2023 Staff Search Broader Impact Statement Description
The Observatories is seeking new staff scientists who will be vital partners in improving and maintaining a culturally diverse, intellectually vibrant environment that is welcoming to all. As part of their application, candidates must submit a written statement that details their past and planned contributions to service, mentoring, and outreach, and their plans for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at Carnegie (https://obs.carnegiescience.edu/dei-observatories). We acknowledge that a Broader Impact Statement may be more familiar to applicants within the United States. Our goal in requiring this statement is to enable the committee to assess candidates' commitment to positively influencing our community and the field as a whole. This statement will be evaluated by the search committee using the rubric listed on our job website.
Carnegie Science values the kind of leadership that significantly enhances the scientific community's diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. We recognize that leadership can come in many forms – both formal and informal. Both will be viewed as evidence of leadership experience and potential by the committee. The Observatories’ mission includes the support and mentoring of early career scholars, especially those from historically underrepresented groups in STEM, as well as community engagement and outreach. Our academic community includes a large and dynamic group of postdoctoral fellows, graduate fellows from multiple universities, and a diverse class of summer undergraduate interns. Scientific staff members are encouraged to engage with and join in mentoring all of these groups. The Observatories takes pride in its ongoing community outreach programs that present a platform for staff scientists to contribute, expand, and innovate in collaboration with our dedicated outreach coordinator.
Examples of topics that one may include in this broader impact statement are past or planned efforts to:
- Broaden diversity, equity, and/or inclusion in astronomy at any level
- Build an intellectually rich and inclusive academic community through advocacy and/or contributing to campus/departmental activities and programming
- Participate in, lead, or expand Carnegie programs (those highlighted above or new initiatives)
- Mentor postdocs, graduate (Masters or PhD), undergraduate (Bachelors) or K-12 (ages 5-18) students
- Develop, lead, and/or consistently participate in public outreach programs
- Serve on or lead departmental or national professional committees, especially those that broaden participation for historically minoritized communities in STEM
- Any other examples of leadership or contribution to DEI efforts within or beyond academia