Bringing ERCs into the INCLUDES National Network (2019)
This publication shares the proceedings of the ERC-INCLUDES Capacity Building Institute (CBI). The content may be useful for people who
- participated in the CBI;
- work on diversity goals within National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES) projects, NSF-funded Engineering Research Centers (ERCs), or postsecondary engineering departments;
- seek to increase their understanding of issues surrounding the participation of individuals from different underrepresented backgrounds in INCLUDES projects or ERCs;
- would like to access resources to help make their courses, products, programs, and activities more welcoming and accessible; and/or
- have promising practices to share with others.
About the CBI
The goals of the CBI were to integrate evidence-based broadening participation practices of INCLUDES into the ERCs, share ERC diversity activities and outcomes to inform research and practice of INCLUDES projects, and build a durable collaborative infrastructure for broadening participation in NSF-funded research through the engagement of ERCs with the NSF INCLUDES National Network.
Participants discussed their unique learning goals for the CBI, which included the following:
- Connecting with other participants for collaborative grant writing
- Discovering ways to scale up inclusion practices in specific INCLUDES projects
- Widening the knowledge base of best practices for broadening participation
- Implementing broadening participation strategies utilized by ERCs
- Gathering information to develop a tip sheet or other tools related to diversity and inclusion
- Understanding better ways to recruit and retain underrepresented students
- Learning about meaningful ways to participate in activities of the INCLUDES National Network
- Identifying how to improve opportunities to connect virtually with participants and stakeholders
- Discovering ways to include more engineering activities in outreach activities
- Understanding best practices for engaging current and future STEM faculty to ensure faculty are diverse
- Ensuring educators are welcoming and inclusive in the classroom
- Learning about methods to partner with industry
- Improving project and program accessibility for students with disabilities
- Enhancing the ability to leverage technology to provide mentoring virtually
- Understanding how to encourage underrepresented students to pursue PhDs
- Exploring ways to have a national impact together