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AIBS Diversity Leadership Awards

AIBS is now accepting nominations for the 2010 Diversity Leadership Award. Please see below for information about the award and for details about the nomination process. The deadline is January 15, 2010.

The Diversity Leadership Award promotes best practices, disseminates successful strategies, and recognizes leadership and innovation in programs that broaden participation of women, persons with disabilities, and under represented minorities in the biological sciences. The award is given each year to recognize programs that demonstrate outstanding creativity, commitment and effectiveness in promoting diversity in biology. Diversity Leadership Award winners will be featured on the AIBS website and in BioScience.

Call for nominations

AIBS welcomes nominations from scientific societies, K-12 schools, colleges and universities, government entities and non profits as well as other biological institutions such as museums, botanic gardens, field stations etc. Nominations are encouraged from members and non-members of AIBS, as well as self-nominations. Programs receiving this award will be selected on their merits (as outlined in the evaluation criteria below), and awardees will not necessarily be affiliated with AIBS member societies and organizations.

Click here to download the nomination form.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria for Assessing Education Programs/Practices

Questions/Criteria Exemplary Promising Not ready to
adapt/scale
1. Were expected outcomes defined before program launch? Yes Soon after Sort of/vague
2. Are outcome data attributable to the program intervention? Far exceeded original expectations Exceeded original expectations Failed to meet expectations
3. Does it demonstrate excellence, which requires equity? - i.e., did it increase the diversity of the target population? Chief outcome achieved and documented (positive trend) Chief outcome implied Equity at core of program design, not an add-on
4. What was the value added of the experience to the target population? Related outcomes that move treatment group to next competitive level Majority (but not most) of individuals in treatment population enhanced Gains for some individuals that can be attributed to treatment
5. Is there evidence of adaptation/ institutionalization, i.e., multiple sites? Explicit scale-up strategy w/evidence Attempt to implement strategy and evaluate Confined to a single site
6. How long has it been in place? Self-sustaining (10+ years) Majority soft money (3-10 years) New (<3 years)

This table "Evaluation Criteria and Design Principles" is taken directly from the "Bridge For All" (Table 2) document by BEST (Building Engineering and Science Talent) and serves as the basis for our criteria. The report is available on the web as a PDF.

Underrepresented minorities in the biological sciences include African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. In addition, AIBS wishes to recognize programs that strengthen opportunities for participation in biology among persons with ADA-recognized disabilities.

For more information about AIBS diversity programs, please send an email to:

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