NSF Gold: Sparks for Change Opportunity

Are you an early career faculty member from a group traditionally underrepresented in the geosciences who is looking to maximize your broadening participation efforts without compromising your science career? Are you a senior faculty member who has hired a new faculty member from an underrepresented group and wants to support and retain them? You may be interested in Sparks for Change.

Sparks for Change is a program funded under the NSF Geoscience Opportunities for Leadership in Diversity (GOLD) initiative. It focuses on supporting the career progression and improving the retention of underrepresented faculty in the geosciences by improving departmental culture towards inclusion and broadening participation. We utilize a small group approach (triads), with groups comprised of junior underrepresented minority faculty, more senior partners in the same departments, and experienced broadening participation experts, to identify challenges and create department-specific plans to instigate sustainable departmental culture change.

Sparks for Change is centered on a three-day workshop, to be held September 1-3 in Boulder, CO. This workshop will bring together 10 triads from different institutions to build a network of scholars focused on broadening participation in the geosciences and provide faculty with the leadership skills necessary to lead departmental culture change. Each triad will be supported in developing and enacting individualized plans for driving change in their own department.

Participants will receive a stipend to cover travel, accommodation, meals and local costs.

More information is available in the attached flier, or on our website https://www.sparksforchange.org/workshop-details. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Applications close July 1, 2021.