EAGER: Collaborative Research: Enhancing Asian American and Pacific Islander Participation and Belonging in the Geosciences

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) represent one of the fastest growing demographics in the U.S. today and yet lag in participation and representation in geoscience graduate programs compared to other STEM fields. Thus, new programs are needed that specifically recruit AAPI STEM undergraduates to geoscience graduate programs and enhance belonging of AAPI geoscientists as a whole. The proposed activities will focus on Minority Serving institutions (MSIs) that serve AAPI. This project will expose as many as 1,000 undergraduates from MSIs in geoscience-adjacent STEM fields to geoscience research and careers, provide a new research internship opportunity and create national cross-career stage connections between AAPI geoscientists to produce a cohort of geoscience leaders from a group often left out of diversity discussions. AAPI scientists desire to relate their work to local populations and problems relevant to their communities; therefore, diversifying geoscience graduate programs with those identifying as AAPI will have a direct impact on communities facing important geoscience problems of the 21st century such as climate change, natural hazards, and resource scarcity.

This project supports pilot programs to enhance participation and belonging for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in geosciences. The proposed activities include: 1) Establishing a researcher visit program to recruit undergraduate AAPI into geosciences via visits to AAPI-serving MSIs from geoscience researchers; 2) A pilot research internship program for undergraduates at these institutions to carry out research with AAPI mentors; 3) Organizing virtual and in-person events and a career development workshop to enhance belonging, identity, and leadership within the AAPI geoscience community across career stages and sectors. The outcomes of this combination of the proposed activities will help to develop geoscience programs, and create a cohort and community of Belonging, Access, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (BAJEDI) leaders of AAPI geoscientists.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.