Project Grant 2233707

IMPLEMENTATION: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BIMS TIDAL WAVE PROGRAM -SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE DISSEMINATION OF RESEARCH, AND THE CREATION OF COLLABORATIVE GROUPS; HOWEVER THE LACK OF DIVERSITY AT SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS SERVES AS A MAJOR CRUX TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF OCEAN SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION. SYSTEMATIC BARRIERS INCREASE THE DIFFICULTY FOR RESEARCHERS OF COLOR TO ATTEND AND SUCCESSFULLY MANEUVER THESE CONFERENCES. OFTEN, THOSE RESEARCHERS WHO DO ATTEND ARE ONE OF A HANDFUL AND THEIR EXPERIENCES CAN BE RIDDLED WITH ISOLATION, MAKING IT HARD TO TRULY ENGAGE IN MEETING SESSIONS AND ACTIVITIES. TO INCREASE DIVERSITY AND ENGAGEMENT OF SCIENTISTS OF COLOR AT OCEAN SCIENCE CONFERENCES AND REDUCE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES STEMMING FROM SECLUSION, THE NON-PROFIT BLACK IN MARINE SCIENCE (BIMS) INTRODUCES THE BIMS TIDAL WAVE. THE GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO 1) PROVIDE A COHORT OF SCIENTISTS THE NETWORKING AND TECHNICAL SKILLS NEEDED TO SUCCESSFULLY PRESENT AT A CONFERENCE, 2) INCORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS OF RESEARCHERS OF COLOR IN OCEAN SCIENCE CONFERENCES INCLUDING A CONFERENCE HOSTED BY THE BIMS INSTITUTE AND 3) INCREASE COHESION AMONG ALLIES AND BLACK PROFESSIONALS WHO FOCUS ON OCEAN CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH. EACH YEAR, A COHORT OF BLACK MARINE SCIENTISTS AT VARIED EDUCATIONAL LEVELS (UNDERGRAD TO GRADUATE) AND PROFESSIONS (ACADEMIC, GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE SECTOR) WILL BE SELECTED TO ATTEND ONE OCEAN SCIENCE CONFERENCE. PRIOR TO EACH CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS WILL PARTAKE IN A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON PRESENTING RESEARCH, NETWORKING, AND SUCCESSFUL MENTOR-MENTEE INTERACTIONS. AFTER EACH CONFERENCE, COHORTS WILL RECEIVE POST-CONFERENCE TRAINING THAT WILL ASSIST PARTICIPANTS IN PUBLISHING THEIR RESEARCH AND FORMING COLLABORATIVE BONDS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. AS A MEANS OF IMPROVING THE DIVERSITY AND EXPERIENCE OF BLACK MARINE SCIENTISTS AT SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES, THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION BLACK IN MARINE SCIENCE INTRODUCES THE BIMS TIDAL WAVE. THIS PROGRAM AIMS TO EXPAND THE DIVERSITY OF MARINE SCIENCE CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION AND SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP IN A STEPWISE FASHION, SUPPORTING 40 STUDENTS, AND BOTH EARLY & LATE CAREER PROFESSIONALS IN PRESENTING RESEARCH AT TWO MARINE SCIENCE MEETINGS EACH YEAR. MOVING PAST THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING ISOLATED AND EXCLUDED AT CONFERENCES, THE GOAL IS THAT PARTICIPANTS IN THE TIDAL WAVE PROGRAM FEEL A BOOST IN CONFIDENCE AND IN A SENSE OF BELONGING BY HAVING NEW SKILLS, RESOURCES, AND COHORT SUPPORT. THESE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES WILL ALTER THE EXPERIENCE OF BOTH BLACK SCIENTISTS AND OTHER ATTENDEES AT THE CONFERENCE. PRIOR TO THE MEETINGS, THE PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE HANDS-ON NETWORKING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS INCLUDING THE RESOURCES, SUPPORT, AND SKILLS NEEDED TO NAVIGATE A CONFERENCE SUCCESSFULLY. THESE WORKSHOPS WILL STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS AND MUTUAL SUPPORT AMONG PARTICIPANTS, THEREBY INCREASING THE SENSE OF COMFORT AND EASE OF ATTENDING. PERTINENT SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO REPRESENT AN ARRAY OF SUB-DISCIPLINES WITHIN OCEAN POLICY AND RESEARCH, ENSURING THAT BLACK PEOPLES? RESEARCH CONTRIBUTIONS ARE HEARD AND HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE. AT THE CONFERENCES, WE WILL FACILITATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPANTS TO NETWORK WITH ONE ANOTHER, AS WELL AS WITH MEMBERS AND LEADERSHIP OF THE HOST SOCIETY. IN THE FINAL YEAR OF THE GRANT, THE BIMS INSTITUTE WILL HOST A CULMINATING CONFERENCE, EXCLUSIVE TO BLACK MARINE SCIENCE PROFESSIONALS AND ALLIES. THE BIMS TIDAL WAVE WILL ULTIMATELY CHANGE THE FACE OF SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES AND ENRICH THE EXPERIENCES OF BLACK MARINE SCIENTISTS WHO ATTEND THESE CONFERENCES. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.