Conference: Waves of Change

To help fulfill the mission of NSF to support basic research and science education this proposal aims to provide training, mentorship and scientific collaboration for minorities in microbiology, immunology, ecology, evolution and marine science. The initiative called, ‘Waves of Change’, will be accomplished through a year-long set of virtual professional development events that include panels, workshops, science information sharing, structured mentoring opportunities, and networking to increase retention of minorities in science.

The outcomes from this proposal will have broader impacts on society by training a new generation of scientists, assisting in creating a diverse workforce, and expanding opportunities for early career scientists through networking and mentorship.

Science is driven by innovation and discovery. This innovation is accelerated when diverse voices are heard. When people from different backgrounds can work together on a common goal, science can achieve great things.

However, to accomplish this goal, training is needed to bring together different perspectives and share information. This is particularly relevant in ecology, evolution, and marine science where collaborations are the foundation of success. This proposal called ‘Waves of Change’ will bring together diverse voices and create a forum for networking and professional development for early career scientists from underrepresented groups in ecology, evolution, and marine science. ‘Waves of Change’ will consist of monthly workshops, networking hours with scientific leaders, and panels that will address many including science policy, mentoring in academia and science, productivity in science, science communication, career paths in science, leadership in academia and beyond, self-care in science, scientific publishing, computational skills in science, challenges in science, networking, decolonization of science, and outreach-community based science.

The goal of ‘Waves of Change’ will be to build community and networking opportunities with the scientific community at large while contributing to the retention and success of diverse scientists.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.