RCN: LEAPS: Culture Change for Inclusion of Indigenous Voices in Biology

The five-year project NSF LEAPS project, Culture Change for Inclusion of Indigenous Voices in Biology is a partnership among the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), Botanical Society of America (BSA), Ecological Society of America (ESA), and Entomological Society of America (EntSoc) to drive culture change in the field of biology. The Indigenous Voices project seeks to transform how these societies engage with Indigenous scholars and communities and improve their inclusion in biological research and professions.

AISES in partnership with the three closely aligned biological professional societies will form a Steering Committee to: 1) assess the status of Indigenous inclusion within the organizations, 2) address structural barriers and build Indigenous communities within the organizations, and 3) expand relationships and understanding to fundamentally improve Indigenous representation within biology research and professions. The Indigenous Voices project represents a new collaboration among AISES, BSA, ESA, and EntSoc to advance efforts among all organizations to increase the inclusion of Indigenous peoples, culture, and values in biology, recognizing the unique identities and circumstances of Indigenous peoples in the United States and the implications for education, research, and workforce development through the lens of Tribal Nation Building.

The purpose of this NSF LEAPS project is to test approaches to achieving culture change with respect to inclusion of Indigenous representation, from organizational membership to inclusion of Indigenous knowledge. Due to the pervasiveness of Indigenous STEM underrepresentation, Indigenous identities, knowledge, and values are often limited or erased altogether.

The proposed project seeks to improve Indigenous representation in STEM through collaboration, engaging diverse voices and charting a path to change while also building the foundation of Indigenous scholars who will further the cultural transformations of their disciplines. The Indigenous Voices project expands upon current understandings for maintaining persistence in STEM among Native scholars through culturally connected mentorship, community building, and professional development centering Indigenous values.

The Steering Committee will focus on assessing current needs and challenges and then identify benchmarks for building community among Indigenous scholars and increasing Indigenous representation across the organizations. Failing to center Indigenous voices and support the unique dimensions of Indigenous scholars and communities deprives the country of the potential for innovation and transformative solutions, particularly in the face of climate change and environmental injustice.

Until Indigenous knowledge and science is valued equal to Western knowledge and science, Indigenous people will not be able to see themselves—the past and present people and communities they represent—valued in STEM. The Indigenous Voices project seeks to integrate increased participation with increased representation to achieve culture change, benefiting Indigenous people and communities and the fields of botany, ecology, and entomology.

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.