Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Resource Center

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Resource Center

IDEA Main Page Advisory Committee Resources

Resources

The LPI Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Resource Center is a centralized hub of resources compiled for the planetary science community. The listed resources are not exhaustive, and we welcome your suggestions as we build our IDEA portfolio.

Featured Resources

Consensus Report on Recommendations from the 2022 Advancing IDEA in Planetary Science Conference

Consensus Study Report on Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Leadership of Competed Space Missions

The Lunar and Planetary Institute’s Independent Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Advisory Committee

Reports and White Papers

Policies and Guidance

  • NASA Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility
    NASA’s DEIA Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FYs) 2022–26 reaffirms NASA’s commitment not only to advancing scientific knowledge but also to caring for its workforce and contractors. The Plan focuses on four strategic goals: (1) workforce diversity; (2) workforce equity and inclusion (employee experience); (3) accessibility and accommodation; and (4) DEIA integration into the NASA mission.
  • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility at SMD
    This website highlights NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) IDEA Strategy and Internal Structures, Cross-Cutting IDEA Working Group and Internal Divisions, and SMD’s IDEA Activities to date.
  • Diversity and Inclusion at NASA
    NASA’s public website with links to policy statements, references, and resources.
  • Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services Glossary of Terms
    This site by the American Library Association has a useful glossary of common IDEA terms. The intent is to provide guidance and open discussion in the spirit of creating a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive society.
  • Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE) Handbook
    This guide by One Circle Foundation was designed to expand understanding and knowledge of terminology, definitions, and affirming approach and practices. The guide supports those working with, responding to and creating safety for all youth along the SOGIE spectra.
  • A Primer on Diversity
    Part of the ADVANCEGeo Partnership, this website provides an overview of diversity, characteristics of diversity, and more.
  • Creating Inclusive Workplace Climates
    This website by the ADVANCEGeo Partnership provides introductory information on topics such as power dynamics, intersectionality, workplace climate, privilege and allyship, and more.
  • Beyond Definitions: Operationalizing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
    This article by Shaner, Shebby, and Joyce describes the Planetary Resources and Content Heroes (ReaCH) efforts to craft a shared understanding of definitions for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
  • Introduction to Braving Diversity
    This handout created for LPI’s internal Braving Diversity seminars includes a variety of resources on IDEA topics.
  • NASA Style Guide
    By Stephen Garber, published in 2018. The purpose of style guidelines is to achieve consistency in prose style and usage so that readers can become absorbed in the content and avoid being distracted by curiosities in form. The document includes guidance on gender-specific language and more.
  • AAS Journals Name-Change Policy
    IOP Publishing recognizes that people change their name for a variety of reasons (including but not limited to gender identity, marriage, divorce, or a change in religion), and they support authors’ rights to update their previously published work accordingly.
  • Elsevier Name-Change Policy
    By Jonathan Davis, published 2021, this site describes this publisher’s trans-inclusive name change policy.

Conferences and Seminars

NASA-Funded Planetary Programs

  • Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP)
    Through MUREP activities, NASA supports Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPI), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU), and other minority serving institutions, through multi-year research grants. Additionally, MUREP provides internships, scholarships, fellowships, mentoring, and tutoring for underserved and underrepresented learners.
  • NASA’s Neurodiversity Network (N3)
    Part of NASA’s Science Activation portfolio and led by NASA educators at Sonoma State University, N3 is providing a pathway to NASA participation and STEM employment for neurodiverse learners, with a focus on those on the autism spectrum.
  • NASA SMD Bridge Program
    This new initiative is to improve diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) within 1) the NASA workforce and 2) the broader U.S. science and engineering communities. The program’s primary goal is to develop sustainable partnerships among institutions historically under-resourced by NASA (e.g., Minority-Serving Institutions) and very highly research-intensive universities and NASA Centers or Facilities. These partnerships are expected to focus on paid research and engineering student positions at participating institutions with the goal of transitioning science and engineering students from undergraduate studies into graduate schools and/or employment by NASA or related institutions.
  • Native Earth/ Native Sky (NENS)
    Part of NASA’s Science Activation portfolio and led by Oklahoma State University, this program aims to increase the understanding of and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields for middle school students in the Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations by developing holistic curriculum that interweaves Native American stories and language with STEM principles.
  • NASA Inspires Futures for Tomorrow’s Youth (NIFTY)
    Part of NASA’s Science Activation portfolio and led by Twin Cities PBS, this program is designed to broaden youth participation in STEM studies by providing opportunities for youth to interact with and learn from NASA STEM professionals. NASA role models will help youth to learn about NASA missions and careers and provide personal sources of inspiration.
  • PI Launchpad Workshop
    NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD), the Heising-Simons Foundation, and a team of mission experts have teamed up to make the mission development process more transparent and accessible through these biennial workshops.
  • Planetary Resources and Content Heroes (ReaCH)
    Part of NASA’s Science Activation portfolio and led by Twin Cities PBS, this program is building and testing a model to engage Black and Latinx youth and their families in planetary science, through workshops pairing planetary scientists and informal educators in bi-directional conversations around diversity and inclusion.

Recommended Reading

Affinity Groups

Groups or networks of people linked by common interests or a common purpose.

  • 500 Women Scientists
    500 Women Scientists works to build communities and foster real change that comes from small groups, not large crowds.
  • Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Geosciences (AAPIiG)
    Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Geosciences (AAPIiG) is a grassroots member-driven organization committed to building a community that supports AAPIs within geosciences.
  • Astronomy in Color
    We are members of the astronomy community committed to increasing diversity by recognizing, confronting, and removing the barriers to racial equity and inclusion.
  • Black in Astro
    Founded in 2020 by @That_Astro_Chic to celebrate and amplify the Black experience in space-related fields.
  • Disabled for Accessibility in Space (DAIS)
    DAIS is a platform to lift up disabled voices in planetary and space science fields through networking, community support, and advocacy. We are inclusive of all people associated with and/or working in space-related fields who identify as disabled, neurodivergent, or having a chronic illness or condition.
  • GeoLatinas
    Our mission is to embrace, empower, and inspire Latinas to pursue and thrive in Earth and Planetary Sciences careers.
  • InterEngineering
    A network aiming to connect, inform and empower lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender engineers and their straight allies.
  • Planetary Scientists of Color (PSoC)
    A private Facebook networking group of planetary scientists of color designed to support, network, and address issues that concern scientists of color in planetary science and related fields.
  • Queers in Planetary Sciences (QuiPS)
    A group for queer planetary science folks to network, vent, discuss, share our experiences, and support each other. For more information or to request to be added to the private Facebook group, email [email protected].
  • Women in Planetary Science (WiPS)
    This website and the overarching organization include a variety of resources and studies for and about women in planetary science.

Community-Based Projects

Funded projects and programs designed to support and increase visibility of groups.

  • 500 Queer Scientists
    A visibility campaign for LGBTQ+ people and their allies working in STEM and STEM-supporting jobs.
  • GEM (The National GEM Consortium)
    The mission of The National GEM Consortium is to enhance the value of the nation’s human capital by increasing the participation of underrepresented groups (African Americans, American Indians, and Hispanic Americans) at the master’s and doctoral levels in engineering and science.
  • LGBTQSTEM
    This project showcases LGBTQ+ people in STEM fields, showing the diversity of people that can be found in roles across STEM disciplines and hopefully providing some role models for people who are either at a junior stage in their careers or who are only currently considering the possibility of going into a STEM field.
  • Pride in STEM
    Pride in STEM is a charity run by an independent group of LGBTQIA+ scientists and engineers worldwide.
  • URGE (Unlearning Racism in GeoScience)
    This program is designed to deepen the Geoscience community’s knowledge of the effects of racism on the participation and retention of People of Color in the discipline and to implement and assess anti-racist policies and resources within Geoscience workplaces.
  • VanguardSTEM
    An online platform and community that centers the experiences of women of color, girls of color, and nonbinary people of color in STEM who are dedicated to forefronting the expertise, sharing the stories, identifying the struggles, and celebrating the accomplishments of other women and nonbinary people of color.
  • Women in Astronomy
    A blog maintained by the AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy to disseminate information relevant to astronomers who identify as women and share the perspectives of astronomers from varied backgrounds.

Professional Organizations

Professional societies or organizations, often with membership dues.

  • National Association of Black Geoscientists (NABG)
    This nonprofit was organized to inform students of career opportunities, encourage them to take advantage of programs, give financial support, aid minority students searching for employment, allow minority geologists and geophysicists to establish professional relationships, and more.
  • National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP)
    The organization seeks to develop and support efforts to increase opportunities for African Americans in physics and to increase the numbers and visibility of their scientific work.
  • oSTEM
    Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM) empowers LGBTQ+ people in STEM to succeed personally, academically, and professionally by cultivating environments and communities that nurture innovation, leadership, and advocacy.
  • Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
    Through our people, programs, and partnerships, SACNAS has taken a radical approach to lead with culture and identity to achieve true diversity in STEM.
  • Women of Color in STEM Conference
    Designed to help women improve their education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. The conference offers career networking opportunities and hosts award ceremonies.

Advisory Committees and Working Groups

  • AAS DPS Professional Culture and Climate Subcommittee (PCCS)
    This subcommittee aims to understand barriers faced by underrepresented communities in planetary science and communicate them to the Division of Planetary Science leadership and the broader community.
  • AGU Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee
    The committee facilitates the steps AGU staff and members should take across all AGU programs to achieve the goals and objectives outlined in the AGU Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan.
  • Committee for Sexual-Orientation & Gender Minorities in Astronomy (SGMA)
    The AAS Committee for Sexual-Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy (SGMA) promotes equality for sexual orientation and gender minorities (SGMs) within our profession, including those identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, questioning or queer, or asexual.
  • Cross-AG IDEA Working Group
    The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Working Group is designed to develop and disseminate resources, findings, and other recommendations associated with IDEA matters for the NASA assessment/analysis groups (AGs) and the planetary science community more widely.
  • LPI’s IDEA Advisory Committee
    The goal of the LPI IDEA Advisory Committee is to guide the LPI on its institutional practices to foster an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible environment at LPI-organized activities, such as meetings, conferences, public and planetary community engagement activities, including community engagement forums.
  • SMD Anti-Racism Action Group (ARAG) and SMD IDEA Working Group
    NASA Science Mission Directorate’s cross-cutting IDEA Working Group is comprised of internal staff from all our science divisions and serves as our central body for regularly communicating IDEA-related challenges, actions, and solutions. For questions about SMD’s IDEA initiatives or internal working group, please email [email protected]
  • SSERVI’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Focus Group
    SSERVI fosters collaborations within and among competitively selected domestic teams, the broader exploration science community, and multiple international partners to support NASA’s goals in lunar and planetary science and human exploration of the solar system.
  • USRA DEI Committee
    USRA seeks to reflect the increasingly diverse workforce in the space-related sciences by promoting awareness, understanding, and appreciation of diversity throughout the organization and beyond.

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