Capturing a broad spectrum of interest and experiences will help Open Science MOOC consider and include the full research community. An essential step to achieving this objective is to ensure broad and intersectional diversity in staffing its Steering Committee.
Scientific research is conducted by people of a diverse range of demographics and psychographics, including gender identities, sexual orientations, racial and cultural backgrounds, abilities, religions, ages, career stages and fields, and socioeconomic and immigration statuses. These intersectional identities impact on how research is conducted, data analyzed, and results shared. We recognize that a diverse and inclusive scientific community asks a broader range of questions yet also faces different barriers to participating in research. By listening to diverse voices, we will be rewarded by a greater understanding of our world.
In an effort to represent and include the broadest possible spectrum of researchers, Open Science MOOC is committed to the following objectives in forming its Steering Committee:
FIELD: We will include representatives from a broad spectrum of research fields, including Physical Science, Technology, Engineer, Medicine, Humanities, Social Science, and all related topics and disciplines.
GENDER IDENTITY: We will strive for gender parity in our Steering Committee, with awareness of the need for flexibility to include transgender and gender-fluid people.
ETHNIC AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND: We will strive to include a broad range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds in our Steering Committee, with particular focus on traditionally excluded populations including Asian, black, indigenous, Pacific island, and Latin scientists.
GEOGRAPHY: We will respect the global nature of the geoscience community by aiming for an equal split of representatives from or working in Europe, North America, Asia, and the rest of the world.
CAREER: We will aim to have at least one representative each from key stages within academia including students; early-, mid-, and late-career professors; researchers at teaching-centric and research-centric universities; and independent scholars. We also aim to include those from outside of research careers.
ABILITY: We will aim to include representatives with a broad range of physical and mental abilities.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION: We will aim to include representatives with a broad range of sexual orientations.
It is our hope that meeting all these objectives within the 14-person Steering Committee will subsequently include a range of intersectional identities to further enhance our understanding. We recognize that we may not always achieve all of these objectives, and will be as transparent as possible about our effectiveness within the confines of respecting the privacy of our Steering Committee members.
We also recognize we may not yet be considering all aspects of how identity shapes the science that we do. We further commit to continuing to learn and adapt how we define and include diverse populations in response to the needs of our greater community.