Diversity Programs and Resources

AIBS is committed to promoting full participation by women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in the biological sciences. AIBS continues to develop programs that expand career, professional development, and service opportunities for women, minorities, and disabled persons in the biological sciences. In order to establish greater equity and access to the biological profession, AIBS continues to work to remove the barriers that have limited the abilities of people from underrepresented groups to achieve the full potential of their scientific talent. AIBS continues to seek partnerships with other national organizations to strengthen human resource programs and promote a diverse scientific community.

• Diversity Leadership Award: Established to promote best practices and disseminate successful strategies to broaden participation of women, persons with disabilities, and under represented minorities in the biological sciences.

• Diversity Scholars Program recognizes and promotes the achievements of underrepresented minorities in biology. The goals of the program are to 1) increase the participation of minority biologists in AIBS programs and activities, 2) encourage and support the careers of minority students in biology, and 3) provide a welcoming atmosphere for minority students/scientists at the AIBS annual meeting and other AIBS events. The program information page includes profiles of past scholars and additional resources for students.

• Diversity Outreach Directory is a listing of organizations with programs that support the needs of students who are underrepresented in the biological sciences. The directory includes brief descriptions of the programs and contact information.

• Diversity in Biological Sciences (DIBS) coalition is composed of organizations with interest in promoting diversity in biology research, education, and careers. The coalition seeks to coordinate diversity efforts in participating organizations and meets four times each year in Washington, DC.

• Other Resources for Increasing Diversity:

  • Building Engineering and Science Talent (BEST) is a public-private partnership launched in 2001 to follow through on the recommendations of the Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development (CAWMSET) in a report entitled "Land of Plenty: Diversity as America's Competitive Edge in Science, Engineering and Technology." This report, released in 2000, was a national call to action to redress the demographic imbalance of the U.S. technical workforce. BEST assembled three blue ribbon panels to develop "best practices" for implementing the CAWMSET recommendations. Their reports (available at www.bestworkforce.org) were released in 2004: "What it Takes: Pre-K-12 Design Principles to Broaden Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics," "A Bridge for All: Higher Education Design Principles to Broaden Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics," and "The Talent Imperative: Diversifying America's Science and Engineering Workforce."

  • Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS): Symposium on Fostering a Diverse Scientific Community. The symposium, held at Howard University, Washington DC, in August 2004, focused on developing strategies for identifying, recruiting, and retaining minorities in the environmental and biological sciences. In addition to panel presentations, oral research presentations were given by OTS Minority Scholars and by faculty participating in the OTS Research Experience for Faculty at Minority Serving Institutions Program.