SIAM EDI Change Agents Program

About the Program

The SIAM EDI Change Agents Program is intended to provide a platform for our members to engage in equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives in a variety of areas including workplace practices, teaching, and research, and leverage our capacities as individuals (researchers, educators, and students) to contribute to improving equity, diversity, and inclusion among the broader SIAM community. At the request of the Vice President for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, the Office of the Chief Executive Officer is planning to award small grants (up to $2,500) for work that helps support this effort.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants should have an individual (or small 2-4 person team) proposal for a project that will contribute to or create the capacity to contribute to furthering EDI within the SIAM or greater community
• The program is open to applicants from all career levels
• All applicants must be SIAM members in good standing
• Former involvement with EDI programs/activities is a plus, but not required

Required Materials

• Budget and Budget Justification (Maximum 1 page)
  • Proposed budget requesting up to $2,500
  • Description of anticipated usage of funds
• Narrative – A brief statement articulating the applicant or team’s interest in becoming EDI Change Agents Maximum 2 pages
  • Objectives for proposal
  • How the proposed project/activities will have an impact on improving EDI in the broader SIAM community
  • How this impact can be measured based on relevant metrics (short, medium, and long term)
  • How the applicant(s)’s prior experiences will help in the proposed effort
• Applicant(s) CV/Resume (Maximum 2 pages)
• Student applicants should also include a letter of recommendation from their faculty advisor

Commitments and Output

EDI Change Agents will be expected to:

• Complete their proposed initiative/project within one year
• Produce a one-page executive summary
• Contribute to a SIAM News article
• Share their results with the SIAM community in a designated session at the SIAM Annual Meeting

Selection Criteria

All applications will be evaluated by a selection committee that will consider the individual merits of each application. The SIAM Vice President for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion will chair the selection committee. The selection committee will consider:

• Whether the project is well-defined
• Whether the project appears feasible within the proposed timeframe and budget
• The project’s potential for impact in the SIAM community
• The project’s potential for impact in the broader applied mathematics and computational science profession
• How well the success of the project can be objectively assessed in the near or long-term
• How well the scope of the project complements or deepens the topics to be addressed by the cohort of Change Agents each year, and in consecutive years