Consortium of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers

Promoting Diversity

diversity1 Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers (NSECs) must seek to embrace the cultural, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity of the U.S. The National Science Foundation expects faculty and staff, as well as the administrations, of all institutions receiving NSF funding to share this commitment. Each NSEC is expected to demonstrate a significant effort towards and, ultimately, success in exceeding national averages* in the sciences and engineering for the involvement of women and underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities as Center leaders and participants.

Each NSEC prepares and executes a strategic diversity plan with specific goals and actions intended to increase the diversity of the center’s leadership, faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral associates. The focus of these diversity efforts will be on achieving a demonstrated impact on the involvement of women, African-Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanic-Americans who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents in the research and education activities of the NSEC.

Although no set of formal requirements can ensure that a desired level of diversity is achieved, the following are recommended elements of a diversity strategy, the success of which depends in large part on the spirit in which they are implemented by the center and its collaborating departments and schools.

Develop outreach connections with NSF programs focused specifically on increasing the diversity of science and engineering students and faculty. These include the Alliances for Broadening Participation in STEM(Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation, Bridge to the Doctorate, and the Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate), the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities programs, and other ongoing NSF activities serving underrepresented groups. These connections could involve faculty, undergraduate and graduate students in the NSEC’s research and education programs.
Initiate or expand long-term partnerships with predominantly female, African-American, Native-American, and Hispanic-American serving institutions.
Introduce a diverse group of pre-college students to the excitement and challenges of science and engineering through summer and/or year-round programs.
Foster partnership among the affiliated Deans of Science and Engineering, other Deans, and the chairs and committees of the affiliated NSEC departments to increase the diversity of the center’s participants over the duration of NSF support.
Ensure diverse representation in the Center’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) programs.

diversity2 The NSF Division of Human Resource Development(HRD), within the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, serves as a focal point for NSF's agency-wide commitment to enhancing the quality and excellence of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research through broadening participation by underrepresented groups and institutions. The Division's programs aim to increase the participation and advancement of underrepresented minorities and minority-serving institutions, women and girls, and persons with disabilities at every level of the science and engineering enterprise. HRD programs contribute to attainment of the PEOPLE outcome goal of the NSF Strategic Plan FY 2003-2008: A diverse, competitive, and globally engaged U. S. workforce of scientists, engineers, and well-prepared citizens. Programs within HRD have a strong focus on partnerships and collaborations in order to maximize the preparation of a well-trained scientific and instructional workforce for the future.

*In compliance with the requirements of federal law, no university receiving federal funds
may employ quotas or set-asides based on gender, race, or ethnicity.

LINKS TO PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE DIVERSITY

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