Leadership, Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, and Accessibility in Particle Physics Research

Abstract

Big science is represented by projects like those in particle physics. Big engineering is the application of engineering principles to large-scale projects that have a significant impact on society, like popular use of AI/ML (think ChatGPT and Google Bard). Both big science and big engineering are among the noblest and boldest applications of the human intellect to understanding the universe and humanity’s place in it. Both depend on human collaboration to generate the ingenuity needed to make their impacts positive ones. Both are marred by evidence of bias, particularly racial bias, that lessens intellectual diversity and hence excellence. LEIDA – Leadership on Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, and Access is needed to ensure that opportunities lost in the past due to marginalization of particular communities eventually ends and the full breadth of creativity and innovation possible determines the future of our field.