Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), along with numerous other international research institutions, is endorsing the ALBA Declaration on Equity and Inclusion, developed by the ALBA Network. Founded in 2018, the ALBA Network is a team of neuroscientists that promotes equity and diversity in the brain sciences through research, communication, education, and advocacy. The network is named “alba”—sunrise in Spanish, Italian, and other languages—to symbolize a hopeful future.
The ALBA Declaration aims to raise awareness of the challenges faced by underrepresented groups in science and academia. It provides a concrete set of actions for making research organizations and communities more inclusive. The Declaration focuses specifically on overcoming two barriers to equity in science: implicit biases and workplace cultures.
The ALBA Declaration launched on January 12, 2021, during a special virtual event at the SfN Global Connectome. The Declaration has already been endorsed by 110 institutions , and it is available online for individuals to read and sign.
“The Declaration outlines concrete, evidence-based actions that individuals and organizations at any level can take in order to make their environments more equitable and inclusive. It was drafted to be both impactful and broad enough to be widely adopted. We believe that adopting these principles will benefit all members of the research community,” said Dr. Megan Carey, Chair of the ALBA Declaration Working Group.
Written by: Sara Roncero-Menendez, Media Strategist | publicaffairs@cshl.edu | 516-367-8455