources while reaching out especially to groups that have been underrepresented; serving scientists, engineers, educators, students and the public across the nation; and exploring every opportunity for partnerships, both nationally and internationally. -- NSF Strategic Plan Large awards, by their nature and their visibility, are expected to provide leadership in broadening participation.

3. Comprehensive CHE Strategy • Continue the dialogue with our community • Embed “broadening participation” into CHE business activities, and ask/require our PIs to do the same • Exchange ideas within NSF on “best practices”

4. Dialogue with community • January 2006 workshop on “Gender Equity in Academic Chemistry,” for dept. chairs • Follow-up: leadership/diversity training for chairs at Council of Chem. Res. Meeting in April 2007 • Chairs’ website: resources; wiki discussion board • September 2007 workshop on under-represented minorities in chemistry, for dept. chairs • Presentations at external mtgs. and workshops

5. Embed broadening participation • Beginning in FY07, all CHE panel presentations include information on implicit bias in evaluation • CHE Broadening Participation Plan adopted 11/07 (NSF 07-021) • CHE CRIF:MU solicitation: new requirement of department plan for broadening participation (NSF 07-552) • CHE CBC solicitation: new requirement of plan for broadening participation (NSF 07-575)

6. Exchange ideas on best practices Presentations to: • NSF internal working groups (ADVANCE, EOL) • Directorate management teams (ENG, CISE, MPS) • Divisions and Directorates (OISE, BIO, OCI, HRD Diversity Forum) • Advisory Committees (GPRA-WG, EHR-AC, CEOSE) • Leadership teams (SMaRT, DD Retreat)

7. NSF Division of Chemistry Plan for Broadening Participation in Chemistry Mike Clarke Celeste Rohlfing Wade Sisk Charles Pibel

8. CHE CRIF:MU Solicitation:Dept. plan components • Leadership—How the department addresses its responsibilities with respect to broadening participation and practices good citizenship. (Examples: community outreach, department role as a campus leader.) • Strategic planning—How the department sets strategic directions, determines key action plans, and assesses quality of its processes (e.g., recruitment, hiring, promotion, and retention) with regard to broadening participation. (Example: identifying any past patterns or current practices that have been obstacles to broadening participation and how to alter them.)

9. Dept. plan components • Statistics and analysis—How the department collects, uses, and analyzes data to inform and update the department’s strategic planning with respect to broadening participation. (Example: assessing changes in participation of underrepresented groups as undergraduate chemistry majors.) • Human resource focus—How the department enables its workforce to develop its full potential and how the workforce is aligned with the department’s objectives with regard to broadening participation.  (Examples: leadership training, family-friendly policies, mentoring for promotion, skill set training, other resources.) • Results—How the department performs and improves with respect to the involvement of underrepresented groups. (Example: implementing changes in recruitment practices or tenure committee compositions.)

10. CHE CBC Solicitation:Center plan components • The broadening participation goals to be addressed; • Plans for achieving those goals; and • A discussion of how progress toward diversity will be measured.