Conference: Symposium - SICB 2023 - Visions for a Diverse, Inclusive, and Safe Future for Field Biology

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This award supports a symposium, “Envisioning a Diverse, Inclusive, and Safe Future for Field Biology,” at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB). A total of 11 symposium speakers will present on identifying barriers, advocacy, and promoting inclusivity and safety in field settings. The award primarily offsets travel expenses for symposium participants. The symposium will close with a discussion to generate ideas for increasing inclusivity and access to field-based disciplines for scientists with diverse identities. This symposium has three key aims toward promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in field biology: (1) bringing attention to current issues on the topic, (2) facilitating productive dialogue between scholars and scientists, and (3) generating scholarly work on the subject to further the exchange of knowledge in this area. By addressing current issues and new frontiers in field biology safety and inclusivity, this symposium challenges attendees to address their own behavior, find ways to improve institutional policies, and shift the culture of field biology toward a more diverse and inclusive future. Outcomes from this symposium will include a white paper outlining best practices for advancing DEI efforts in field-based STEM disciplines. This award provides support for a symposium focused on promoting DEI in field biology at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), held in Austin, TX in January 2023. Symposium speakers include scientists from various backgrounds and experiences in field work; speaker selection spotlights the challenges of field work for diverse scholars and provides a place for facilitated discussion and exploration of solutions to the challenges presented. Specifically, speaker presentations address: (1) barriers to inclusion and access, (2) advocating for accessibility and inclusion in the field, and (3) visions for a more accessible future. The symposium structure will challenge attendees to address their own behavior, find ways to improve institutional policies, and shift the culture of field biology toward a more diverse and inclusive future. The symposium concludes with a “gallery walk” and discussion, moderated by a trained DEI facilitator, to generate ideas for improving field science safety, inclusivity, and access. This project will generate a white paper report, coauthored by symposium organizers and speakers, outlining best practices for advancing DEI efforts in field-based STEM disciplines. Each symposium speaker has also committed to submitting a manuscript for publication in the journal Integrative and Comparative Biology to disseminate results of the symposium.This award is co-funded by the Animal Behavior and the Physiological Mechanisms and Biomechanics programs in the BIO Division of Integrative Organismal Systems and the Field Stations program in the BIO Division of Biological Infrastructure.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.