Develop and implement a promotion campaign aimed at the research software community for the DISCOVER event cookbook and pro-diversity resources relevant to projects

[dr-eric-jensen]

Potential Activity Scope
This campaign aimed at improving demographic diversity in research software by targeting events and projects will require a number of practical steps, which may include the following:

• Understanding the Target Audience: Begin by identifying and understanding the target audience that the campaign aims to reach.

• Defining Objectives and Messages: Clearly articulate the objectives of the campaign, focusing on promoting awareness and use of the DISCOVER event and project-relevant diversity guidance. Craft compelling messages that resonate with the target audience, emphasizing the value, relevance, and inclusivity of the offerings.

• Designing Creative Assets: Develop creative assets such as posters, videos, social media posts, and brochures that reflect the campaign's focus. These should be visually appealing and culturally sensitive.

• Selecting Platforms: Choose the appropriate platforms to reach the target audience. This may include social media, email newsletters, community forums, academic conferences, and partnerships with diversity-focused groups and organizations that play a role in the research software arena.

• Engaging Influencers and Ambassadors: Identify and engage influencers and ambassadors within the research software community who can champion the campaign. Their endorsement and active participation can enhance credibility and reach.

• Implementing the Campaign: Launch the campaign across the selected platforms, ensuring a coordinated and consistent rollout.

• Sustaining Momentum: Consider how the momentum and commitment to diversity can be sustained beyond the campaign.

Those taking on this task should consider collaborating with NumFOCUS's DISC in this effort.

Potential Objectives

• To identify and understand the target audience that the campaign aims to reach, including their needs, interests, and barriers.
• To articulate the objectives of the campaign, focusing on promoting awareness and use of the DISCOVER event and project-relevant diversity guidance.
• To craft compelling messages that resonate with the target audience, emphasizing the value, relevance, and inclusivity of the offerings.
• To develop creative assets that reflect the campaign's focus, ensuring they are visually appealing, culturally sensitive, and aligned with the brand identity.
• To select appropriate platforms, including social media, email newsletters, community forums, academic conferences, and partnerships with diversity-focused groups.
• To identify and engage influencers and ambassadors within the research software community to champion the campaign.
• To launch the campaign across selected platforms, ensuring a coordinated and consistent rollout.
• To consider how the momentum and commitment to diversity can be sustained beyond the campaign, possibly collaborating with NumFOCUS's DISC.

Targeted Impacts

• Increased awareness and understanding of the DISCOVER event and project-relevant diversity guidance within the target audience.
• Sustained momentum and commitment to diversity, contributing to a more inclusive and dynamic research software community.
• Collaborations enhancing coherence and synergy with other pro-diversity efforts in the research software arena.

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This potential activity was curated as part of "Charting the Course: Policy and Planning for Sustainable Research Software," a Sloan Foundation-funded project within URSSI dedicated to supporting the future of research software through evidence-informed policy work (Project contacts are: @danielskatz and @dr-eric-jensen). If you are interested in working on this, please add a comment.