Skip to main content

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Accessibility (DEIJA)

Our Vision

North Carolina Space Grant champions the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and accessibility (DEIJA). In order to expand, innovate and maximize our program’s effectiveness, we recognize we must embed these values in our organizational expectations and daily operations.

In addition, as North Carolina’s population continues to grow and diversify, our program’s relevance in the state increasingly will rely on how well we embody diversity, equity and inclusion.

Joint NC Space Grant – NC Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow Melinda Martinez during her fellowship field work

We also recognize that societal barriers and challenges mean that we must initiate intentional measures if we hope to fully realize DEIJA in all aspects of our programmatic portfolio.

Our program will continue to strive for DEIJA by:

  • proactively recruiting, retaining and preparing a diverse workforce that reflects diversity across all levels of our organizational structure;
  • engaging and serving communities and stakeholders that are representative of the broader populations where our programs operate;
  • creating and facilitating learning and research opportunities that a) equitably fund under-targeted and underserved universities, faculty and students, and b) foster learning and research with real-world outcomes that benefit underserved communities.

We value DEIJA in many forms:

Diversity


Our program celebrates people of all ages, races, ethnicities, national origins, gender identities, sexual orientations, disabilities, cultures, religions, citizenship types, marital statuses, education levels, job classifications, veteran status types, income and socioeconomic status types. We remain committed to increasing the diversity of our grantees, our program’s workforce and the workforce of the communities we serve. Additionally, we recognize our responsibility to increase the training and development of workforces in under-represented communities.

Equity

Tiffany Bramblett in laboratory gear.
Tiffany Bramblett, a University of North Carolina at Pembroke student who was in the first class of Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) STEM Bridge Scholars

Our program remains committed to equal opportunity for people of all backgrounds and abilities. We welcome participation and leadership from all people from all communities, including those that have been traditionally underserved or under-resourced. We challenge and respond to bias, harassment, and discrimination, and we strive to build awareness and capacities that foster equitable outcomes.

Inclusion

Our program is committed to building inclusive research, extension, communication, and education programs by and for people of all backgrounds, circumstances, needs, perspectives, and ways of thinking and learning. We strive to cultivate belonging, co-creation, and active participation among our team, partners, and communities. We believe in a flexible and adaptive approach to funding that can bring a diverse set of voices and experiences to the table. Accordingly, we recognize our unique position and responsibility to strengthen the STEAM pipeline to college and professional life for students of all backgrounds and abilities.

Justice

Our programs recognizes historical inquiries in the distribution of wealth, opportunities, privileges, and resources (natural) within society. We acknowledge equal rights, opportunities, and treatment as core values as pertains to education and the workforce access in our programs.

Accessibility

NASA is committed to making information and educational opportunities accessible to everyone. By fostering an atmosphere of inclusion and respect for all, we can continue to value and appreciate the strengths afforded by both the commonalities and differences between us, not only our inherent differences but also in the styles, ideas, and organizational contributions of each person. This in turn will drive innovation, creativity and employee engagement.

We expect that implementing a vision for DEIJA in these and other ways will be an ongoing and evolving process, one which our program will support and prioritize.

Access North Carolina Space Grant’s scholarships, fellowships and grants, and other opportunities, including NASA internships.

Recent fellows and grantees in the news:

NC Space Grant encourages all applicants and awardees to review the White House’s Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.