The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $280,566 Project Grant to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) under its Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to implement the "Developing Champions of Diversity with Appreciative Inquiry and Computational Simulation (CHAMPIONS)" project. The CHAMPIONS project aims to address the persistent lack of diversity in the geosciences field by empowering geosciences faculty to become catalysts for change within their departments. Key activities include: 1) Convening an Appreciative Inquiry summit to engage geosciences faculty in identifying challenges and desired Belonging, Accessibility, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (BAJEDI) outcomes within their departments; 2) Developing a computational simulation model to analyze the long-term impacts of bottom-up interventions on BAJEDI outcomes; and 3) Deploying the model as a decision-making tool to help faculty visualize the potential effects of their BAJEDI-focused interventions. This multi-year project is intended to foster a more inclusive and empowering environment within geosciences departments across the country.
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