Collaborative Research: Enhancing MPOWIR to Build a Diverse and Inclusive Oceanography Workforce

MPOWIR（指导物理海洋学妇女以提高保留率）是一个社区主导的计划，旨在为初级妇女和其他边缘化和代表性不足的性别（以下称为妇女+）提供指导，以提高他们在物理海洋学领域的保留率。自2007年成立以来，MPOWIR为减少女性+物理海洋学家的自然减员做出了重大贡献。然而，MPOWIR的工作远未完成。人口结构的变化、COVID-19对女性职业生涯的影响以及长期存在的结构性不平等仍然是留住员工的挑战。该项目将在未来4年内维持和加强MPOWIR。它力求通过一系列相互关联的目标来提高保留率，这些目标包括：（1）从妇女从研究生院到博士后的职业过渡到她长期工作的最初几年，提供连续的指导，（2）为MPOWIR参与者提供指导培训，（3）培养物理海洋学的社区意识，（4）通过为所有自认为是物理海洋学家的人提供培训和专业发展机会，扩大MPOWIR的参与，以及（5）让跨部门的利益相关者参与制定MPOWIR下一个十年的共同愿景。为了满足利益相关者的需求和期望，MPOWIR旨在通过纳入一些新举措来改进其设计，为MPOWIR在过去16年中帮助建立的导师和同行社区提供额外的专业发展机会和支持，并改善物理海洋学社区的整体文化。具体而言，这笔资金支持MPOWIR的以下活动：1. Pattullo会议每两年举行一次，将25名初级女性+物理海洋学家与12名所有性别的高级物理海洋学家聚集在一起，参加为期2.5天的会议，重点是基于学科的指导。由6名初级和2名高级妇女+物理海洋学家组成的指导小组每月举行一次电话会议，以进行保密的个性化指导。MPOWIR网站是指导和物理海洋学职业的资源库。MPOWIR网络研讨会和虚拟讨论每半年举行一次，重点关注那些处于物理海洋学家第一个职位的早期阶段的人特别感兴趣的主题，为以前的参与者提供持续的支持，扩大性别中立的参与，并与更广泛的科学界建立联系。在诸如海洋科学会议等大型会议上举行的市政厅会议为传播信息和与整个海洋学界进行交流提供了一个论坛。进行数据库和调查，以评估MPOWIR活动的有效性，确定社区辅导需求，并评估保留方面的进展。新的-为参加MPOWIR的导师和学员提供导师培训。新-虚拟专业发展会议在Pattullo会议之间的几年里举行，目的是扩大参与，扩大培训和建立网络的机会。新的-外部计划评估和战略规划，以评估MPOWIR的影响，并建立一个共同的愿景与海洋社区的未来十年的计划。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得的支持，通过评估使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

MPOWIR (Mentoring Physical Oceanography Women to Increase Retention) is a community-led program aimed at providing mentoring to junior women and other marginalized and underrepresented genders (herein referred to women+) in physical oceanography to improve their retention in the field. Since its inception in 2007, MPOWIR has made substantial contributions to decreasing the attrition of women+ physical oceanographers. However, MPOWIR’s work is far from being done. Shifting demographics, the impact of COVID-19 on the careers of women+, and longstanding structural inequities remain challenges to retention. This project would sustain and enhance MPOWIR for another 4 years. It seeks to improve retention through a series of interrelated objectives that include: (1) providing continuity of mentoring from a woman’s+ career transition from graduate school to postdoctoral years to the early years of her permanent job, (2) providing mentorship training to MPOWIR participants, (3) fostering a sense of community in physical oceanography, (4) broadening participation in MPOWIR by providing training and professional development opportunities to all those who self-identify as physical oceanographers, and (5) engaging a cross-section of stakeholders to develop a shared vision for the next decade of MPOWIR. To meet the needs and expectations of its stakeholders, MPOWIR aims to enhance its design by incorporating a few new initiatives to provide additional professional development opportunities and support to the community of mentors and peers that MPOWIR has helped build over the past 16 years, and lead to improvement in the overall culture of the physical oceanography community.Specifically, this funding supports the following MPOWIR activities:1. Pattullo Conference held biannually, brings ~25 junior women+ physical oceanographers together with 12 senior physical oceanographers of all genders for a 2.5 day meeting focused on discipline-based mentoring.2. Mentoring groups of ~6 junior and 2 senior women+ physical oceanographers meet for a monthly teleconference, for the purpose of confidential, personalized mentoring.3. MPOWIR website serves as a repository of resources for mentoring and physical oceanography careers.4. MPOWIR webinars and virtual discussions held semi-annually, focus on topics of particular interest to those in the early stages of a physical oceanographer’s first position, provide continued support for previous participants, expand gender neutral participation, and connect to the broader scientific community.5. Townhalls held at large conferences, such as the Ocean Sciences Meeting, provide a forum for dissemination of information and communication with the whole oceanographic community.6. Databases and surveys are conducted to assess the effectiveness of MPOWIR activities, determine community mentoring needs, and evaluate progress in retention.7. NEW - Mentorship training for mentors and mentees who participate in MPOWIR.8. NEW - Virtual Professional Development Conference held in the intervening years between Pattullo conferences with the aim of broadening participation, expanding training, and networking opportunities.9. NEW - External program evaluation and strategic planning to assess the impact of MPOWIR and establish a shared vision with the oceanographic community for the next decade of the program.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.