As a leader in the astronomical community, AURA believes that it bears a responsibility to that community to develop and support outreach and educational programs which will not only advance our organizational commitment to diversity but broadens participation and encourages the advancement of diversity throughout the astronomical scientific workforce.

AURA is deeply committed to the human resources that support our mission to advance astronomy and related sciences and is deeply invested in continually developing and improving its policies and practices for the purpose of providing a welcoming and fruitful work environment for all employees. AURA believes that a diverse workforce, particularly one that includes women and individuals from under-represented minority groups, contributes best to the achievement of excellence in both our organization and the scientific community as a whole.

AURA Policies and Procedures; Section B: Personnel Policies and Procedures (PDF)

THE LATEST...
AURA Releases 2009 Workforce and Diversity Report (January 15, 2009)
Report on the Initiative for Faculty Race and Diversity (January 14, 2009)
Information from the AURA Diversity Workshop ( April 21-22, 2009 - Tucson, AZ )

Message from William Smith, AURA President

The year 2008 marked a period of change in American politics and society.  It also marked a period of change for AURA.  AURA is in the process of renewing its major contracts and cooperative agreements for its core observatories including the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, the National Solar Observatory, the International Gemini Observatory and the Space Telescope Science Institute.  This presents a great opportunity for reflecting on what AURA does as an organization and what the astronomy community can do to further develop a diverse workforce and to broaden participation in the field of astronomy.

We have initiated work on using the full array of "tools" at our disposal, including our governance, our observatory employment base, our education and outreach programs, and the scientific and technical programs carried out by our observatories to engage greater participation in astronomy.  The Action Plan found herein describes the actions AURA will take to strengthen participation of:

• Individuals from underrepresented groups

• Institutions that do not have a history of involvement in AURA's activities in astronomy, especially smaller institutions and institutions with high percentages of underrepresented groups.

• Geographic areas that have not had the opportunity to contribute to AURA's mission and the overall field of astronomy.

I, the AURA Board, and AURA's Observatory Directors have made a commitment to making the broadening of participation a core element of our mission.  I look forward to sharing our progress with you in the future.

This website will update you on our plans and the opportunities for the community to participate in this endeavor.

 
AURA has established at each of its managed centers a Diversity Advocate reporting to the Director.  This person will be involved in both Human Relations and outreach and educational activities to focus on workforce development. We envision that this person will encourage inclusion of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in candidate pools and will coordinate other activities that have potential to broaden participation.

Neil Barker - Gemini

Sheryl Bruff - STScI
 

Katy Garmany - NOAO

Mark Giampapa - NSO

Dara Norman - NOAO