Ecology Plus (Ecology+): Broadening Pathways to Ecological Careers through a Collective Impact Approach

生态+ (Ecology+)是NSF INCLUDES启动试点项目，其目标是增加未被充分代表的少数民族在生态学发挥作用的广泛职业道路中的参与。该项目认识到，要有效、公平地解决直接影响社会福祉和国家安全的环境问题，既需要创新的科学研究，也需要更广泛的社会参与。社会各阶层的充分参与加强了研究和政策。尽管多年来存在多个项目，但阻碍未被充分代表的少数民族参与生态学的障碍仍然存在。一个重要的系统性问题仍然很关键：项目之间的联系不足导致职业道路上的关键转折点中断。项目活动将通过制定可推广到全国各地的建立联盟的区域办法奠定基础。生态+将使用集体影响框架——以共同议程、共享测量、相互加强的活动、持续沟通和骨干支持为特征——优化对本科生、研究生和早期职业技术和专业科学家的职业指导和支持。从华盛顿-巴尔的摩区域开始，该项目的主要目标是发展基础设施，以便在有能力扩大到全国的伙伴之间进行有效的沟通；将潜在的职业道路与相关的必要能力、机会和导师联系起来；使联盟参与者能够克服体制障碍和无意识偏见的模式。生态+将：a)建立在线辅导平台；B)举办招聘会，提供励志演讲和个人职业发展计划指导；C)提供一系列相关技能工作坊；D)安排研究或实习经历；E)促进与机构、商业和非营利部门的雇主的认识和交流机会。“生态+”的价值在于其全面、综合的方法，该方法将引入新的合作伙伴及其资源，对影响科学界代表性不足的少数群体的主要障碍作出变革性和系统性的回应。

Ecology Plus (Ecology+) is an NSF INCLUDES Launch Pilot project with a goal of increasing the participation of underrepresented minorities in a broad range of career pathways where ecology plays a role. This project recognizes that both innovative scientific research and wider societal participation are needed for effective and equitable solutions to environmental issues that directly impact societal well-being and national security. Both research and policy are enhanced by full participation of all sectors of society. Despite the existence of multiple programs over many years, barriers to the participation of underrepresented minorities in ecology persist. One overarching systemic issue remains critical: that insufficient connections among programs result in breaks along critical transition points in career pathways. Project activities will lay the groundwork by developing a regional approach to alliance-building that can be extended across the nation. Ecology+ will use a collective impact framework -- characterized by a common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone support -- to optimize career guidance and support for undergraduate students, graduate students and early career technical and professional scientists. Starting in the Washington-Baltimore region, key objectives of the project are to develop infrastructure for effective communications among partners with the capacity to expand nationally; map potential career pathways with associated sets of necessary competencies, opportunities and mentors, and; empower alliance participants to overcome institutional barriers and patterns of unconscious bias. Ecology+ will: a) establish an online mentoring platform; b) offer a career fair with motivational talks and guidance on individual career development plans; c) offer a series of relevant skills workshops; d) arrange research or internship experiences, and; e) facilitate awareness and networking opportunities with employers from agencies, business and nonprofit sectors. The value of Ecology+ lies in its comprehensive, integrated approach that will bring new partners and their resources into a transformative and systemic response to the key barriers affecting underrepresented minorities in science.