Women of Color in Tech

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will execute a series of regional workshops, prepared by the Policy and Global Affairs Division's U.S. Science and Innovation Policy unit, aimed at engaging the national community in identifying effective, evidence-based strategies for increasing the participation, retention, and advancement of women of color in tech fields. These fields include computer science, computer and information science and support services, information technology, and engineering. The barriers and challenges encountered by women of color in science, technology, engineering and mathematics have been well documented in the literature, but effective strategies for removing such barriers are warranted. This initiative will convene regional workshops to identify evidence-based strategies to address these challenges and then disseminate this information, via a report and web portal, to a wide set of stakeholders (including academic institutions, employers, policymakers, and federal agencies). The goals of these workshops are to: 1) Identify constructive and sustainable solutions for colleges and universities, businesses, and government agencies by collecting and synthesizing evidence on effective programs, practices, and models that take an intersectional approach to recruiting, retaining, and significantly increasing the participation of women of color in tech degree programs and careers. 2) Build a community of practice devoted to addressing this important national issue, and create research-practitioner partnerships to drive the implementation and evaluation of evidence-based strategies and programs for improving the participation of women of color in tech. 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.