Association for Women in Science Announces New Strategic Plan for 2023-2026

WASHINGTON DC, June 23, 2023 – The Association for Women in Science (AWIS) announced a new strategic plan including revised mission and vision statements. These materials were developed in partnership between Achieve More, LLC, led by Mariama Boney, and the AWIS Strategic Plan Taskforce.

The programs and initiatives that AWIS executes over the next three years will be aligned to these strategic priorities:

• Cultivating and Expanding Partnerships — We will strengthen and expand collaborations with like-minded allies to amplify and elevate our mutual impact.
• Equity for All Women and Girls in STEM — We will work to accelerate opportunities that lead to transforming STEM places and to expand access that fosters an inclusive culture in STEM careers.
• Deepening Our Connections Through Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging — We will strengthen an empathetic, supportive, and equitable environment to dismantle any barriers and accelerate a responsive AWIS Community.
• Elevating AWIS Chapters — We will support the sustainability, stability, and growth of AWIS chapters through effective leadership, membership engagement and resources.

To ensure the organization focused on the right areas to increase mission impact and improve the professional experiences for women scientists, the process included many opportunities for member engagement.

“Thank you to everyone who participated in the member survey and listening sessions. Your voice came through loud and clear,” said Dr. Isabel Escobar, AWIS Board Chair and member of the strategic plan taskforce. “As a member organization, your perspectives are invaluable. We’re happy to know what AWIS is doing well. It’s equally important for us to know where we can improve.”

“AWIS will work to expand our network through partnerships, collaborations, and chapter engagement, because we are stronger – and can accomplish more – when we work together,” said Meredith Gibson, AWIS CEO. “In addition, we will broaden our initiatives to facilitate a pathway for women to, through, and beyond the profession while continuing to dismantle barriers, provide learning opportunities, and advocate for equity in STEM.”

The insights gained during the strategic planning process also helped to shape a new set of core values including equity, enablement, inclusion, recognition, and transformation.

“While we already strive to operate according to these values, AWIS had not formally written them down in the past,” said Dr. Escobar. “I believe values must be written, discussed, understood, agreed upon, and protected to ensure we are all aligned.”

The taskforce also reviewed and revised the mission and vision of the organization:

MISSION: To ensure that all women in science can achieve their full potential, AWIS champions their interests across all disciplines and employment sectors.
VISION: We will be the voice for driving change and equity for all women in science.

“The heart of our mission and vision have not changed,” said Gibson. “We have shortened these statements, so they are easier to remember and explain to others. They also allow us to be more flexible moving forward to change our focus areas as needed to address specific challenges facing women in science as society progresses.”

To see the full strategic plan, please visit awis.org/awis-strategic-plan-2023.