ACTION Against Bias Committee

The ACTION Against Bias committee is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and celebrating a diverse NGG student body, and to training NGG students to recognize and fight against bias and structural inequities that exist within both their research and their community.

NGG students, please fill out this survey to provide feedback on our mission and goals, to suggest new ideas and initiatives, and to get involved!

In order to increase the diversity and equity efforts of the Neuroscience Graduate Group, NGG’s Action Against Bias (AAB) committee has implemented the URM Application Support Program! Underrepresented minority (URM) applicants may submit their CV and/or research statement to receive feedback from one faculty member and one graduate student.

The NIH has identified the following groups as underrepresented minorities in biomedical research: Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, American Indian/Alaska Native, Pacific Islanders. We are expanding this definition to include first generation, low-income, neurodivergent, and disabled applicants.

The purpose of this program is not to “pre-screen” applicants, but to provide URM applicants with the mentorship and resources that they may lack to prepare a competitive PhD application. Once responding to this form, applicants will be paired with a current NGG student or faculty member and have the opportunity to send them either their CV and/or research statement.

Click here to apply!

Mission Statement

Act: To put justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion-focused proposals suggested by the NGG student body into action.

Confront: To organize journal clubs, workshops, and educational resources for recognizing, confronting, and mobilizing against structural racism and bias within research, medicine, and academia, in collaboration with the UnpackiNGG Club and other NGG and BGS student groups. To confront systemic inequities within NGG and directly address them with the administration.
Teach: To support GLIA’s ongoing outreach efforts that provide educational and mentorship opportunities to students from low-income Philadelphia communities. To develop a diverse set of culturally appropriate resources to be shared with Philadelphia schools and community centers focused on fostering brain health and mental health.
Include: To enrich the experience of underrepresented minority students within NGG. To support the impactful work being conducted by BGS groups including E.E.Just, SACNAS, LAGAPSA, LTBGS+, Penn INSPIRE, and the Peer Support Network, as well as the student communities fostered by each group. To collaborate with graduate group-specific committees including the IGG Diversity Committee, and the CB, CPM, GCB, and DSRB Anti-Racism Committees.
Organize: To organize new events, programs, and practices aimed at recruiting individuals to NGG who identify with groups that are underrepresented in STEM, based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status.
Navigate: To create spaces for NGG students to gain support while navigating graduate school in the midst of racial and social inequalities.

ACTION BRANCH Goals

Recruitment

Create a presence at NGG recruitment events.
Actively support the recruitment of URM undergraduates through NGG-led open house and application assistance events.
Develop and distribute application resources on NGG & GLIA websites.
Work with the NGG administration to increase transparency around the admissions process for URM applicants, and to highlight diversity within the applicant pool (e.g., with diversity statements).
In collaboration with NeuroNet, highlight the work of URM alumni.

If you’re interested in learning more about or improving our recruitment activities, email Lindsay (lindsayejoh98@gmail.com) or Vanessa (vssnchez@pennmedicine.upenn.edu)

Education

Create an anti-bias, anti-racism resource library that is accessible to all NGG students.

Establish monthly seminars for students and faculty to discuss relevant diversity, equity, and inclusivity topics.
Organize a public lecture-style event for students and faculty to discuss bias within their fields.
Host one-time special events to highlight diversity, equity and inclusivity activists in academia.

If you’re interested in helping plan, attend, or speak at an educational event, email Valerie (valerie.sydnor@pennmedicine.upenn.edu).

GLIA Liaison

Structure and maintain a system for NGG students to propose new ACTION Against Bias committee initiatives and events, and to obtain continual feedback from the student body.
Keep NGG and GLIA up-to-date on ACTION Against Bias activities and meetings.
Create a space to communicate NGG student concerns and program-level feedback to the NGG administration.

To discuss potential initiatives, feedback, or concerns, email Mariela (Mariela.LopezValencia@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu)

Student Group Liaison

Establish a comprehensive list of other groups on campus with goals that align with the ACTION Against Bias committee’s goals.
Include diversity, equity, and inclusivity events from other Penn organizations in the weekly GLIA email.
Co-host collaborative events with other NGG and campus organizations.
Ensure synergy and collaborative efforts with other Penn groups.

To inform us of relevant events or to inquire about a collaboration, email Vanessa (vssnchez@pennmedicine.upenn.edu)