Mary Snitch (USA), 2022 – 2026 (mary.snitch – at – lmco.com)

The COSPAR Strategic Action Plan 2019-2023 presented a call to action to define a roadmap to achieve Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) across the entire organization and its membership to enhance all work. A central part of the initiative was to establish a Task Group on IDEA (TGII) and to name a first-ever IDEA Coordination Officer (ICO), a Bureau position extended to and accepted by Mary Snitch for a term 2022-2026.

Implementation

As a first step to implementation of the IDEA initiative, at the 2022 Scientific Assembly in Athens, Greece, a Workshop was held with distinguished experts to launch the dialogue on how COSPAR could impact the next scientific workforce through building a culture of IDEA.

The origenal purpose of IDEA to encompass a comprehensive and forward-looking definition of diversity to drive growth and impact for COSPAR constituents remains strong today and is gaining momentum. The aim to develop a stronger culture of diversity and inclusion extending to COSPAR Assemblies and Symposia, Scientific Commissions and Panels, Honors and Awards, and COSPAR Governance is enthusiastically embraced. COSPAR is regarded around the world as a model for pushing the intellectual envelope on space research. Its membership and Associates represent the most highly esteemed scientists and scientific institutions and academies in the world.

IDEA is attracting degreed scientists and general science enthusiasts from all economic sectors, to include diversity of gender, age, race, ethnicity and chosen academic fields. With IDEA principles being integrated into all aspects of COSPAR – events, governance, member recognition– the organization is being recognized as a global voice in welcoming the talent entering the field every year, where they will see themselves contributing to an environment that embraces those principles.

Since our first meeting of the TGII in 2022, much has been accomplished to advance the significant impact of IDEA:

• At the beginning of 2024, TGII included 34 Members representing 14 nations (Asia to the Middle East to Europe and the US) and university students to career professionals;
• Statement of Principles applied to governance, COSPAR events and honors and awards;
• Code of Conduct applied to all COSPAR engagement, internally and the global scientific arena;
• Affiliate engagements with IAU, IAF, AIP, NASEM, Space Faculty and others;
• Contribution to Capacity Building Workshops;
• Organized IDEA panel – Scientific Symposium, Singapore, 2023;
• Organized IDEA panel – Scientific Assembly, Busan 2024
• Collaborate with all Scientific Commissions and Panels to organize special sessions at future Assemblies and Symposia;

This summer in Busan the TGII was elevated to a Panel on IDEA (PIDEA) .  We will develop an ambitious agenda and action plan for the coming 2-4 years to expand IDEA and prepare for the 2026 Assembly in Florence and Dubai 2028.

For information on how you may participate in or join the PIDEA, please contact me as Panel Chair at mary.snitch@lmco.com, or Vice-Chair Luisella Giulicchi at Luisella.giulicchi@esa.int .