Conference: Geo-Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Accelerating Geoscience Impact to Society and the Economy

The Geological Society Of America, Inc., Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

Climate driven disasters are increasing in number and frequency, the drive for communities and countries to go to Net Zero, and the necessity of finding and extracting raw materials from the Earth to feed our transition from a carbon-based energy sector to one of renewables provides fertile ground for the creation of geo-entrepreneurial activities and the generation of startups and use-inspired research rooted in the geological sciences. However, there few geologists and related geoscientists are founding startups or leading in idea and company formation to create novel new products and services that benefit society and drive the economy forward. To discover the reasons for the paucity of geo-participation in innovation ecosystems, the Geological Society of America (GSA), which has a global membership of over 22,000 in 115 countries, will hold a series of virtual and in person, if appropriate, events to survey its membership across the geological sciences. These conversations will help identify factors that prevent geologists from initiating commercial ventures and becoming entrepreneurs. Broader Impacts of the work include uncovering the incentives, training, opportunities, and educational vehicles most likely to create a cadre of geo-entrepreneurs and startup founders in critical areas of the economy that rely on energy and non-living raw materials that come from the Earth. An important focus of the events is getting feedback from early career geoscientists and members of underrepresented groups. The Geological Society of America will make public a report and surface the results of their findings by posting the report on the GSA website and promoting it at other geo-community outreach events. To solicit ideas on developing entrepreneurial talent and speed the pace of innovation in the geological sciences, the Geological Society of America will run a series of broad, inclusive, and results-driven virtual and, when appropriate, in person activities. These will be focused on engaging the geology and associated geological communities in identifying needs and possible solutions for moving the geosciences to a more entrepreneurial mindset and finding out what resources are needed to move the field in that direction. An important focus will be on input from early career scientists and those from groups traditionally underrepresented in geoscience. Information will be obtained via online surveys, virtual convenings of members, crowdsourcing events, one-on-one conversations, social media, and panels of experts. An important finding will be identification of gap filling needs required to increase and accelerate more involvement of geologists and associated geo-communities in innovation ecosystems and the entrepreneurial process. It is also focused on uncovering vehicles, incentives, and training needed to increase the number of geo-relevant enterprises led by founders and CEOs coming from geology and associated geo-fields. 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.