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

MPOWIR(辅导物理海洋学妇女以增加保留力)是一个社区主导的方案，旨在为物理海洋学领域的初级妇女和其他边缘化和代表性不足的性别(这里指妇女+)提供指导，以提高她们在实地的保留率。自2007年成立以来，海洋地球物理研究所为减少女性海洋学家+物理海洋学家的自然减员作出了重大贡献。然而，MPOWIR的工作远未完成。人口结构的变化、新冠肺炎对女性+职业生涯的影响，以及长期存在的结构性不平等，仍然是留住女性的挑战。该项目将在未来4年内维持和加强MPOWIR。该方案力求通过一系列相互关联的目标提高留用情况，其中包括：(1)提供妇女从研究生院到博士后生涯过渡到长期工作初期的连续辅导；(2)向MPOWIR的参与者提供导师培训；(3)培养社区意识；(4)通过向所有自认为是物理海洋学家的人提供培训和职业发展机会，扩大对MPOWIR的参与；(5)动员各利益攸关方参与，为MPOWIR的下一个十年制定共同的愿景。为了满足其利益攸关方的需要和期望，海洋物理和海洋研究所旨在改进其设计，纳入一些新的倡议，为海洋物理研究所在过去16年中帮助建立的导师和同行社区提供更多的专业发展机会和支持，并导致物理海洋学社区整体文化的改善。具体而言，这笔资金支持海洋物理研究所的以下活动：1.帕图洛会议每两年举行一次，大约25名初级妇女+物理海洋学家和12名高级物理海洋学家齐聚一堂，参加为期2.5天的会议，重点是以学科为基础的指导。由大约6名初级海洋学家和2名资深女性+物理海洋学家组成的辅导小组每月举行一次电话会议，目的是进行保密的、个性化的辅导。MPOWIR网站是指导和物理海洋学职业的资源库。海洋地球物理研究所每半年举行一次网络研讨会和虚拟讨论，重点是那些处于物理海洋学家第一个职位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支持，扩大中性参与，并与更广泛的科学界建立联系。在海洋科学会议等大型会议上举行的市政厅为传播信息和与整个海洋界进行交流提供了一个论坛。建立数据库和进行调查，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。对参加MPOWIR的导师和被辅导者进行新的导师培训。新的--在帕图洛会议期间举行的虚拟专业人员发展会议，目的是扩大参与、扩大培训和建立联系的机会。新的-外部项目评估和战略规划，以评估MPOWIR的影响，并与海洋学社区建立该计划下一个十年的共同愿景。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.