Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice & Access

California Sea Grant is committed to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility (DEIJA) through ocean and coastal science research, workforce development, and outreach. Following the Sea Grant DEIJ Vision and Roadmap, the program regularly assesses ways to create more equitable access to the funding, opportunities, and knowledge that cultivate a thriving coastal science workforce and empower coastal communities. The program encourages team members to engage in DEIJA professional development, be leaders in advancing DEIJA within ocean sciences, and track our DEIJA activities to identify best practices.

Broadly, California Sea Grant aims to

  • Proactively recruit, retain, advance and prepare a diverse coastal and ocean sciences workforce
  • Empower our staff with the capacity, skills, and knowledge of best practices to effectively serve diverse communities
  • Remove barriers that have historically limited access to Sea Grant opportunities in research, extension and education
  • Progress equitable access to resources and decision-making processes
  • Engage and serve communities, partners and stakeholders that are representative of the demographics of the places where our programs operate

DEIJA Strategic Plan Goals & Outcomes

California Sea Grant integrated DEIJA as a new Cross-cutting Focus Area in our 2024 - 2027 Strategic Plan. The goals and outcomes below serve as a framework for internal working groups to implement and assess DEIJA initiatives.

DEIJA Goal 1

California Sea Grant staff have the capacity, financial support, skills and partnerships to implement diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and accessibility principles in their work throughout all aspects of the organization.

Outcomes: 

  • California Sea Grant, in collaboration with the Sea Grant Network and the broader coastal and marine sciences profession, maintains a reflective mindset through iterative learning and assessment of DEIJA practices.
  • California Sea Grant staff utilize existing best practices and develop new strategies that advance DEIJA within our program and network of community partners.
  • California Sea Grant educators and fellowship administrators have strong relationships and partnerships with organizations serving a diversity of communities, focused on Indigenous, underserved and underrepresented organizations such as Minority Serving Institutions, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, community colleges, community-based organizations and other organizations focused on training the next generation of marine and coastal science professionals.

DEIJA Goal 2

Across our staff and network, California Sea Grant builds a program where a diversity of lived experiences are represented, particularly Indigenous, underserved and underrepresented identities in marine and coastal sciences, thereby facilitating a culture of belonging and equitable support.

Outcomes: 

  • Improved representation of individuals from a diversity of communities, focused on Indigenous, underserved and underrepresented peoples among California Sea Grant staff and network.
  • Funding opportunities are developed through participatory processes and support engaged research and training with a diversity of communities, focused on Indigenous, underserved and underrepresented groups.

DEIJA Goal 3

California Sea Grant and its network co-produce knowledge, create access to scientific information and support research and scholarship priorities of value to a diversity of communities, focused on Indigenous, underserved and underrepresented peoples.

Outcomes: 

  • California Sea Grant extension staff build coalitions with and engage a diversity of communities in co-producing knowledge that incorporates socioeconomics, history and culture as well as traditional, local and Indigenous knowledge.
  • A diversity of partners and communities have access to and are empowered to apply relevant scientific information in the co-creation of resources and products addressing priority marine and coastal resource issues for Indigenous, underrepresented and underserved communities.

Additional Resources

For more information on how Sea Grant is working to advance DEIJA, please visit these additional resources: