Refining a DEI Assessment Tool for Use in Optimizing Professional STEM Societies for Gender Equity

This document is a peer-reviewed research article from Frontiers in Sociology titled Promoting Gender Equity and Inclusion Through Scientific Societies: Results from a National Cohort Study. It presents findings from the first cohort of the ACCESS+ Initiative, which supports STEM professional societies in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through self-assessment, strategic planning, and community collaboration.

Key elements include:

• Rationale – Professional societies shape disciplinary culture, making them critical sites for DEI reform.
• Methods – Participating societies completed the Equity Environmental Scanning Tool (EEST), engaged in Force Field Analysis for action planning, and joined a Community of Practice for ongoing support.
• Findings – Strengths included leadership commitment to DEI, dedicated staff or committees, and programming addressing underrepresentation. Common gaps were in intersectional demographic data collection, DEI accountability measures, and integration of equity principles across all society functions.
• Action Plans – Societies prioritized improving demographic data systems, embedding DEI into strategic planning, increasing transparency, and creating equity-focused recognition and awards.
• Conclusion – ACCESS+ provides an effective, scalable model for accelerating systemic DEI change in professional societies by combining structured self-assessment, targeted planning, and peer learning.