We’re reaching the end of our second year of this five year NSF BIO-LEAPS-funded award. Here are some of the things we have accomplished in the past year. Inclusive Conferences Working Group Following several community listening sessions, members of the Steering Committee volunteered to lead a Working Group to address Read more…
Science has a culture that is safe and welcoming to some, but hostile towards others. As scientists and members of the scientific community, we have the ability to change the culture in which we work.
The ROOT & SHOOT Research Coordination Network (RCN) is a partnership that spans the discipline of plant science, comprising organizations that seek to identify and remove systemic barriers that prevent full inclusion within the discipline. Over the past year, a working group of compensated volunteers was tasked with identifying ways Read more…
Earlier this year, I was invited to talk about the ROOT & SHOOT project to a group of scientists. Although I was thrilled to have this opportunity, I had a few sleepless nights envisioning the possibility of angry outbursts from members of the audience. (I was preparing my talk at Read more…
On July 5, 2023, I participated in a workshop on the topic of social media and scientific communication, hosted by the Global Plant Council at the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) conference in Edinburgh, Scotland. I focused on two topics: how we can make our communications more accessible to all, Read more…
Over the past year, the RCN has focused considerable attention on making our conferences safer and more welcoming spaces. Following the Inclusive Conferences Working Group recommendations, ROOT & SHOOT has partnered with the ADVANCEGeo Partnership to organize a set of bystander intervention workshops. This free training will describe different types of Read more…
The Inclusive STEM Teaching Project is a 6 week course designed to advance the awareness, self-efficacy, and the ability of faculty, postdocs, and doctoral students to cultivate inclusive STEM learning environments for all their students and to develop themselves as reflective, inclusive practitioners. This is a free, online course (run Read more…
BSA Capstone – Developing a transparent application and award system for publication fee waivers Briana Gross and Amy McPherson The goal of this project is to develop a standardized application for APC (Article Publication Charges) waivers and a transparent set of criteria to govern how APC waivers are awarded. Authors Read more…
The ROOT & SHOOT RCN Inclusive Conference Working Group was created to generate an RCN-wide system that develops and implements practices and policies that promote a safe and inclusive conference environment. Acknowledging a history of inequitable practices at such gatherings, the Working Group’s effort intentionally focuses on increasing the representation Read more…
Cultivating Inclusive Leadership in Professional Societies Ian Wallace, Crispin Taylor, Gustavo MacIntosh, Mary Williams, Leeann Thornton The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is largely led by a group of volunteers who rotate through short-term leadership positions. The goal of this project is to provide all who hold such positions Read more…