Building leaders for the UN Ocean Science Decade: a guide to supporting early career women researchers within academic marine research institutions

Abstract

Diverse and inclusive marine research is paramount to addressing ocean sustainability challenges in the 21st century, as envisioned by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Despite increasing efforts to diversify ocean science, women continue to face barriers at various stages of their career, which inhibits their progression to leadership within academic institutions. In this perspective, we draw on the collective experiences of thirty-four global women leaders, bolstered by a narrative review, to identify practical strategies and actions that will help empower early career women researchers to become the leaders of tomorrow. We propose five strategies: (i) create a more inclusive culture, (ii) ensure early and equitable career development opportunities for women ECRs, (iii) ensure equitable access to funding for women ECRs, (iv) offer mentoring opportunities and, (v) create flexible, family-friendly environments. Transformational, meaningful, and lasting change will only be achieved through commitment and collaborative action across various scales and by multiple stakeholders.

COBRA Master Class: Providing deep-sea expedition leadership training to accelerate early career advancement

“…Expedition leadership in the modern era transcends technical skill alone: good leaders create strong and diverse teams, inclusive, safe and creative spaces, efficient and productive workflows, and enable cross-team competency and growth in addition to the scientific goals and deliverables of a deep-sea expedition (Amon et al, 2022c;Johannesen et al, 2022;Shellock et al, 2022). There is an increased emphasis on team science in the deep-sea, and the skill sets required are essential for future leaders (Bennett et al, 2013;Bennett et al, 2014;Hall et al, 2018).…”