Sessions of special interest for EDI 

There is increasing evidence for a prevalence of mental health disorders in researchers globally, especially in early-career scientists (ECS). Geosciences are no exception, with a recent survey reporting high rates of anxiety, depression, burnout and panic attacks in marine ECS.These are often signs of deep-rooted systemic problems of the academic system.
Many facets, from high competitiveness, to publish-or-perish philosophy and precarious careers can lead to poor work-life balance and place additional stressors on researchers with underlying psychological conditions. Geoscientists also face additional mental stressors, for example challenging field work or climate grief. Hostile working environments, abuse of power, sexism and discrimination further exacerbate the complexity and intersectionality of these issues leading to unwelcoming and toxic environments. Depression and anxiety are more prevalent in women and transgender researchers. The mental health crisis in the geosciences thus intersects with the lack of diversity in academia and low prioritisation of equality and inclusion. In spite of being a widespread issue, mental health is seldom present in the discourse about EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) in academia. Very few researchers feel safe to speak openly about mental disorders or chronic illness due to fears about future career perspectives, or lack of understanding and judgement by peers.
Here we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities in opening the discourse on mental health and wellbeing in the geosciences. How do lack of awareness, misperceptions and stigma on mental illness shape our current working environments? How do stressors change across the different career stages? And what are those specific to geosciences? How much is this crisis caused by a lack of diversity in academia and how might this lack of representation in turn fuel this crisis because of increased attrition rates among under-represented groups? Can a more positive and inclusive academic environment contribute to stopping the decline in disruptive and innovative research and promote EDI in the geosciences?
We will invite experts in mental illness and stigma research, and colleagues who will share their stories, challenges and success stories in dealing with and overcoming stigma in their workplace. With this, we aim to stimulate a broad discussion to identify needs, best practices and ways forward for a more humane geosciences research community.

The session will begin with an overview of the present state of gender diversity in the geosciences. Statistics and studies will be discussed demonstrating the underrepresentation of women, non-binary, and gender-diverse people in the discipline. Such contextual presentation provides the basis to explore in greater detail the systemic barriers maintaining such limited diversity: biased hiring practices, workplace culture, and career advancement opportunities. Participants will be invited to consider how these issues manifest in their own institutions and professional experiences.

Central to the session will be the sharing of lived experiences from geoscientists. These individual stories will provide valuable information on specific challenges faced by geoscientists of diverse gender, including solo status within a research group, navigating mentorship, and how microaggressions and discrimination inhibit career progression.

Besides pointing out challenges, the session will be dedicated to strategies and initiatives that have been employed for successfully promoting gender diversity in the geosciences. These would include discussion of programs that would help facilitate recruitment and retention efforts amongst women and gender diverse groups, such as mentorship networks, diversity scholarships, and targeted outreach. This session will also consider how policies and practices interact with one another to influence and provide an inclusive workplace culture, including flexible work arrangements, anti-discrimination training, and use of inclusive language at work.

A significant aspect that is to be discussed is that of intersectionality: how gender intersects with other dimensions of identity, such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability, in influencing the experiences of geoscientists. The session will examine how the compounding of intersecting identities exacerbates burdens on underrepresented groups and the need to incorporate these factors into the formulation of strategies for inclusivity.

The session will be concluded by a call to action. This may include anything from the highly influential, such as reasoned lobbying for policy changes and supporting initiatives that promote diversity, to becoming more aware of one's own biases and how these may impact colleagues. This is aimed at equipping the participants with knowledge and tools to help them actively contribute toward a more inclusive and fair geoscience community.

Fieldwork is central to most geoscientists´ education and research practice. Work in the field has traditionally been the backbone of geoscientific data collection and is shaping the image of geoscientists´ identity and skills. However, fieldwork can also be considered problematic as it currently limits who can and will participate in our research field. With digitalization and remote instrumentation, fieldwork as a core requirement can even be up for debate.

Fieldwork is where cultures around physical and psychological safety are created. In the last few years, awareness of discrimination, inside and outside academia, has been growing, with fieldwork being an area where vulnerabilities are amplified. Issues with gender inequality, inclusivity of LGBTQIA+ scientists and students and geopolitical restrictions are even more critical in remote locations, when requiring international travel or overnight stays. Requirements and expectations for fieldwork also presents unique challenges for researchers with caregiving responsibilities.

Some institutions have developed codes of conduct or best practice routines, but these are not yet widely used or discussed. Routines for physical and mental safety in the field are typically developed locally and the responsibility and support structures for development as well as implementation vary widely.

This symposium aims to discuss the roles we as scientists can take in shaping the conversations around fieldwork. We aim to foster a dialogue among researchers sharing their experiences and strategies for coping and continue to raise awareness and highlight the potential actions of researchers at every level to create a safe and inclusive environment in the field. Different aspects to be discussed are 1) Is fieldwork still a core necessity for geoscientists? 2) How can we develop more inclusive field practices and what institutional actions and support mechanisms are needed to create a safer and more inclusive field environment? 3) What do effective practices look like for integrating fieldwork and parenting into future research planning and funding frameworks? 4) Field teaching or fieldwork for research – do we treat the situations differently?

We will use this symposium as a platform aimed to generate community, share experiences and discuss what structures can be put in place, for example through EGU, EU funding programs and research councils to support this.

The Open Access movement has been recognized as a powerful and successful way of addressing inequities in the way research results are distributed. However, some publishers use the open access model to publish an excessive number of papers solely to increase their revenue. These publishers take advantage of the prevalent academic “publish or perish” culture, which leads to a vicious cycle that undermines scientific integrity. As a consequence, “publish or perish” has contributed to the proliferation of predatory publishing practices that lead to a large number of publications of low scientific quality. Such flawed papers often do not show evidence of rigorous peer review, which is a cornerstone of scientific quality assurance in publications. Breaking the cycle of the commercially-focused interests of publishers and the publishing pressure on scientific scholars require concerted actions by scientists, institutions, funders and publishers. How can these actors jointly address the challenges to uphold scientific quality in publications? How can scientists meet institutional publishing requirements while ensuring their papers are both societally relevant and scientifically meaningful? Can alternative publishing models help solving these problems? Join us in this Great Debate to discuss strategies to prioritize scientific quality over commercial interests in the rapidly evolving landscape of scientific publishing.

Panelists and Speakers

Sabine Gollner (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research)

Richard Herrington (Natural History Museum, London, UK)

Telmo Morato (Okeanos Research Institute, University of the Azores)

Ingeborg Rønning (Keep Norway Clean, Oslo)

Pradeep Singh (Oceano Azul Foundation, and Research Institute for Sustainability, GFZ, Potsdam)

Abstract

Paradigm shifts are by definition untested. They confront the status quo based on new evidence or new discoveries and form the basis for change. Real, constructive change, however, must be bigger than the likes of us, must be comprehensive and inclusive of others and, most importantly, must examine and quantify cause-and-effect in advance of implementation. Predicting Earth’s future is no longer possible using the natural sciences alone. We must include social sciences and the arts.

Deep-sea mining will not eliminate land-based mining, nor will it resolve poverty as the poorest of humanity dig in the mud, hand-filling and carrying impossible sacks of slurry and ore-bearing rock on bare backs. Such artisanal operations are lethal, if not through accidents, then through truncated workers’ lifespans on exposure to toxic metals, notably mercury, closely associated with gold mining. Nevertheless, steps forward are being taken to improve working conditions.

Deep-sea mining on a continental shelf or shallow underwater ridge will have uniquely different consequences than deep sea ploughing of gargantuan expanses of unconsolidated abyssal sediment to comb together and raise polymetallic (Co-Ni-Cu) nodules growing over tens of millions of years at thousands of meters water depth. Neither locality has been appropriately tested. Most agree it is essential to evaluate in advance the effects of mining on fragile and remote ecosystems which we barely understand. Perhaps a better quantification of river deterioration from artisanal mining could be made before jumping wholesale into the sea where 70% of our planet’s surface is stored out of view.

Deep-sea mining will remove chemosynthetic life support, throwing our planet’s primary food chain into chaos. Extraction of metalliferous deep-sea nodules is unsustainable on the human time scale. Will humanity’s great 21st century experiment for green energy be our legacy as we leave marine life choking on dredged waste material, and create a seafloor that cannot re-establish its biota?

Are you unsure about how to bring order in the extensive program of the General Assembly? Are you wondering how to tackle this week of science? Are you curious about what EGU and the General Assembly have to offer? Then this is the short course for you!

During this course, we will provide you with tips and tricks on how to handle this large conference and how to make the most out of your week at this year's General Assembly. We'll explain the EGU structure, the difference between EGU and the General Assembly, we will dive into the program groups and we will introduce some key persons that help the Union function.

This is a useful short course for first-time attendees, those who have previously only joined us online, and those who haven’t been to Vienna for a while!

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is the largest Geosciences Union in Europe, largely run by volunteers. Conferences, journals, policy making and scientific communication are all important parts of EGU.

Whatever your closest link with EGU, would you like to get more involved?

Perhaps you are interested in running events, being a representative or being part of a committee. In this short course, we will provide an overview of all the activities of EGU, which are much more than just the General Assembly. We will give practical tips on how to get involved, who to contact and where to find specific information if you want to organise events, become an editor or nominate yourself for Division President. From blog writing to organising networking events, there’s something for everyone.

LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, plus; or LGBT for short) geoscientists likely have to face more obstacles throughout their career than their cisgender/heterosexual colleagues. These barriers can take many forms, e.g., inflexible bureaucratic limits on name/gender marker, changes on documentation, a lack of training for cruise/field leaders on LGBT topics, a lack of support for transgender and gender non-conforming people on field trips and research cruises, and safety and medical considerations LGBT people must account for when travelling for either field work/cruises or when moving countries for a new position. These obstacles can be made smaller and overcome; with awareness and understanding by colleagues and initiatives, LGBT academics can thrive and contribute to research.

In this short course, we want to dive into the topic of visibility in the workplace. How visible is the LGBTQIA+ community in the geosciences? Are there differences between countries or institutions? What advantages can it have to foster awareness in the workplace in general, and which disadvantages can it have to be involuntarily visible? How are these questions related to the current social climate? And what can be the role of allies and cis-het people? We're going to discuss these questions (and more) together with input from the audience.

How can scientists and governments ensure that their communication resonates more deeply with citizens without resorting to the manipulative tactics used by those who seek to undermine liberal democracy? How can scientific and government actors ensure their communications are equally meaningful and ethical?

This Short Course will combine insights from state-of-the-art scientific knowledge, novel empirical research on values-targeted communication strategies, and a deep understanding of practitioners’ and citizens’ attitudes on these topics. Examples from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre will be used to share practical guidance for scientists who need to successfully navigate the policy world.

Values, principles and behaviours (VPBs) underlie geoethics and geoscience. Can we understand or build geoethics or conduct geoscience without reference to these VPBs? How do VPBs influence our professional practice in geoethics and in the geosciences? How are geoethical values, geoethical principles, geoethical behaviours and geoscience related?

Those are some of the questions that we wish to raise in our short course. Values include honesty, compassion, quality, objectivity, truth, respect, justice, peace and beauty. Principles generally make values explicit and are often embodied in ‘dictates’, such as thou shalt not kill, treat all people fairly, be supportive towards others, be humble in success and steadfast in adversity, take responsibility, etc. Behaviour is driven by both values and principles; it is a pattern of action (climate as opposed to weather, if you will). Examples might include striving for quality, being harsh on subordinates, being economical with the truth, being sensitive to others, using logic.

Often an ethical dilemma stems from two or more underlying value conflicts, such as individual identity and social value. It is not easy to understand the dynamics of such relations. Values clarification exercises are often used to enable people together to work through complex issues in which differing, contradictory or hidden values may influence beliefs, principles and behaviours, including decisions. Such exercises allow us to become more aware of the ways in which values relate to our geoethical and geoscience activities.

This Short Course will be conducted in a workshop format:
a. starting with short overviews of geoethics and of clarification exercises;
b. followed by a hands-on, small-group session; and
c. ending with a debriefing session and a discussion.

Both experts and novices in geoethical VPBs are welcome in this Short Course; teachers, researchers and students will benefit. If you wish to do a little preparation before the course, these may be useful:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/10.1144/SP508-2020-191, or
https://presentations.copernicus.org/EGU21/EGU21-604_presentation.pdf

Please bring some blank paper and a pen. Also, bring your critical thinking skills and your powers of logic.

Scientists have now been sounding the alarm about the climate and ecological crisis for decades. Each new report further outlines the necessity to radically change course, to rapidly reduce CO2 emissions and more generally human impacts on the environment if we are to avoid disastrous consequences on societies and ecosystems. Yet, these warnings have invariably been met with insufficient responses, political inertia, or worse active denial or institutionalised efforts to delay action. Meanwhile, a strong climate movement has emerged, led primarily by young activists demanding immediate climate action to ensure a liveable planet and a just future for all. A growing number of scientists and academics have also been starting to contemplate which roles they could most effectively take on in these movements, either from joining or providing external.

The growing interest and associated curiosity towards these movements from the scientific community was confirmed by the large attendance to EGU24’s events about academic activism. At the same time, many academics are unsure about where to start, how and where to find like-minded colleagues and grass-root organisations, or how to set up campaigns and actions to push for change at their institutions and beyond. This short course aims at bridging this gap by providing first-hand experience and practical tools to academics eager to organise within or outside their institution, and/or mobilise fellow colleagues to join climate actions. Equally important, the course will touch on relevant aspects of mental health: From the perspective of climate anxiety, to difficult-to-navigate dynamics within the movement, to a more general activist fatigue.

The course will be divided into 3 parts:
1. A starters part, with a short introduction on possible roles for academics in the climate movement, followed by presentations from experienced organisers about setting up a campaign at your own university, mobilising colleagues and organising events
2. A group work part, where participants will choose one proposed case as an example for the organisation of a campaign or event, and discuss it as a group, based on the input part and their own knowledge
3. A debriefing part, where some of the groups will present their work to the rest of the participants. Potential critical aspects related to organisational roadblocks, internal group dynamics, or repercussions that might come with certain forms of activism will be discussed

The foundation of a positive work climate is professionalism. Professionalism refers to the attitudes and behaviors that affect interpersonal relations of all types in the workplace. These relations include concepts of power, trust, respect, responsibility, justice, and fairness. Social structures that have hierarchical and asymmetric power relations have the potential for colleagues in positions of power to use this power to enable and enrich or abuse and diminish individuals. This can endanger professional and personal well-being, contribute to hostile work climates, and reduce productivity, research, and education outcomes. Ultimately, issues related to hostile work climates can affect program success. This workshop will provide resources to develop a workplace code of conduct that is proactive, preventative and promotes cultural change in office, laboratory, and field settings.

Building a successful academic career is challenging. Doing so while also raising a family can push you to your limits. Many early- and mid-career scientists grapple with balancing family life and academic responsibilities. The fear-of-missing-out dualism between family and academia causes an inner conflict and feeling of injustice and inadequateness. Families often find themselves confronted with what feels like a personal problem when, in reality, it is a shared societal issue. Modern families come in diverse forms, including dual-career parents, single parents, same-sex parents, and various shared parenting arrangements. The academic world must recognize and adapt to this reality, aligning with broader themes of inclusion, participation, and diversity.

It is crucial to find support and confidence in moving forward as an individual while remaining aligned with your personal values and goals. As a community, we need to openly discuss parenting in academia so that we can demand and develop sustainable solutions that benefit everyone, rather than repeatedly fighting private battles to follow the academic career dream. Parenthood can also shift your priorities, which may lead you to consider leaving academia altogether.

This short course provides a platform that allows an honest exchange on diverse experiences and continue the discussion from previous EGU General Assemblies on this topic. It will:
1. Provide insight into how being a parent impacts everyday academic life.
2. Present scientific studies on parenting in academia and explore the varying cultural and societal experiences.
3. Highlight personal experiences made by a panel of current and previous academic parents.
4. Conclude with an open discussion addressing public discourse on equal parenting and work-life balance.
This course is intended for scientists considering starting a family, current academic parents seeking to connect, and faculty staff responsible for supporting parenting employees.

Persistent issues of bullying, harassment, and other exclusionary behaviours remain prevalent in research and academic settings, disproportionately impacting underrepresented groups. Bystander intervention offers a proactive approach that enables individuals to safely counteract these instances of exclusionary behaviours and support those who are targeted. This Short Course is facilitated by ADVANCEGeo and is designed to equip participants with the skills to be effective active bystanders. Workshop participants will be trained to: (i) discern various types of hostile behaviours such as bullying, microaggressions, and sexual harassment, (ii) identify the institutional structures and practices in research and academia that support their prevalence, and (iii) respond in a manner that's both safe and constructive.

Building on our previous successful "Breaking Boundaries" short course from EGU24, which aimed at advancing science communication in the Global South, we are excited to propose a new session focused on writing compelling research proposals for funding. During our last EGU short course, we briefly highlighted the significant funding challenges faced by researchers from the Global South compared to their counterparts in the Global North. Thankfully, with the growing influence of Global South leaders, there has been an increase in collaborative opportunities, national/international and cross-border funding. However, securing this funding or position still hinges on the strength of a research proposal.
To address this need, we have designed a short interactive course dedicated to the art of writing strong research proposals for securing either research position or proposal fundings. This session will offer practical techniques and tips for creating compelling proposals and will include an open discussion. Additionally, we will provide insights from funding agencies based in Global South countries, highlighting the key elements they look for in proposals. This course is valuable for researchers at all career stages, with a particular emphasis on Early Career Scientists (ECS) looking to enhance their proposal-writing skills. Participants will benefit from:
1. Researchers' Perspective: Learn from successful grant recipients about the crucial points to consider when writing a research proposal.
2. Funding Agency Perspective: Gain insights from representatives of funding agencies in the Global South on their requirements and expectations.
3. ECS Perspective: Hear from fellow participants about their experiences and challenges in research proposal writing.
This short course is open to everyone with an interest in improving their proposal writing skills. ECS from the Global South are especially encouraged to participate as they will be provided with an opportunity to interact with researchers and funding agency representatives, gaining valuable insights into their expectations and experiences. For more information or inquiries, please feel free to contact the course convener.

Geoscience communication often involves conveying complex concepts to diverse audiences across cultural and linguistic boundaries.

This short course is designed to equip you with the skills needed to communicate science effectively across cultures, focusing on the unique challenges geoscientists face in this context.

Through real-world examples drawn from personal and peers’ experiences, along with interactive exercises, we will explore how cultural perspectives shape the understanding of geoscientific data and how to tailor messages to approach different audiences.

You’ll learn practical communication strategies for addressing cultural differences in interpreting scientific concepts, translating complex geoscientific data into culturally relevant messages, and overcoming language barriers. The ultimate aim is to tackle inequalities and promote Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in science outreach.

The short course will conclude with an open debate and Q&A. Bring your experience, have your say!

Following the success of previous years, this session will explore reasons for the under-representation of different groups (gender identities, sexual orientations, racial and cultural backgrounds, abilities, religions, nationality or geography, socioeconomic status, ages, career stages, etc.) by welcoming debate among scientists, decision-makers and policy analysts in the geosciences.

The session will focus on both obstacles that contribute to under-representation and on best practices and innovative ideas to remove those obstacles. Contributions are solicited on the following topics:

- Role models to inspire and further motivate others (life experience and/or their contributions to promote equality)
- Imbalanced representation, preferably supported by data, for awards, medals, grants, high-level positions, invited talks and papers
- Perceived and real barriers to inclusion (personally, institutionally, culturally)
- Recommendations for new and innovative strategies to identify and overcome barriers
- Gender Equality Plans (GEP) in European host institutions: the good, the bad, and the ugly
- Best practices and strategies to move beyond barriers, including:
• successful mentoring programmes;
• networks that work;
• specific funding schemes;
• examples of host institutions initiatives;

Report on situations that you may have experienced in light of recent socio-political changes.

This session is co-organised with the support of the European Research Council (ERC).

In the face of climate change, Africa is more than ever in need of climate services, scientific infrastructure and skilled people who are trained in providing solutions for their countries in how best deal with the adverse impacts of climate change. Over the past years, European governments and funding agencies have invested in climate change research and capacity building in various regions of Africa. However, these initiatives, mostly work independently and do not seek for synergies or collaborations.
This session aims to bring these capacity building initiatives together, provide them a stage to present themselves and a platform for networking, finding synergies and collaborations. We invite initiatives of any kind to present their work related to climate change capacity development in Africa. This also includes climate change-related topics such as, floods, droughts, natural hazards, land degradation, and so on. We welcome the full-variety of capacity building initiatives, including small-scale teaching or workshops (online or on site), co-development of research or monitoring infrastructure, master programmes, doctoral programmes, training of local communities or single research projects that include a capacity development component.
After getting an insight in the full bandwidth of capacity development initiatives in this session, we aim to follow-up with a splinter meeting in which the foundation of a European-African Network for Capacity Development in climate change Adaptation research in Africa (NetCDA) will be discussed. The NetCDA network should provide the basis for future exchange, sharing best practices and finding collaborations between various initiatives and institutions. We invite all session participants and other interested climate scientists from both continents to attend this splinter meeting. More details of the timing and location of this splinter meeting will follow.

The intersection of motherhood and fieldwork presents unique challenges and opportunities for researchers, particularly in the geoscience disciplines, which require extensive field research. Both fieldwork and parenting demand significant time, effort, and emotional investment – combining the two is an especially Herculean task that mothers in academia are often forced to face. Despite the growing recognition of the challenges faced by researchers with caregiving responsibilities, there remains a gap in support from academia that specifically addresses the dual pressures of motherhood and field research.

This townhall meeting aims to foster a dialogue among researchers who identify as mothers, sharing their experiences and strategies for coping while conducting fieldwork and managing parenting responsibilities. The topics discussed will reflect on personal narratives and strategies, while presenting a call to action for institutional support mechanisms that facilitate the integration of motherhood and rigorous research efforts. By bringing together mothers who are currently or have previously been engaged in fieldwork, we can illuminate diverse experiences and articulate best practices that may offer inspiration and support to others navigating this complex landscape. This townhall meeting represents a significant opportunity to amplify the voices of mother-researchers and to create a supportive community that recognizes and addresses the unique challenges faced by those balancing the demands of fieldwork and parenting. We believe that the insights gained from this gathering will not only benefit individual researchers but also contribute to broader institutional changes that prioritize work-life balance.

We invite mothers currently or previously engaged in fieldwork to attend the meeting and share their experiences. The townhall meeting is open to all researchers of any gender, academics, and practitioners interested in gender and family dynamics. We would especially appreciate attendance by institutional leaders interested in supporting work-life balance in academia. We hope that hearing experiences from mother-researchers can inspire the next generation of women academics and show that there does not need to be a choice between career and motherhood. We look forward to your participation and the meaningful conversations that will emerge from this collective gathering of experiences and ideas.

Come to say hello, hola, olá! Let's connect with a diverse and inclusive community. Everyone is welcome! (not only Latinxs)