This project is focused on building a diverse scientific workforce inclusive of underrepresented minorities by coordinating and integrating the efforts of professional scientific societies. The Alliance of Scientific Societies for the Development of the Next Generation of Scientists will draw upon insights and principles from the field of social science to build a Community of Practice by unifying and integrating the established effective practices for inclusion and diversity within a large group of national and international scientific societies based in the US. The goals of this Alliance are to create innovative, effective and strategic plans across organizations to offer members of minorities the opportunity to participate in the scientific enterprise, and to establish robust programs for the recruitment and retention of a diverse scientific workforce. A set of best practices and evaluation metrics will be developed and made available to the scientific community by a variety of mechanisms including conferences, workshops and on-line databases.
Findings from the social sciences (drawing upon research in communities of practice, social cognitive career theory, identity formation, and cultural capital) provide insights into how underrepresented minority scientists develop, make choices, and meet challenges. This project will bring together the Minority Affairs and Diversity Committees of participating scientific societies along with social science professionals and other stakeholders to integrate their knowledge and experience to create and disseminate a unified database of diversity programs, a standard reference set of evaluation metrics, and create a context in which to share resources, best practices, and program outcomes to broaden participation of underrepresented minorities in the scientific enterprise.
