Beyond Equality: Early-Career Perspectives on Equity in Geoscience

Early-career researchers play a central role in advancing geoscience, yet their research trajectories are shaped not only by scientific challenges, but also by structural conditions that influence access, recognition, and sustainability. While equal-opportunity frameworks aim to ensure fairness through consistent treatment, they may still produce uneven outcomes when differences in experience, workloads, contribution, and risk exposure are not fully recognised. These conditions are particularly consequential for early-career researchers navigating mobility and temporary contracts. The uneven distribution of invisible academic labour further shapes who remains visible and who is able to sustain a research career.

Framing these dynamics as shared research challenges allows early-career researchers to learn from one another’s experiences, reduce impostor syndrome, and make visible the human side of scientific work. Equity is a shared responsibility: institutions and organisations can improve transparency around structural conditions, while research communities and scientific societies can reduce inequities by shaping participation, recognition, and visibility within existing constraints. This includes flexible participation models, transparent evaluation practices, and greater recognition of non-visible contributions that support more equitable and inclusive research environments. By treating equality and fairness as shared problem-solving spaces rather than individual burdens, this perspective aims to support more inclusive and sustainable pathways for early-career researchers in geoscience.