TheannualUnderstandingInterventionsthatBroadenParticipationinScienceconferenceisthe leadingin-personopportunityforpractitionerstointeract,shareexperiencesandsolutions,and learnfromexpertsoutsidetheirprofessionaldomainaboutinnovationsinmanyforms?theories, methods,tools?thatcouldinforminterventionswithstudents,faculty,decisionmakers,and policymakers.The U I C o n f e r e n c e provides aforum for the disseminationanddistillation of translationalinterventions research resulting fromcompetitive grants awarded byfunding agencies such as the NSF and NlH.Theoverallgoalofthisfive-yearconferenceplanisto reachacapacitydoublethatofthecurrentUImodelthroughthefollowingspecificaims: 1. UnderstandingInterventionswillorganizeandimplementanannualconferencethatwill includetrainingworkshops,symposia,deeperdivesessions,postersessions,and organizednetworkingopportunities.Travelsupportwillbegiventoenablegreatergraduate student,post-doctoral,andjuniorfacultyparticipationinconferenceactivities. 2. UnderstandingInterventionswillprovideoutreachthattakesinterventionsscholarshiptofive professionalsocietymeetingsthathaveahistoryofbeingattentivetonotonlyresearch,but alsotraininginbroadeningparticipation.Thesemeetingsincludebutarenotlimitedtothe AnnualBiomedicalResearchConferenceforMinorityStudents(ABRCMS),Societyfor AdvancementofChicanos/HispanicsandNativeAmericansinScience(SACNAS), ExperimentalBiology(EB),SocietyforNeuroscience,andAmericanChemicalSociety (ACS),theAmericanInstituteofPhysics(API),orTheAmericanSocietyforCellBiology (ASCB).Itwillaggressivelyadvertiseandmarkettheannualconferencetothosedisciplines nothistoricallywellrepresentedsuchaschemistry,physics,computerscience,and engineering. 3. UnderstandingInterventionswillhostwebinarsthatprovideskillsdevelopmentandaidin disseminationofresearchonbroadeningparticipationinscience.
Understanding Interventions that Broaden Participation in Science (UI) provides a platform for the dissemination of scholarship and training related to interventions research and evaluation, with foci that include student development, especially those underrepresented in STEM, flexible research training as the foundation for a variety of career pathways, and the integration of excellence and equity to produce and renew an inclusive research enterprise. Whether considered a platform, a clearinghouse, or a technical assistance organization and conference, UI has established an infrastructure that serves a diverse community of practitioners, offering an inclusive and supportive environment that facilitates dialogue on the translation of research into practice, and has fostered collaborations for sharing and adapting successful strategies in a variety of institutional and disciplinary contexts. As such, UI bridges the key questions of what works and why.
