Thread by @celinegounder

1/ "...the #BLM movement & ... COVID... are stark reminders of the pernicious effects of systemic racism..."
science.sciencemag.org/content/372/65…
by @ShirleyTilghman (one of my molecular biology profs at @Princeton), my dear friend @KafuiDzirasa, former @NIH Director Harold Varmus & more.

2/ "The lack of diversity in the scientific and health professions—a longstanding manifestation of racism—can no longer be ignored, excused, or attributed to uncontrollable factors."

3/

4/ "Some who defend the status quo claim that a lack of diversity does not compromise the quality of science or the likelihood of making discoveries that improve human well-being. We strongly disagree."

5/ "Why? First, because any barrier to entry into #STEM fields weakens science and carries unacceptable opportunity costs. By limiting the pool from which future scientists are drawn, the full range of talent is reduced, and progress is slowed."

6/ "Second, when science is more inclusive, the range of questions asked will broaden, as happened when women began to enter the biomedical profession in larger numbers in the 1970s and 1980s ."

7/ "Third, barriers to the inclusion of specific demographic groups limit the potential impact of science on society."

8/ "Last, the US census projects that by 2045, no single group, as defined by the US government, will hold a majority. ... As Congress has recognized, the US will be unable to compete in the global arena in the future if it fails to draw talent from its diverse citizenry."

9/ The single most important sentence in this piece:

"THE TENDENCY TO PREFER AND TO VALUE PEOPLE MOST LIKE ONESELF IS A DEEPLY HELD HUMAN TRAIT, ONE THAT NEEDS CONSCIOUS MONITORING TO OVERCOME."

10/ "African American grant applicants for funding from the @NIH face racial bias... with African American applicants receiving grant review priority scores that were 10 percentile points lower than scores for white or Asian American applicants"

11/ "...some have argued that science is a meritocracy, & that the absence of diverse voices... largely reflects limited diversity of the pipeline of trainees. This passive view... ignores actions that scientific community can take to address systemic racism & its consequences."

12/ "...we can now build on some recent programs that have had notable success... These programs appear to have 3 key features: reducing the sense of isolation by using cohorts to create communities, making strong institutional & individual commitments to mentoring..."

13/ "... and removing barriers to research careers by providing full financial support during training."

14/ I read a draft of this oped prior to publication. I'd never thought about it this way, but wondered to @KafuiDzirasa if maybe I would have thrived in engineering had it been for programs like these.

I just couldn't picture myself in the career.

But, no regrets!

15/ "We call on President Biden to take an even bolder step in support of both equity and science by proposing legislation that would establish and fund a broad interagency National Science and Engineering Diversity Initiative (NSEDI)."

16/ We recommend that OSTP... establish a long-range national strategic plan for diversifying the scientific workforce..." Need to look at K-12, college, graduate education; professional training programs; employment in the public & private sectors; and research grants.

17/ "criteria for hiring & promotion of all scientists... should include evidence of a commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion... diminish the “minority tax”... by ensuring that such programs are led, at least jointly, by nonminority faculty."

18/ I spoke to Drs. @KafuiDzirasa, David Satcher, and Harold Varmus about their efforts to increase diversity in the STEM fields on @AmericanDxFM:
- justhumanproductions.org/podcasts/bonus…
- justhumanproductions.org/podcasts/a-bla…