Revisiting inclusion: analyzing changes in the different volunteer groups within the EGU structure (2023-2026)

The 2023 Union Symposium (US 3) titled "Challenges and Solutions to Increasing Accessibility, Representation, Recognition, and Diversity of European Countries in the European Geosciences Community" focused on the need for diverse representation of European geosciences and geoscientists within the European Geosciences Union (EGU). Its goals were to raise awareness of underrepresented countries in the EGU structure and to explore the barriers and cultural differences that lead to minimal participation compounded by an even lower level of involvement in decision-making. 

During the symposium, it was observed that certain countries, primarily in Central and Eastern Europe, were significantly underrepresented; specifically, only 1.3% of editorial positions in EGU journals were occupied by members from these nations, despite their substantial contributions to the scientific community [1]. Similar percentages were [2] and are still observed in all other groups within the EGU structure, starting from participants up to EGU division presidents.

Since the symposium, EGU journals have implemented multiple measures including open editor calls, the introduction of reviewer self-nomination forms, and dedicated peer-reviewer training for early career scientists. Moreover, in 2025 an innovative and inclusive article processing charge scheme, offering corresponding authors from European economically disadvantaged countries a 50% discount, and authors affiliated with institutions in Research4Life-eligible countries the opportunity to publish for free. However, the number of submissions from these countries remains very low. As authors gradually become reviewers and, eventually, editors, such observed developments within the editorial boards are understandable.

To promote participation of underrepresented groups from Central and Eastern Europe at EGU General Assembles, the Roland Schlich Travel Support scheme was also revisited. Since 2022 it contains a separate category of European economically disadvantaged (EED) countries, which aims to accommodate 30% of all travel supports requests. The list of EED countries contains Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Türkiye, and Ukraine. However, the number of requests from participants from these countries remains low and the allocated budget has never been fully used.  

Here, we aim to revisit the editorial board statistics of EGU journals as well as the full EGU structure to evaluate the efficiency and impact of strategies implemented since the event. This ongoing study will reassess the geographical distribution of the affiliation of all EGU volunteers, comparing the latest data with our previous findings. In addition to quantitative analysis, this study incorporates the perspective of one of the authors, an EGU participant and Eastern Europe–based researcher, to contextualize the factors influencing the limited engagement of researchers from Central and Eastern European countries.

 

[1] Timar-Gabor, A., Matenco, L., Vilibić, I., Stadmark, J., Popp, A., Didenkulova, I., Conley, D. J., Wingate, L., Ervens, B., and Jesus-Rydin, C.: How inclusive is the EGU? Editorial boards of EGU journals show a disbalance in European countries of affiliation, EGU General Assembly 2023, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7603,

https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7603

 

[2] Matenco, L.: Understanding the complex east-west relationships in the European geoscience research landscape, EGU General Assembly 2020, Vienna, Austria, 4–8 May 2020, EGU2020-13587,

https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-13587