Indigenous Women in Science Network (IWSN) Third Annual Meeting

University Of Montana, Missoula MT

Investigators

Abstract

The proposed ADVANCE PAID project, Indigenous Women in Science Network (IWSN), addresses the underrepresentation of American Indian women in the academic STEM discipline. Through the convening of small talking circles that originated as an outgrowth of a previous ADVANCE IT award, the Network has now expanded to an independent annual meeting. Specifically, this meeting provides opportunities for American Indian women to seek mentors and create new professional relationships and offers an opportunity for this cadre of women scientists to provide much needed psychosocial support. The network is characterized by discussions that focus on enhancing communication, identifying funding strategies, strategic planning and informing the body of literature that focuses on the intersection of gender and race. Intellectual Merit. The current project provides specific and targeted opportunities for intellectual and scientific progress, including opportunities for interdisciplinary scientific collaborations. Additionally, this project contributes to the overall understanding of the unique circumstances that are experienced by American Indian women who pursue careers as scientists and an understanding of the cultural perspectives that either contribute to or serve as barriers to career progression for American Indian women. Broader Impact. This organization is able to leverage its commitment and established trust with a community of American Indian women to meaningfully address their underrepresentation in the academic STEM disciplines. Additionally, this project has the potential to inform the ADVANCE community of efforts that can be made on individual campuses to increase the recruitment and retention of American Indian women. To that end, the proposed project will significantly impact a cadre of women faculty who have been relatively underserved by the ADVANCE Program.