LANDInG-PRFP: A Postdoctoral Research Fellows Program with the Leadership Academy and Network for Diversity and Inclusion in the Geosciences

American Geophysical Union, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The AGU LANDInG Post-Doctoral Research Program will extend and leverage the the impact of LANDInG (American Geophysical Union Leadership Academy and Network for Diversity and Inclusion in Geoscience; NSF GOLD-EN RCN, ICER 2036823) to offer targeted DEI professional development and mentoring opportunities for NSF’s Ocean Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellows (OCE-PRF) and to NSF’s Office of Polar Programs Postdoctoral Research Fellows (OPP-PRF). Specifically, this program will engage a total of sixty-five OCE and OPP Postdoctoral Fellows in a 2-year, cohort-based community of professional development and mentoring experiences to build their capacity for becoming diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) champions. Participants in LANDInG’s Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program (LANDInG-PRFP)— a hybrid (virtual and in-person) series of workshops, webinars, meet-ups and conference activities— will benefit from a curated experience with LANDInG’s Community of Practice (CoP) and Leadership Academy resources. Comprehensive, evidence-based and structured learning opportunities that draw from these resources will be coupled with exposure to DEI mentorship models and engaged participation in DEI-related conferences activities. Across the program, activities will maximize participants’ development of DEI awareness, knowledge, and skills. Distinctive aspects of experiences provided to postdocs under this proposal include: engagement with a structured, evidence-based DEI professional development curriculum (e.g., readings, webinars, discussion panels, etc.); participation in DEI programming at the biennial Oceans Sciences Meeting, AGU annual meeting, and diversity-focused geoscience conferences; formal and informal DEI mentorship opportunities through networking with LANDInG’s DEI leaders and scholars; recognition of participation, including a certificate of completion; and visibility in virtual and print media through AGU platforms. Participation in LANDInG-PRFP will increase OCE-PRF and OPP-PRF grantees’ commitment to broadening participation and inclusion in STEM and prepare them to implement evidence-based DEI practices in their roles as scholars, scientists, mentors, and educators. LANDInG-PRFP will establish Division of Ocean Sciences and Office of Polar Programs postdocs, as DEI leaders in the geosciences community thereby enhancing their portfolio of expertise. Postdoctoral Fellows who participate in this program will contribute to changing DEI culture over the long-term via increased engagement in DEI initiatives across the geosciences; increased recognition of the need for broader participation in the geosciences; and increased value for DEI service, champions and leaders within geosciences. The LANDInG-PRFP model could serve as a framework for all STEM disciplines to promote early career DEI professional development. 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.