Meeting: Broadening Participation at the Society for Integrative and Organismal Biology in Austin Texas In January 2014

University Of Rhode Island, Kingston RI

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of the Broadening Participation Committee (BPC) of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) is to increase participation and membership of individuals from underrepresented groups (URGs), and to expand their capabilities as future researchers. The BPC has succeeded in measurably increasing participation of URG at annual meetings of SICB over the last four years. These efforts are aimed at promoting dialogue among SICB members about the benefits of having a diverse society and working together to build an inclusive community of integrative and comparative biologists. The success of these efforts is due in part by the BPC recognizing a need for, and implementing a series of professional development workshops, and by the society providing travel funds for individuals from URG to attend the annual meetings and participate in these workshops. This award will provide partial travel support for more than 40 members of URG plus six workshop organizers to attend the annual meeting of SICB to be held in Austin, TX, January 3-7, 2014. Two professional development workshops, "Recruitment strategies to obtain a diverse and thriving lab and department," and "Writing grants and manuscripts in a timely manner," are on the meeting agenda and open to all members of the society. These topics for professional development were identified by members from URG who attended previous annual meetings of SICB. Individuals from URG who receive a travel award will attend both workshops. The workshop organizers were selected to represent academic diversity (including liberal arts, MA degree and doctoral degree institutions; and assistant professors) and diversity across URG. The BPC succeeded in securing the participation of six women, and three individuals from URG (an African American, a Hispanic, and an Alaskan Native). This level of diversity for BPC activities is equal to or higher than that of typical scientific professional organizations. The workshops will address best practices to increase recruitment of individuals from URG, and increase the productivity of URG postdoctoral and junior faculty members. The second workshop on timely grant writing is aimed specifically at retention of postdoctoral researchers and assistant professors by investing in their success as independent researchers. The BPC has identified retention of these relatively junior scientists from URG as a particular challenge. These workshops and other activities of the BPC will increase recruitment and retention of URG at annual meetings as well as at the academic institutions of SICB members. These professional development activities will serve to publicize the benefits of belonging to a diverse and culturally aware scientific society, and will enable future participation of URG in leadership roles, and build community within the society. The impact of SICB BPC activities over the past four years will be published online and submitted to "Integrative and Comparative Biology", the journal of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, thereby disseminating results of these efforts to the scientific community and the general public.