Collaborative Research: FIELD: Fieldwork Inspiring Expanded Leadership and Diversity

FIELD项目将研究和解决限制STEM领域中代表性不足的群体参与的地球科学领域活动的因素。野外活动，包括在户外、偏远地区或远离学生或科学家所在机构进行的活动，是地球科学教育和研究的一个组成部分。然而，许多代表性不足的群体发现实地活动充满了过多的障碍，限制了他们参与地球科学的这一重要方面。地学野外工作仍然由白人男性主导。在STEM中代表性不足的个人（例如残疾人、少数民族、妇女、LGBTQ个人）在实地活动中面临障碍，包括经济排斥、对户外体验的焦虑、对残疾的态度、性骚扰/性侵犯以及在不熟悉的环境中缺乏可及性。我们的团队将系统地检查实地活动经验，并确定导致地球科学实地工作排他性质的具体因素。我们的研究结果对不同教育水平和学科的人都是有益的，因为从大学预科到高级教师，任何领域的个人都可能遇到类似的障碍。此外，这项研究的结果将适用于任何学科与领域的组成部分，如生物学，生态学，考古学，人类学，或军事科学。FIELD项目以“FIELD研究所”为中心，这是一个由经验丰富的地球科学家在实地环境中举行的为期五天的聚会，目的是研究为什么实地活动具有排他性。FIELD项目团队在研究过程中预见了三个重要成果的发展。第一项工作将是评估外地研究所进行的外地活动所面临的障碍。这一评估的结果将揭示排除的性质和程度，然后加以传播。这些结果将指导FIELD研究所专业发展计划的规划。第二个结果是，来自10个机构的领导人将有机会开发和实施在实地研究所期间开发的新做法，使实地活动更容易获得，并欢迎女性，代表性不足的群体，LGBTQ个人，残疾人，低收入学生以及代表以上一种身份的个人。第三个成果将是实地研究所期间编写的一份指南，记录这些最佳做法，以便广泛传播。虽然本指南是针对地球科学的，但毫无疑问，它也适用于具有类似领域成分的其他STEM学科。

The FIELD Project will examine and address factors of geoscience field activity that limit participation by groups underrepresented in STEM fields. Field activity, including activity conducted outdoors, in remote locations, or away from a student or scientist's home institution, is an integral part of both education and research on the geosciences. However, many underrepresented groups find field activity fraught with excessive barriers limiting their participation in this essential aspect of the geosciences. Geoscience fieldwork remains dominated by white males. Individuals who are underrepresented in STEM (e.g. people with disabilities, minorities, women, LGBTQ individuals), face barriers with field activity including economic exclusion, anxiety about outdoor experiences, attitudes of ableism, sexual harassment/assault, and reduced accessibility in unfamiliar environments. Our team will systematically examine the field activity experience and identify specific factors contributing to the exclusionary nature of field work in the geosciences. Our findings will be beneficial across educational levels and disciplines as individuals in any field setting, from pre-college to senior faculty, can encounter similar barriers. Additionally, the results of this study will be applicable to any discipline with a field component, such as biology, ecology, archaeology, anthropology, or military science. The FIELD Project centers on the "FIELD Institute", a five day gathering of experienced geoscientists, in a field setting, to examine why field activity is exclusionary. The FIELD Project team foresees development of three significant outcomes during the course of study. The first will be an assessment of the barriers associated with field activity conducted before the FIELD Institute. The results of this assessment will reveal the nature and extent of exclusion that can then be disseminated. These results will guide planning of the FIELD Institute's professional development program. The second outcome will be the opportunity for leaders from 10 institutions to develop and implement new practices developed during the FIELD Institute for making the field activity more accessible and welcoming to women, underrepresented groups, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, low-income students, and individuals representing more than one of these identities. The third outcome will be a guide developed during the FIELD Institute documenting these best practices for widespread dissemination. Although intended for the geosciences, this guide will undoubtedly be applicable to additional STEM disciplines with a similar field component.