Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3570-3588 : Catherine Febria
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5148-0719 : Kory Bertrand
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Journal of Great Lakes Research
Publication Date
6-1-2022
Volume
48
Issue
3
First Page
849
Last Page
855
Keywords
Collaboration, Early career researchers, Education, Great Lakes, Interdisciplinarity, Seminar series
DOI
10.1016/j.jglr.2022.03.017
ISSN
03801330
Abstract
Efforts to make research environments more inclusive and diverse are beneficial for the next generation of Great Lakes researchers. The global COVID-19 pandemic introduced circumstances that forced graduate programs and academic institutions to re-evaluate and promptly pivot research traditions, such as weekly seminar series, which are critical training grounds and networking opportunities for early career researchers (ECRs). While several studies have established that academics with funded grants and robust networks were better able to weather the abrupt changes in research and closures of institutions, ECRs did not. In response, both existing and novel partnerships provided a resilient network to support ECRs at an essential stage of their career development. Considering these challenges, we sought to re-frame the seminar series as a virtual collaboration for ECRs. Two interdisciplinary graduate programs, located in different countries (Windsor, Canada, and Detroit, USA) invested in a year-long partnership to deliver a virtual-only seminar series that intentionally promoted: the co-creation of protocols and co-led roles, the amplification of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion throughout all aspects of organization and representation, engagement and amplification through social media, the integration of social, scientific and cultural research disciplines, all of which collectively showcased the capacity of our ECRs to lead, organize and communicate. This approach has great potential for application across different communities to learn through collaboration and sharing, and to empower the next generation to find new ways of working together.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Febria, Catherine M.; Kashian, Donna R.; Bertrand, Kory R.T.; Dabney, Brittanie; Day, Matthew; Dugdale, Madison; Ekhator, Kate O.; Esparra-Escalera, Héctor J.; Graham, Ryan; Harshaw, Keira; Hunt, Darrin S.; Knorr, Savannah; Lewandowski, Katrina; Linn, Colleen; Lucas, Allison; Mundle, Scott O.C.; Raoufi, Gelareh; Salter, Chelsea; Siddiqua, Zoha; and Tyagi, Smita. (2022). Early career researchers benefit from inclusive, diverse and international collaborations: Changing how academic institutions utilize the seminar series. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 48 (3), 849-855.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/ibiopub/139