Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee shall consist of five members elected for rotating three-year terms, plus a Council Member-at-Large as an ex officio member, but without vote. The committee shall design, implement, and oversee efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Academy, and in the Indiana scientific Community. The committee shall report regularly to the Council.

Committee Members, 2023-2024

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee is excited to announce the addition of the Indiana Academy of Science DEI Advocate Award.

The DEI Advocate Award of the Indiana Academy of Science is bestowed upon individuals who have promoted diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and/or justice within the Academy and/or their scientific communities through actions sustained over time or that have made a recent critical impact (e.g. initiating new programs, etc.). Nominations for the Award may be submitted by any member of the Indiana scientific community, and nominees may be either IAS members or non-members. Student nominees are welcomed and encouraged, as are self-nominations. Nominations will be reviewed by the DEI Committee and recommendations will be made to the Academy Council. Recipient(s) of the award will be recognized at the Annual Academy Meeting where they will be acknowledged by the membership of the Academy, and the Award recipient(s) will be given a plaque to bear witness to the Academy’s recognition of this service, as well as one year of free membership to the Academy.

Nominations for the DEI Advocate Award are due on January 16, 2024.

DEI Advocate Award Nomination Instructions

Nominations should be submitted to the Google Form here. Nominators should include the following information in their submission:

• CV highlighting the nature of the DEI work on the nominee
• Cover letter nominating the candidate, which describes the contributions of the nominee to further DEI work within IAS, their institution, their broader scientific discipline, of the Indiana STEM community. (This letter may be written by the nominee in the case of self-nominations, or by another nominator on behalf of the nominee.)

In reviewing nominations, the DEI Committee will consider the following criteria:

1. Nominees are members of IAS or are from the state of Indiana if a non-member
2. Efforts are either sustained over multiple years or have made a significant impact in the short term
3. Efforts exceed current institutional DEI expectations
4. Cover letter narrative clearly explains the impact of the nominees efforts

Preference will be given to:

• Efforts that include a significant focus on the Indiana scientific community
• Efforts that have contributed directly to the development of Indiana scientists, particularly those from diverse backgrounds

The DEI Committee will receive and evaluate all nominations.  Questions regarding the DEI Advocate Award should be sent to the DEI Committee Chair at IndianaAcademyDEI@gmail.com.