The NASA SMD Bridge Program: An Overview of Findings and Transformative Impact

The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Bridge Program is a new initiative to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within the NASA workforce and the broader U.S. science and engineering communities. NASA's SMD is committed to a culture of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility where all employees feel welcome, valued, respected, and engaged. This talk will cover the current state of the profession, needs of the broader scientific community to diversify the field, and provide a formal description how the SMD Bridge Program will contribute in impactful and transformative ways. In addition, an overview of The NASA SMD Bridge Program Workshop will be given that brought together stakeholders to build on the framework established by the Bridge Program Workshop Organizing Committee. The established framework is the collaborative co-creation of a program that increases the diversity of the NASA STEM workforce.