The Open Chemistry Collaborative in Diversity Equity (OXIDE) is a 5-year, NSF/NIH/DoE-funded initiative to change the academic chemistry infrastructure from the top down by working with the chairs of leading research-active chemistry departments to reduce inequitable policies and practices that have historically led to disproportionate representation on academic faculties with respect to gender, race-ethnicity, disabilities, and sexual orientation.
Our major activities include:
- hosting biennial National Diversity Equity Workshops (NDEWs)—most recently in April 2017—to facilitate discussion between department chairs, social scientists, and federal agency representatives regarding the latest research findings on diversity; the implications of that research for managing chemistry departments; and how findings from chemistry departments can, in turn, inform social sciences research.
- partnering with Chemical & Engineering News (C&E News) to conduct and publish annual demographic assessments of over 75 research-active chemistry departments.
- serving as the connection between department chairs, social scientists, and key stakeholders from the many existing diversity communities within chemistry, ensuring that new policies and procedures are data-driven, pedagogically sound, and designed to elevate the chances of success for everyone while moving to minimize inequities between groups.
