PSECCO’s 2023 BAJEDI Micro-Grants in Action

In the fall of 2023, PSECCO launched its second Belonging, Accessibility, Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (BAJEDI) Micro-grant Solicitation and funded seven different projects. This program was created to support US-based early career researchers who have ideas of how to advance BAJEDI principles in polar science but need a little funding to bring those ideas to fruition. These awards are flexible in what they can support, as long as the ideas proposed contribute to the work of historically excluded scholars in the polar sciences, bring polar education to historically excluded communities in the polar sciences, or advance the work of a person, program or group that is already doing that work. We are thrilled to share a few examples of funded BAJEDI Micro-grant projects that have been wrapped up over the past year.   

Amy Hendricks: Skills to survive winters in interior Alaska 

PhD student Amy Hendricks from the University of Alaska Fairbanks used their PSECCO BAJEDI Micro-grant to create a course that prepares English Language Learners for the harsh winter season in Interior Alaska. Interior Alaska’s dark and cold winters can shock many newcomers, specifically refugees and foreign immigrants whose entire climate may be changing as they relocate. Amy’s goal was to help these people not only survive, but prosper during the long winter season in Fairbanks, Alaska. The classes focused on life skills, vocabulary, basic science, safety and wellbeing with students originating from Eastern Europe, Asia, South America, and Central America. This PSECCO BAJEDI Micro-grant also funded hand warmers, winter driving emergency kits, reflective vests and road flares to prepare students for any critical situation. Not only were these items supplied, but there was also a class dedicated to teaching not only students but also staff how to use them in case of an emergency. 

An instructor teaches two students how to practice safety using high-vis vests and road flares (left, Photo Credit: Jennifer Wei) and students helping each other learn (right) 

Dr. Sarah Kienle and Emily Sperou: Leopard seal VR video and model

Dr. Sarah Kienle and Emily Sperou, a tenure-track faculty member and PhD student respectively, from Baylor University used their PSECCO Micro-grant funds to create a virtual reality (VR) video about fieldwork with leopard seals and build a life-sized leopard seal model to serve as an outreach activity for students in kindergarten up to the undergraduate level. The VR video was recorded during field efforts in both Laguna San Rafael, Chile and Tierra del Fuego, Chile. Students can learn about the team itself, their living quarters, and the research they conducted on these trips in a YouTube video which will be launched at the 2024 SCAR Open Science Conference! The life-sized leopard seal model was based on a real leopard seal named Rosie who has been seen in Cape Shirreff, Antarctica for the past 15 years and is pictured below. Both the life-sized model and the VR video will be used in outreach events near Baylor University in the fall of 2024 and the winter of 2025. 

Rosie the leopard seal, whom the life-sized model is based on (left, Photo Credit: Sarah Kienle) and the template for the life-sized model of Rosie (right)  

Julian Dann and Shannon Dillard: Family Care Program within the US Permafrost Association

PhD student Julian Dann of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Shannon Dillard of the US Permafrost Association (USPA) and DEI Committee kickstarted the USPA Family Care Program (FCP) with their PSECCO BAJEDI Micro-grant funds by assisting two early career researchers (ECRs) in the permafrost science or engineering field. The USPA FCP’s goal is to provide financial support as well as resources for balancing work and care responsibilities for permafrost engineers and scientists. With this micro-grant, the USPA FCP provided grants to two people in the permafrost community, and they plan to provide funds to another applicant during their next application period. This program also collaborated with PSECCO to host a panel discussion entitled “Balancing Childcare and Work Responsibilities in Permafrost Research” in the spring of 2024 which focused on improving accessibility of information related to parenting whilst doing research within the permafrost community. 

USPA DEI group members reunite for lunch at the International Conference on Permafrost in Whitehorse, Canada. 

Dr. Lily Dove: "Supporting Early Career Researchers in Polar Oceanography" Town hall

Postdoctoral researcher Dr. Lily Dove from Brown University used their Micro-grant to host a town hall meeting entitled “Supporting Early Career Researchers in Polar Oceanography” which took place at the 2024 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Ocean Sciences Meeting. Dr. Dove planned to provide lunch for 60 people at this event, and amazingly over 120 people attended. This town hall provided information about groups which support polar ECRs and even allowed time in breakout groups to answer questions about community needs, career advancement, and more. The high points of this meeting included learning more about the needs of the community such as the need for better data management and the desire for more spaces to interact with other polar researchers. This event was a huge success and Dr. Lily Dove is thrilled about the opportunity to host more events like this one in the future! 

Breakout groups chat about community needs, career advancement, and more at the town hall meeting “Supporting Early Career Researchers in Polar Oceanography” (left), and the conveners of the town hall (right) 

PSECCO is excited about the micro-grants shared here, and we can’t wait to see more ideas from the polar community about how to make our community more welcoming in the future! 

Interested in pursuing your own idea that advances BAJEDI in the polar sciences? The application for the 2024 BAJEDI Micro-grant will open in the fall of 2024.