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.
