The Impacts of COVID-19 on Summer Research Internships and the Response of the Geoscience Community

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent campus closures affected internships, field camps, and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) across the U.S. during the summer of 2020. For program managers, there were many factors to consider in the decision of whether and how to run summer research internships. Considerations included how to safely conduct fieldwork, whether cohorts could be engaged virtually, and the possibility of having students or staff members get sick with the virus. Modifications to REU programs ranged from cancelling programs altogether to hosting in person programs, with the majority moving to remote research experiences of varying lengths and emphases. This paper will present the responses of internship leaders to the pandemic, the implementation of virtual programs, and the short- and long-term impacts on students. Of particular interest are the impacts of changes to GEO REU programs on students from underserved and minority groups. We will discuss the possibilities that new formats may offer for increasing accessibility and better serving diverse student groups in the future.