2030STEM Accelerates:

Full Inclusion Leadership Institutional Change Access to Capital

Issue: A lack of Black, Latino/a/X, Indigenous and people of color STEM practitioners means their lived experiences are not brought to bear and the scientific questions being pursued are biased towards the overrepresented groups.

Goal: Emphasizing opportunity and access, the 2030STEM project will support Black, Latino/a/X, Indigenous and people of color STEM professionals currently pursuing their careers, and those just starting out, to support their pathways to success, leveraging funds, curating a network of champions, and generating institutional commitment. Full inclusion demands culturally responsive research environments, where diverse voices lead and participate in policies and practices.

Issue: A critical gap in leadership by Black, Latino/a/X, Indigenous and other people of color in STEM.

Goal: Concerted action is needed to reverse the stubborn barriers preventing JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) practices in the STEM enterprise. We propose orthogonal strategies for early career support, steeped in cross-sector leadership, access to champions promoting the careers of Black, Latino/a/X, Indigenous and people of color STEM practitioners, access to capital. We will identify and recommend solutions to structural barriers that undercut recruitment, retention, and promotion, and which prevent access and advancement to leadership roles by Black, Latina/o/x, Indigenous and other people of color in STEM fields.

Issue: Deeply-ingrained, traditional STEM career pathways and practices are centered in a narrow segment of the population, with a pigeon-holed view of achievement and success.

Goal: Partnering with and seeking to extend the scale of existing successful equity and inclusion programs and organizations, 2030STEM will identify JEDI practices that must be embedded throughout the STEM ecosystem; whereby institutions, funding agencies, and science and technology companies commit to renovating the infrastructure that supports early STEM career stages. We are recentering the concept of excellence in which various models of success are used, allowing for diverse voices and pathways for Black, Latino/a/X, Indigenous and people of color students and professionals in STEM fields.

Issue: Economic and cultural disparities are prevalent among Black, Latino/a/X, Indigenous and people of color STEM students and professionials.

Goal: We will identify resources for Black, Latino/a/X, Indigenous and people of color practitioners that allow for unrestricted funds to support professional advancement. We will accomplish this by partnering with STEM stakeholder groups that benefit significantly from science and technological innovations, namely industry, business, and finance. We will advocate for financial incentives that provide access to economic capital and generate cultural capital for Black, Latino/a/X, Indigenous and people of color in STEM.

Issue: Current STEM career pathways and practices undermine diversity and inclusion strategies.

Goal: We seek to accelerate the pace of change in the STEM ecosystem through concerted action across sectors to reverse the barriers preventing Black, Latino/a/X, Indigenous and people of color practitioners from permeating the STEM enterprise. With unrelenting tenacity, we will advocate for training practices, institutional structures, and funding mechanisms that establish the fluency, community, and strength required to bring about rapid changes that amplify all voices. In ten years we will substantially raise the number of Black, Latino/a/X, Indigenous and people of color doctoral STEM professionals across academia, industry, government, business, and finance to create a network of leaders and champions that have the creativity, expertise, breadth and depth of understanding to have influence years to come. These leaders wiill use their voices and lived experiences to continue to weaken systemic barriers and finally design successful STEM strategies for all, by all.