The South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA), which operates the Sanford Underground Research Facility (the Sanford Lab), is an equal opportunity employer. In addition, one of the SDSTA’s missions is to operate the facility in a way that is sensitive to the diverse cultures represented in the city of Lead, the state of South Dakota and in the surrounding region. That includes providing provide research and education opportunities to American Indians and members of other under-represented groups.
The SDSTA's Cultural Advisory Committee was created in 2009 to monitor those efforts and to advise the SDSTA Board of Directors, Sanford Lab staff, the Sanford Lab’s Berkeley Operations Office and members of scientific collaborations on policies and initiatives that support the facility's commitment to integrate South Dakota's diverse culture into its operation.
The roles and responsibilities of the Cultural Advisory Committee are to:
- meet quarterly to gather information and provide advice and counsel
- formulate and submit for consideration cultural management strategies
- recommend objectives for recruitment and retention of American Indians and members of other under-represented groups
- promote and encourage SDSTA and Sanford Lab management to actively integrate regional cultures into their designs, procedures and operations
- review the program planning for the Sanford Lab staff and for scientific collaborations working at the facility and to provide advice on the effectiveness of cultural policies and initiatives