Origins, Worlds, and Life A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023-2032 (2023) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 416-443
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16 State of the Profession INTRODUCTION The decadal survey's statement of task charged the committee with addressing the state of profession (SoP) , including issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA; see Appendix A)
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 417 findings and concludes with a set of recommendations. This chapter begins with research on how unintended bias can impact decisions and a growing recognition of systemic bias embedded in individual minds, communities, and institutions.
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418 ORIGINS, WORLDS, AND LIFE that unless bias operating at many different levels is identified and analyzed as a whole, the possibility for change is unlikely in society at large. The analysis reveals built-in systems that undermine life's opportunities and outcomes by racial category in particular, although extensions to the constraints placed by demographic variables such as socioeconomic status, age, disability, immigrant status and nationality, sexuality and gender identity, and religion are all a part of understanding the nature of systems of bias.
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 419 needs to be set aside because we now know better based on the science of implicit bias (Jost et al.
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420 ORIGINS, WORLDS, AND LIFE TABLE 16-1 Overview of the Datasets on the Planetary Science Workforce Total Number Abbreviation Name of Survey Year of Survey Fields Surveyed Response Rate Sent to (N) Dept-1 2011 Survey of U.S.
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 421 In 2011, only 39 universities stated that they had any faculty who identified as planetary scientists, with 105 of the 233 faculty positions located at just six universities. The surveys focused on the previous two academic years: fall 2008 to spring 2010 for the 2011 survey and fall 2016 to spring 2018 for the 2018 survey.
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422 ORIGINS, WORLDS, AND LIFE FIGURE 16-1 Gender of planetary scientists from bachelor's degree candidates, PhDs, and tenure-track faculty by major academic institutions. Area of Degree The 2011 survey showed that only 2 percent of planetary scientists received their undergraduate degree in planetary sciences, while 37 percent were in physics, 22 percent in geology and geophysics, 7 percent in chemistry, 8 percent in astronomy and astrophysics, 5 percent in Earth science, 4 percent in biology, and 2 percent in math (AIP 2011)
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 423 Employment Relatively few planetary scientists work at NASA centers: 14 percent in 2011, and only 7 percent in 2020. The largest portion of planetary scientists work at a university or college (48 percent in 2011, 41 percent in 2020)
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424 ORIGINS, WORLDS, AND LIFE FIGURE 16-2 Representation of men and women, and demographics by race and ethnicity as reported in the 2011 and 2020 planetary science workforce surveys along with the demographics of physical science jobs, all STEM jobs, and all U.S. jobs as reported by a Pew Research Center study.
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 425 TABLE 16-2 Demographics of the Planetary Science Workforce by Year of PhD Degree Conferral as Presented in the 2020 AAS-AIP Planetary Science Workforce Study Black, African American Year of Degree or Another Race/Ethnicitya Hispanic/Latinx Asian American White LGBTQ+b 1970 or earlier 5% 0% 3% 92% 4% 1971–1980 3% 0% 5% 92% 4% 1981–1990 3% 3% 4% 90% 2% 1991–2000 4% 2% 11% 83% 6% 2001–2010 4% 5% 10% 81% 6% 2011–2020 5% 6% 17% 72% 12% a Other race/ethnicity included respondents who are Native American/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, or wrote in another race/ethnicity. b LGBTQ+ included respondents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary or another noncisgender identity, and other non heterosexual orientations.
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426 ORIGINS, WORLDS, AND LIFE of high-quality data-gathering and reporting is not unique. The state of the profession chapter in the most recent astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey (NASEM 2023)
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 427 TABLE 16-3 Demographics of Proposal Submissions by Binary Gender, Race, and Ethnicity Identity 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Combined Woman 22% 25% 23% 26% 24% 27% 28% 25% Gender Man 64% 62% 65% 60% 62% 63% 64% 63% Gender-PNA 15% 13% 12% 15% 13% 10% 8% 13% White 63% 64% 64% 62% 62% 62% 65% 63% Asian American 9% 9% 9% 9% 12% 12% 12% 10% Race-Ethnicity URC 4% 5% 6% 5% 5% 6% 7% 5% Race/Ethnic-PNA 23% 22% 21% 24% 22% 21% 16% 22% Selection of Proposals Figure 16-3 shows the percentage of proposals selected for funding (selection rate) in terms of reported binary gender, race, and ethnicity of proposals submitted to NASA PSD from 2014 to 2020.
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428 ORIGINS, WORLDS, AND LIFE FIGURE 16-4 NASA PSD grant selection rate by race and ethnicity between 2014 and 2020 plotted following the framework of Reid (2014)
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 429 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Urgent and Important Need for Evidence About (1) the Size and Identity of PS&AB, (2)
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430 ORIGINS, WORLDS, AND LIFE practices, and policies that constitute systemic barriers to scientific progress. This major initiative will require convening meetings consisting of experts in PS&AB as well as behavioral science to identify the specifics behind SoP issues or that hinder scientific progress.
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 431 and/or social disasters, which can delay other programs; (2) program officers have high-amplitude, long-duration spikes of effort centered on reviews, which have created workflow challenges; (3)
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432 ORIGINS, WORLDS, AND LIFE Co-I more frequently than LGBTQ+ respondents. No significant differences were observed in mission proposal participation based on disability.
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 433 research is produced and evaluated merits attention in any discussion of the SoP. Studies have shown bias in the peer review process and opportunity gaps that may lead to differences in publishing that reflect the role of social rather than scientific factors.
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434 ORIGINS, WORLDS, AND LIFE tenure-track faculty, and 8.9 percent of tenured faculty. Similarly, women accounted for 35 percent of planetary scientists, 52 percent of tenure-track faculty, and 24 percent of tenured faculty.
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 435 but as they are few, they also tend to receive many more requests from students as well as committees (Schmidt et al.
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436 ORIGINS, WORLDS, AND LIFE Winter School to participants located at GSFC. Such programs help bridge opportunity gaps by increasing access to information about mission concept development, design, and proposal.
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 437 Finding: Engagement of Native communities require thoughtful engagement and the creation of genuine relation ships that are respectful of traditions and gratitude for their contribution to the scientific process (Kaluna et al.
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438 ORIGINS, WORLDS, AND LIFE stressful periods such as the present pandemic. Climate surveys are now routine in many organizations.
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 439 each person can also be the propagator as well as the target of bias. Moreover, bias does not lie just in the minds of the human perceiver.
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440 ORIGINS, WORLDS, AND LIFE are involved in their planning, development, and operations. Succession plans offer an opportunity to grow the diversity of the community as part of a long term and sustained effort.
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 441 REFERENCES AAS (American Astronomical Society)
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442 ORIGINS, WORLDS, AND LIFE Diniega, S., J Castillo-Rogez, I
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STATE OF THE PROFESSION 443 Rathbun, J., E.G. Rivera-Valentín, J.T.
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