Workshop Proposal: Field Safety Management Workshop Series: Summer 2019; Boulder, CO

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I. Field-based investigation is an integral part of the ongoing research programs at both national and international universities, largely in the STEM fields and in the earth sciences in particular. As a result, research teams and individuals are placed in a diverse set of field situations. Both organized studies and anecdotal reports suggest that a variety of harassment behaviors, whether sexual in nature or based on gender, race, ethnicity or ability, are a significant problem in field campaigns. A 2013 survey of field scientists from 32 disciplines from the science and social science arenas determined that these behaviors tend to be directed from the top of the power structure to more junior colleagues. A subsequent study on fieldwork experiences concluded that a lack of clarity regarding standards of conduct and rules for behavior in field research and training resulting in greater incidence of harassment. These studies also revealed that the majority of people experiencing harassment in the field did not know how or to whom to report, illustrating the need for clear guidelines. Here we propose to develop a field-team focused culture and risk management workshop program designed to foster skills and tools that will improve research ethics, create safer field working environments across demographics, and prevent future harassment.II. The goal of this workshop proposal is to design, implement and evaluate a fieldwork-oriented culture building workshop program aimed at reducing harassment by promoting a respectful, equitable, and discrimination-free environment. This training will focus on the development of knowledge and interpersonal skills to prevent harassment and de-escalate situations in isolated field environments, including exercises designed to improve team culture and interpersonal communication and to foster shared experiences; the establishment of mutually-acceptable guidelines and standards appropriate to fieldwork for the specific subdiscipline, including codes of conduct; techniques to establish formal and informal support programs; and increased familiarity with field safety protocols, fieldwork hazards and emergency response planning and associated resources. To ensure that the program is relevant and impactful, it will include (1) a common core program that can be customized for different types of fieldwork and research activities; and (2) incorporation of active learning and scenario-based components. The training will address the needs of all participants, including team leader, team member and individual researcher.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.