Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Leadership of Competed Space Missions (2022) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Appendix C: Qualitative Study of the Factors That Impede or Facilitate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Proposed Leadership for Competed Space Missions
Appendix C: Qualitative Study of the Factors That Impede or Facilitate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Proposed Leadership for Competed Space Missions
Pages 142-154
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 142... ...
in the proposed leadership for competed space missions supported by the Science Mission Directorate (SMD)
|
From page 143... ...
to organize and conduct virtual, in-depth interviews with individuals who have prepared and submitted at least one proposal to the NASA SMD's competed space missions program as the PI from 2010 to the present. The purpose of the interviews was to gather information about applicants' experiences with the NASA SMD mission proposal development and submission processes, as well as perceived barriers and opportunities to ensuring a diverse, competitive pool of proposed leaders.
|
From page 144... ...
from the NASA SMD from 2010 to the present were considered eligible for study participation. In order to identify individuals eligible to participate in the study, the NORC team, National Academies project staff, and members of the Committee jointly conducted email outreach to various space science community groups and organizations with a request for them to disseminate within their networks information about the study and a web-based Qualtrics Study Eligibility Survey.
|
From page 145... ...
Interested individuals were asked to respond to the remaining questions in the survey that asked about background characteristics (gender identity, race/ethnicity, career stage, professional affiliation, and geographic location of work) and proposal submission history (mission proposal funding status, NASA space mission divisions from which funding was sought, and the size of mission proposal budgets)
|
From page 146... ...
We reviewed the following background material provided by the National Academies: • The Explore Solar System and Beyond: NASA Announcement of Opportunity Science Team Demographics presentation given by Heidi Jensen and Lorenzo Pappas, June 2021 • The consensus study report Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine from the National Academies, 2018 • The PI-Led Mission Proposal Process presentation given by Dr. Thomas Wagner from the Planetary Science Division at NASA, February 2021 • The Goddard Space Flight Center Proposal Development presentation given by Deborah Amato from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, February 2021 • The Proposal Process: My Perspective from Planetary Discovery and New Frontiers Mission Proposals presentation given by Cathy Olkin from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)
|
From page 147... ...
After coding and analysis were complete, overlapping thematic topics were consolidated and organized by the three research questions. Exhibit 2: Interview Guide Layout Section Topics Covered Participant Career Background and Experiences • Early exposure to NASA competed missions • Types of incentives or supports received from employers • Mentoring-related experiences Lead-Up Process to Proposal Submission • Process of forming mission teams • Barriers and facilitators to proposal development and submission Post-Submission Process and Outcomes • Post-submission processes • Challenges faced post submission • Experiences of being a PI
|
From page 148... ...
• Self-reported data from interviews can suffer from issues such as recall error. • Subgroup analyses that stratified findings by background characteristics such as race/ethnicity, career stage, subfield, and proposal submission history were not always feasible, given the risk posed to the confidentiality of participants.
|
From page 149... ...
The scientific community working on space missions was characterized as small and seemingly impenetrable for an early career scientist outside in-crowd networks. Respondents expressed that mission teams are often comprised of people who already know or have worked with each other.
|
From page 150... ...
These perceptions are important to acknowledge because they influence how proposal teams form. Mission team formation was perceived to be shaped by institutional affiliation and hidden timelines.
|
From page 151... ...
This can also lead to situations where PIs have to renegotiate with industry partners to prevent them from backing out. Given the vast financial scale of space missions, many perceived NASA as being more "conservative" with risk taking regarding PI selection, proposal budgets, and industry partners.
|
From page 152... ...
Respondents reported their teams spent weeks or months preparing for site visits, including things such as media training, dress rehearsals, cross-country travel, building exhibits, and creating project websites. These preparations put strains on the proposed PI's career responsibilities and other personal commitments (such as raising children)
|
From page 153... ...
CONCLUSION NORC conducted research to understand the factors that impede or facilitate DEIA in the proposed leadership for competed space missions. The goal of this work was to support the Committee's efforts toward making
|
From page 154... ...
Despite these limitations, this study found a range of perceived barriers and facilitators that shape the proposed leadership for competed space missions. For example, respondents reported that higher education did not confer all the skills that they needed to become a successful PI, but that it served as a critical time to gain soft skills and mission experience and to build networks needed for career growth.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.