APS Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Alliance

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The APS Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Alliance (APS-IDEA) is an international network of teams from a variety of institutions and organizations that come together in online communities to work toward improving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in physics. The aim of the program is to empower teams to make profound and permanent changes to the culture of physics in their local environments, which collectively contributes to a seismic shift in physics culture as a whole. Through network meetings and small team sessions, network members learn about foundational ideas in organizational change, including bias, power dynamics, documentation, and strategic planning.

Joining the APS-IDEA Network

Applications to join our network opened February 1 and closed on March 10, 2024.

You to familiarize yourself with information about APS-IDEA, including our current and past participating teams, as well as our 2023-2024 topical cohorts.

View current topical cohorts

Guiding Principles

The mission of APS-IDEA is to empower and support physics departments, laboratories, and other organizations to identify and enact strategies for improving DEI. It will do so by establishing a community of transformation.

Our vision is that as a result of collective efforts, physics and related fields will become more inclusive of all social identities, with a diversity reflective of the nation, and with an equitable distribution of opportunities and resources.

To achieve this mission and vision, APS-IDEA adheres to the guiding principles of:

Centering people whose identities are marginalized
Utilizing sensemaking, including creating brave spaces
Implementing research-based transformational methods
Sharing leadership across levels; from students up to faculty

APS-IDEA networks enacts these guiding principles by:

Exchanging ideas, information, and experiences
Deepening knowledge of research and effective practices
Eeveloping or improving DEI strategic plans
Discussing various DEI initiatives and reports from physics and related disciplines
learning about theories of change
planning IDEA’s programs

Learn more about the beginning of the APS-IDEA initiative

APS-IDEA Teams Create Change

At its core, APS-IDEA seeks to empower teams of physicists at all career stages and build their capacity to transform the culture of physics within their organizations and ultimately across the entire profession, through advancing justice and DEI in their places of work and study. Teams are highly engaged and drive cultural change to improve DEI in their departments.

To support teams in successfully enacting sustainable change in their departments, APS lays out the following team characteristics and examples of APS values in action:

Understanding & Enacting APS-IDEA Guiding Principles

When APS-IDEA team members internalize and act upon the guiding principles, they:

Develop and use norms for shared leadership
Create and use norms for centering marginalized voices
Regularly use sensemaking in discussions
Employ cognitive, cultural or political strategies to foster “second-order” change

Being Well-Positioned to Lead Change

A team that is in a strong position to advance DEI:

Includes department leaders and influencers
Has direct contact with institutional leaders
Has an explicit role in advising/deciding department activities
Is visible and recognized for its work

Being Well-Connected & Well-Resourced

Successful teams do not work in isolation and have a vast array of resources to draw from as they undertake DEI work. To build connects and resources, a team:

Actively engages with other APS-IDEA teams to bolster support
Stays in contact with relevant experts at their institution and beyond
Explicitly values DEI work in department policies and practices
Supports their members' participation through making department funding available for such work

Review more details about APS-IDEA members & teams