WHY DOES CISTAR HAVE AN ACCESS AND SOCIETAL IMPACTS (IMPACT) PILLAR?

Ever since the National Science Foundation began funding Engineering Research Centers in 1985, it was decided that part of the mission of an ERC would be to help bring different disciplines and people from different backgrounds together to form talented teams to solve the big problems facing society.  Thus, the IMPACT pillar is part of the overarching mission of NSF: “To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense.” (NSF Act of 1950).  Given the global nature of many problems tackled by ERCs, such as having reliable and sustainable energy, we need to work successfully with other teams around the world to improve the quality of life for all people.

The IMPACT pillar works to create equal access for students, staff, teachers, and faculty to CISTAR opportunities. Through recruiting and outreach activities, we can reach talented people from across our country to meet our growing need to have a large and prepared STEM workforce. For example, one way that CISTAR is meeting this need is through programs that improve teacher’s knowledge of STEM research, as well as of STEM career pathways, so they can help get students excited about going into STEM fields.  Our Research Experience in Teaching (RET) summer program, and our Research Experience and Mentoring for Teachers summer program, are both ways that CISTAR is helping teachers meet this growing need for  a future with more skilled workers and leaders in STEM fields.

The pillar also works with the directors and researchers across the three pillars to better understand, improve upon, and routinely assess CISTAR-related societal impacts; to ensure the public is informed and engaged in opportunities presented by CISTAR initiatives to improve their lives and well-being; and, to develop programs, policies and procedures that improve societal outcomes and lead to long-term, positive, and sustainable change. For example, through industry mentorship programs and industry member collaborative activities, we are forming partnerships between academia and industry that contribute to solving the complex problems that ERCs were created to solve.  Another example is how CISTAR is creating engineers that understand the necessity of offering innovative technical solutions that also consider the health and well-being of its citizenship, as well as the technology’s impact on the world we all live in.

WHAT IS NEEDED TO MAXIMIZE SOCIETAL IMPACT?

Building an effective team is critical for helping to solve the big problems facing our world today (i.e., in CISTAR’s case, findings safer and more environmentally responsible ways to use U.S. hydrocarbon resources).  It means bringing divergent and innovative thinking to a group by building a team of individuals from different types of backgrounds, perspectives, and disciplines.  It means developing an effective teaming strategy that creates a shared sense of purpose about the goals of the center, as well as the role that each member plays in helping the center succeed.

To be effective, teams need to operate in an ENVIRONMENT that encourages innovation and creativity, that gets every INDIVIDUAL on the team excited about working to solve the problems facing them. 

To make this type of reality, we strive to have the team environment be one that is:

• OPEN-MINDED
  • "I feel CISTAR members are accepting of people with different perspectives and ideas."
• FAIR
  • "I am treated fairly by those I interact with in CISTAR." 
• COLLABORATIVE
  • "I feel CISTAR members encourage collaboration."
• RESPECTFUL
  • "My opinions, skills, and experiences are respected by those I interact with in CISTAR."
• ENCOURAGE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
• "CISTAR helps me to grow professionally."

Additionally, at CISTAR, we want all members of our center – CISTAR fellows (graduate and undergraduate students), CISTAR faculty, and CISTAR staff – to be effective on the team so they are more likely to stay and be successful.  To make that a reality, we strive with individual team members to improve feelings of: 

• IDENTIFICATION
  • "I identify with CISTAR; It is an important part of who I am professionally."
• COMMITMENT
  • "I feel committed to CISTAR; I can, and want to succeed." 
• INTERCONNECTED
  • "I feel interconnected to the people in CISTAR; I am part of the group."
• CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE - UNDERSTANDING 
  • "I understand CISTAR's workplace culture."
• CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE - FIT 
  • "I feel that I fit in with CISTAR's workplace culture."

STRATEGIES TO ACCOMPLISH OUR GOAL

Mechanisms to achieve our goal include the six factors in the circular figure:  collaborate and leverage resources already in place at our five universities, other ERCs, and other types of centers; value mentor programs and networks, reward those helping to achieve our goals, responsibly assess our activities, and disseminate findings to share lessons learned.