Collaborative Research: FIELD: Fieldwork Inspiring Expanded Leadership and Diversity

FIELD项目将研究和解决限制STEM领域代表性不足的群体参与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的地方进行的活动，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。 地球科学野外工作仍然由白色男性主导。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）面临着实地活动的障碍，包括经济排斥，对户外体验的焦虑，对能力的态度，性骚扰/攻击，以及在陌生环境中的可访问性降低。 我们的团队将系统地检查现场活动的经验，并确定具体的因素，在地球科学领域的实地工作的排他性。 我们的研究结果将有利于跨教育水平和学科的个人在任何领域的设置，从大学预科到高级教师，可以遇到类似的障碍。 此外，这项研究的结果将适用于任何学科的领域组成部分，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，这是一个为期五天的有经验的地球科学家在野外环境中的聚会，目的是研究为什么野外活动是排他性的。 FIELD项目小组预计在研究过程中将取得三项重要成果。 第一项工作将是评估与在土地退化问题研究所开展的实地活动有关的障碍。这一评估的结果将揭示排斥的性质和程度，然后加以传播。这些结果将指导外地研究所的专业发展方案的规划。第二个成果将是来自10个机构的领导人有机会制定和实施FIELD研究所期间制定的新做法，使实地活动更容易获得和欢迎妇女，代表性不足的群体，LGBTQ个人，残疾人，低收入学生和代表不止一个这些身份的个人。第三项成果将是在土地退化问题研究所期间编写一份指南，记录这些最佳做法，供广泛传播。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组成部分的其他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.