Enriching Scientific Discovery through Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility IDEA for Today and Tomorrow

COSPAR’s IDEA initiative was first introduced at a Special Session Workshop during the July 2022 Scientific Assembly in Athens, Greece. We began a dialogue that has now extended to the global scientific community to ask: “Why is IDEA significant to COSPAR” and, more importantly, “Why now?”

‘‘The IDEA Task Group was officially launched after the 2022 Athens Assembly. ’’

The 2019-23 COSPAR Strategic Plan defined the organization’s key diversity principle as “promoting diversity and gender equality in all of its activities”. The IDEA initiative currently goes beyond that initial principle to establish a renewed policy for diversity and inclusion, to actively promote diversity and equity in all activities, and to identify meaningful roles for all researchers across COSPAR programs. The IDEA initiative is envisioned to encompass the broadest and most forward-looking definition of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. Moreover, its implementation will drive growth and instill relevance for COSPAR global constituents as well as for new members across all areas of scientific inquiry.

In the 2019-23 Strategic Plan, COSPAR leaders recognized that universities, around the globe, are overflowing with brilliant students who are dedicated to making a difference in the world. They look to solve challenges in areas such as Earth remote sensing, space weather, planetary exploration, climate change, planetary protection, advanced spacecraft and instrument development, and the scientific exploration of the Moon and Mars. COSPAR believes we have the opportunity to lead or partner with others to create and sustain a workforce environment that is welcoming to the extraordinary talent entering the marketplace. This is the crux of the issue - contributing to the growth of the workplace that embraces Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility: IDEA. Through IDEA, COSPAR can be a global leader in creating such an environment.

The IDEA Task Group (IITG) was officially launched after the 2022 Athens Assembly. The Group now has 30 individual members, including graduate students and career professionals, representing 13 countries. An IDEA panel focused on females in the STEM workforce will be presented at the Scientific Symposium in Singapore on 19 April. We are now looking ahead to organize an IDEA Workshop at the 2024 Scientific Assembly in Busan, South Korea.

The IITG is pleased to be collaborating with the Panel on Capacity Building, and we are participating in planned Capacity Building Workshops (CBW) throughout 2023. In January this year as part of the CBW on Data Analysis for Planetary Sciences in Antofagasta, Chile, members of the IITG organized a roundtable discussion panel intended to focus on prevailing diversity and accessibility challenges in the region.

As shown on the graph, the overall rating of the roundtable was favorable, but we received significant feedback on how we can improve the session to add significant value for the students. The students were very interested in learning about the IDEA initiative, but expected a more interactive exchange between the panellists and the audience. The students arrived with specific concerns they were experiencing--lack of inclusion and accessibility based on gender, colour, LGBTQ – and they expected to be actively engaged in the roundtable exchange.

In planning for an IDEA session at the next CBW on International Reference Ionosphere: Improved Real-Time Ionospheric Predictions with Data from Spaceborne Sensors and GNSS on 8-9 May, in Daejeon, South Korea, the IITG will strive to organize an interactive roundtable led in-person by someone from the region or someone who has spent time with the group over the course of the workshop. The IITG may also consider having the student audience lead the IDEA session from their perspectives with IITG aligning discussion within IDEA framework. All said, the IITG panellists appreciated joining the students in Chile via Zoom and are eager to engage in the CBW in May.

‘‘the IITG panellists... are eager to engage in the CBW in May.’’

The goal of IDEA is quite simple: to develop a strong and effective culture of diversity and inclusion encompassing the entire COSPAR enterprise. With IDEA principles integrated into all aspects of COSPAR – events, governance, member recognition – the organization will become a global voice for the public good.

If you are interested in learning more or contributing to the work of the IDEA Initiative, I would like to hear from you.

See more on the IDEA Initiative on the COSPAR website: https://cosparhq.cnes.fr/ scientific-structure/task-groups/idea-inclusion-diversity-equity-and-accessibility-initiative-task-group/

The inclusion of a "round table" on Inclusiveness, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) was a good idea.

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