The Society for Freshwater Science (SFS) aims to increase diversity of membership and participation from underrepresented groups and international members. These efforts include designing and implementing various support mechanisms, such as programs and actions to encourage participation across diverse career stages and disciplines. As SFS grows in numbers and reach, it is necessary to identify, from a bottom-up perspective, the most pressing barriers that hinder various pathways of professional development for aspiring freshwater science professionals. Multiple barriers (e.g., economics, networking, training, language and culture) may be overlooked or hard to disentangle because they can interact with diverse socio-economic backgrounds, both within the U.S. and globally. Understanding the differences in resource and support needs among underrepresented groups is essential to designing effective SFS programs and actions to help recruit and sustain a more diverse membership.
The study seeks to understand the barriers and hardships faced by underrepresented groups within the field of aquatic sciences. The SFS Council of Underrepresented Voices used a comprehensive survey of SFS members and freshwater science-oriented non-members to identify the critical barriers that hinder the transition of diverse individuals from various socio-economic backgrounds into freshwater science careers at different stages, including undergraduate, graduate, and early career. Through this survey we will 1) Identify Barriers: Understand the diversity of barriers faced by individuals pursuing careers in freshwater science, including economic, specialized training, mentoring and networking, and other support resources; 2) Assess Overcoming Strategies: Investigate which barriers individuals have successfully navigated, and the strategies used to overcome these barriers; and 3) Inform SFS Support Resources: Provide actionable insights to SFS on how to better support underrepresented groups in their transition to freshwater science careers. In addition, we will use this data to help pinpoint strategies to increase SFS's ability to recruit a more diverse membership by tailoring support resources to alleviate these most pressing barriers.