The value of EDIA to Planetary Science: A letter from the PWIDE Community Alliance
Document written by Julie Rathbun, Kas Knicely, Jennifer Piatek (most recent co-chairs of the Cross-AG EDIA working group).
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Scientists follow the data to figure out how the universe works, partly because we’re curious, but also because we know how much it helps us all. We want to do the absolute best science, the cheapest science, the most efficient science. We want the best scientist doing the job, not someone that was handed a job they didn’t earn nor deserve. That is why we – the Planetary Workforce Integration, Development, and Empowerment (PWIDE) Community Alliance (formerly the Cross-AG EDIA Working Group) – must denounce the recent executive actions from President Donald Trump.
Current US executive actions are attacking science. On January 23rd, NASA sent a memorandum to all contractors and grantees with the subject line “Initial Guidance Regarding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA) Executive Orders”. As far as we know, such a memorandum has never before been sent to the entire community. Around the same time, an email was sent to NASA employees that directly matched the template email in a memorandum sent to agency heads by the US Office of Personnel Management. Both messages were based on the executive order (EO) ENDING RADICAL AND WASTEFUL GOVERNMENT DEI PROGRAMS AND PREFERENCING. This EO references a 2020 EO under President Biden, suggesting that DEIA activities were established at that time.
The benefits of DEIA are established science. The NASA Science Plan (2020-2024) states “As research has shown, diversity is a key driver of innovation and more diverse organizations are more innovative.” For example, diverse workforces are proven sites of innovative and interdisciplinary thinking (see [1] for an accessible review). People with connections to groups beyond their own have access to diverse information, leading to valuable ideas and creativity [2]. Studies of group brainstorming showed that ideas produced by ethnically diverse groups were of higher quality than those produced by homogeneous groups [3-4]. A meta-analysis of over 100 studies also showed that cultural diversity leads to increased creativity [5]. Gender diversity in business’ boards of directors is correlated with firm value [6]. Places where individuals come together from different backgrounds offer new solutions to previously intractable problems, leading to both technological and scientific breakthroughs [7]. [8] outlines six ways cultural diversity and its effective management can yield a competitive advantage to businesses: cost, resource acquisition, marketing, creativity, problem-solving, and organizational flexibility.
Many DEIA programs, including NASA’s, began long before 2020. In 2016, NASA released a Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Implementation Plan (no longer available on their website). The National Science Foundation has supported DEIA activities for decades, including their “Broader Impacts” requirement for grants, and programs such as GEO/RISE. The American Astronomical Society (AAS) has had committees devoted to minority groups (such as the committee on the status of women in astronomy - CSWA) since 1979. In 2016, the AAS’s Division of Planetary Science (DPS) created the Professional Culture and Climate Subcommittee (PCCS) whose charge includes Diversity and Inclusion. In 2017, Nature Astronomy dedicated several stories to Gender Equity in Astronomy. And, in 2019, the NASA Assessment Groups (AGs) created the Cross-AG EDIA working group.
While the science and embrace of DEIA took decades, it has been dismantled in a matter of days with no forethought or analysis. The current actions are not taking time to determine which, if any, programs are, as stated in the EO, “wasteful”. Furthermore, the EO and associated memoranda do not even define what they mean by “DEIA”. All programs that could broadly fit under Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, are being dismantled without taking the time that such sweeping changes require. DEIA is not about quotas or checking off a list of diversity requirements: it is about finding the talent that is not already present in your space and providing equitable opportunities for that talent to succeed. DEIA is established social science.
These actions will have a long-standing negative effect on science. Scientists who work in DEIA are losing their jobs and their livelihoods. Science is losing substantial first hand knowledge on how to implement DEIA goals in the most beneficial way. Furthermore, without these programs, the science workforce is likely to become smaller and more homogenous. A smaller workforce will have fewer experts and will not be able to compete in a global marketplace. Places with high levels of homogeneity in their workforce are subject to groupthink and risk [9]. For example, the 1986 Challenger explosion has been linked to “groupthink” within NASA resulting from a lack of diverse perspectives [10]. A more homogeneous NASA workforce will lead to more accidents and loss of life. Speaking up for safety necessarily requires people to stand out, but with the introduction of the conformist directives inherent in the anti-DEIA EO, people will not feel safe speaking up about risks and dangers in NASA programs.
What can you do? Scientists and members of the planetary science community should remember to tell colleagues they are valuable. Do not assume they know this already. And those who can be secure while continuing to work toward DEIA goals must continue that work. Other ideas are provided by DPS PCCS . For everyone, reach out to your Representatives and Congress (see 5 calls for suggested talking points and how to reach out), especially if you live in a red district. You can also share this message and talk to others about the importance of science and the importance of DEIA to scientific advancement and innovation. Finally, donate to organizations supporting DEIA in science, such as the choir collaboration's mutual aid fund.
Our goal: A world where every person has value. Our goal is for planetary science to be a place where every scientist can speak up, because that is what we need to better understand our universe. This means every scientist, including those who aren’t white, those that aren’t male, those that aren’t heterosexual, those who aren’t cis-gendered, those who aren’t able-bodied. And, those that are. Good science requires trust in others, no matter who they are. Our goal is a place where anyone can contribute.
References [1] Bell, M. P. and D. P. Berry (2007) Viewing Diversity Through Different Lenses: Avoiding a Few Blind Spots. Acad. Mang. Perspectives 21(4) 21-25. [2] Burt, R. S. (2004) Structural Holes and Good Ideas. Am. J. Sociology 110, 2, p. 349. [3] MacLeod, P. L., S. A. Lobel, and T. H. Cox (1996) Ethnic Diversity and Creativity in Small Groups. Small Group Res., 27(2), p. 248-264. [4] Hoffman, L. R. and N. R. F. Maier (1961) Quality and Acceptance of Problem Solving by Members of Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Groups. J. Abnormal and Social Psych., 62, 401-407. [5] Stahl, G., M. Maznevski, A. Voigt, K. Jonsen (2010) Unraveling the effects of cultural diversity in teams: A meta-analysis of research on multicultural work groups. Int. Bus. Stud., 41, 690. [6] Campbell, K. and A. Minguez-Vera (2007) Gender Diversity in the Boardroom and Firm Financial Performance. J. Bus. Ethics, 83, 435. [7] Phillips, K. (2014) How Diversity makes U.S. smarter. Scientific American, 311(4):42–7. [8] Cox, T. H. and S. Blake (1991) Managing Cultural Diversity: Implications for Organizational Competitiveness. The Executive, Vol. 5, No. 3, 45-56 [9] Neff, G. (2012) Venture Labor: Work and the Burden of Risk in Innovative Industries, MIT Press. [10] Vaughan, D. (1997) The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA, University of Chicago Press.
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Zoe Learner Ponterio
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M. N.
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