Survey on Early Career Travel Support Highlights Inequalities in Access to Polar Science Events Across Geographic, Career Stage, and Indigenous Status

Abstract:

Scientific meetings, conferences, field schools and workshops provide essential networking and training opportunities for early career researchers. In highly international fields like polar sciences, attending these events can involve extensive travel. We surveyed Association of Polar Early Career Scientists members and other early career members of the polar science community to investigate the variability in travel support relative to costs across the early stages of a researcher's career. 190 respondents from 38 countries answered questions on the perceived availability of different types and sources of travel funding. Each respondent described up to three events they had attended in the preceding two years.

Cost of attendance prevented nearly three-quarters of respondents from participating in at least one career-relevant event over the survey period. Large disparities in what kinds of expenses are covered exist between geographic regions and funding mechanisms. Early career researchers frequently top up partial support with personal funds. Increased event-based travel support, and the timely notification of a travel award to benefit from early bird registration and cheaper travel and accommodation would help to reduce out of pocket expenses. Replacing the more common practice of travel reimbursement with a travel advance would remove another barrier to attendance.

With the Covid-19 pandemic, many meetings and workshops have moved online. While online meetings do not seem to be a total replacement for in-person interaction, they may boost the participation of often underrepresented groups. We encourage online event organizers to collect information from participants to see if the shift to an online setting has made the meeting accessible to a more diverse early career audience. Improving online access and addressing the disparities in travel support for career-relevant events will promote diversity and foster inclusion in the next generation of polar scientists.