Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Astro2020 Decadal Survey White Papers

The National Academies for Science, Engineering, and Medicine recently solicited white papers for the Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics (Astro2020). The Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy submitted two white papers to the call for the state of the profession consideration. Our papers were written based on preliminary results from our climate survey conducted this past spring. We want to thank the community members that took the time to provide such crucial and detailed feedback. Your contributions allowed us to provide clear, actionable recommendations that federal agencies can implement to address sexual harassment and career development for women and underserved minorities in the field of astronomy. You can access our papers at the links provided below.

Over 300 white papers were submitted to this call and the CSWA curated a list of additional white papers that may be of interest to our readers.

TitleAuthor/Organization
“Mind the gap”: a call to redesign astronomy graduate educationAmaya Moro-Martín, Space Telescope Science Institute
Astronomy-driven Careers in the 2020's American Astronomical Society’s Committee on Employment
The Early Career Perspective on the Coming Decade, Astrophysics Career Paths, and the Decadal Survey ProcessEarly Career Astronomer and Astrophysicist Focus Session
Providing a Timely Review of Input Demographics to Advisory CommitteesDara Norman, NOAO
Tying Research Funding to Progress on InclusionDara Norman, NOAO
Why Physicists Should Discuss Mental Health Kathryn Chandra, University of California San Diego
Enhancing Conference Participation to Bridge the Diversity Gap Space Telescope Science Institute
Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Astronomy Graduate Education: an Astro2020 Decadal Survey White Paper AAS Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion in Astronomy Graduate Education, Endorsed by the AAS Board of Trustees
It's Time to Eliminate the GRE and PGRE in All Astronomy & Astrophysics PhD Programs: Movaon, Implementation and Outcomes Adam Burgasser, University of California San Diego
(Un)conscious Bias in the Astronomical Profession: Universal Recommendations to improve Fairness, Inclusiveness, and Representation Alessandra Aloisi and Neill Reid, Space Telescope Science Institute
A partial solution to the “Postdoc Crisis” is needed Peter Plavchan, George Mason University
The Nonbinary Fraction: Looking Towards the Future of Gender Equity in Astronomy Various principal authors and universities
Overturning Intentional Barriers to Participation Stuart F. Taylor, Participation Worldscope
Astro2020 must issue actionable recommendations regarding diversity, inclusion, and harassment Jane Rigby, NASA Goddard
Long-term Trends in the Astronomical Workforce: Analysis and Recommendations Based on the Publication Histories of 10,000 US Astronomy PhD Recipients Ivelina Momcheva, Space Telescope Science Institute
Leadership and Participation in NASA’s Astrophysics Explorer-Class Missions Michael New, NASA
Primarily Undergraduate Institutions and the Astronomy Community Joseph Ribaudo, Providence College, Union College
A Different Kind of Dark Energy: Evidence for Placing Race and Gender in Physics Lauren Chambers, Space Telescope Science Institute
Making the Case: Principles for Workforce, Education, Public Outreach and Communications (WEPOC) Gordon Squires, Caltech/TMT
Proposed projects to improve inclusivity and equity in Astronomy outside of Departments Anonymous authors
Pursuing diversity, equity, and inclusion in multimessenger astronomy collaborations over the coming decade The Multimessenger Diversity Network
Astrobites as a Community-led Model for Education, Science Communication, and Accessibility in Astrophysics Gourav Khuller
Accessible Astronomy: Policies, Practices, and Strategies to Increase Participation of Astronomers with Disabilities Alicia Aarnio, UNC Greensboro
Astronomy Faculty Development at Minority-Serving Institutions Andrew Baker, Rutgers
Preparing an Inclusive Astronomy Community through Effective Professional Development Nicholas J. McConnell, Institute for Scientist & Engineer Educators (ISEE)
Enabling Terminal Master’s Degrees as a Step Towards a Ph.D. Michael B. Lund, Caltech/IPAC-NExScI
The Importance of Supporting Astronomy Education Research, Curriculum Reform, and Professional Development in Astronomy Education Kim Coble, San Francisco State University
Collaboration with Integrity: Indigenous Knowledge in 21st Century AstronomyAparna Venkatesan, University of San Francisco
Integrating Undergraduate Research and Faculty Development in a Legacy Astronomy Research ProjectRebecca A. Koopmann, Union C.

As we state at the end of our white papers: "We look forward to the scientific achievements of a workforce that fully utilizes the talents of all its members."