Groups
The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team supports and collaborates with a variety of groups to advance Institute objectives related to diversity and inclusion. These groups provide an opportunity to engage with colleagues and cultivate a shared investment in enhancing inclusion at Salk and in STEM.
Affinity Groups
Salk supports affinity groups as they are a resource for trainees and employees. The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team is actively invested in the success of our affinity group network, which launched in 2020. These groups aim to enhance employee wellbeing, strengthen the Salk culture, and offer a platform for advocating for the interests of a particular group to enhance inclusion and belonging at the Institute.
Campus Culture Advisory Committee
The Campus Culture Advisory Committee was formed to identify cultural issues of concern to various campus constituent groups and to understand the bases for these concerns. Committee membership includes a broad cross section of faculty and administrative staff to examine any other issues pertaining to behavior, power differentials, training, etc. that may (or may not) exist in the Salk culture. Committee members are expected to engage in outreach across the campus to identify concerns and will make recommendations or propose specific actions to bring about positive, measurable outcomes that will help ensure a welcoming and transparent workplace for our diverse community.
Advisory Council on Diversity
The Advisory Council was formally established in 2020 with the immediate charge to identify ways in which we can fight systemic racism and injustice. Working in concert with faculty and staff, the group aims to identify institutional barriers, existing and prospective high-impact programs to provide recommendations for increasing underrepresented communities at Salk.
SACNAS Professional Chapter
Salk is among the few independent research institutes that maintains a professional chapter of SACNAS, the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in the Sciences. This group engages and supports membership in the national organization and on a local level raises awareness of barriers and solutions relevant to the success of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans—from early education to professional levels—in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Their goal is to foster networking, advocate for Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans at Salk, build community relationships, and strengthen the pipeline of all underrepresented scientists at every stage of their career.
Education Outreach
Over the past 40 years, Salk Education Outreach has delivered innovative, engaging STEM learning experiences to thousands of students — a majority of whom come from underrepresented and underserved communities. Salk’s world-class faculty and staff are key partners in Salk Education Outreach, imparting their passion and knowledge of innovative research that impacts human health to help inspire and launch the next generation of scientists.
Salk Women & Science
Salk Women & Science engages women in the community with leaders in biological science and technology. The program provides a dynamic and vibrant forum in which community and business leaders gather with Salk’s women of science as friends, entrepreneurs and researchers to discuss the latest discoveries in science and technology while inspiring more women to embrace scientific research as a focus of personal and philanthropic interest.
Society of Research Fellows
The Salk Society of Research Fellows (SRF) is a volunteer committee of postdoctoral and graduate students with the goal of fostering a sense of community among the Institute’s research trainees. One of their longstanding initiatives is the Salk Ambassador Program. This program is open to all incoming trainees and is particularly valuable for those coming from other countries and cultures, as it can ease the adjustment to San Diego and to Salk.
