BUILDING BRIDGES TO BROADEN PARTICIPATION: LEVERAGING C-COMP STRUCTURES AND RESOURCES TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO “TRY ON” RESEARCH CAREERS IN THE OCEAN SCIENCES

Improving the transition to graduate school is a top priority recognized by the National Academy of Sciences for broadening participation in the STEM workforce. C-CoMP education initiatives broaden participation and the inclusion of diverse perspectives and backgrounds in the ocean sciences, focusing on key transition points where students may be excluded from science, especially those having fewer opportunities to engage in STEM education ‘upstream’ of the transition. At the crucial point between undergraduate and graduate education, we established the Bridge-to-PhD Fellowship Program (B2P) to provide diverse cohorts of Fellows opportunities to explore research interests, gain knowledge and skills, and experience interdisciplinary research before committing to a research-based ocean science graduate program. B2P Fellows embed in C-CoMP research groups, matching their scientific interests with PI interests, and develop their own research projects while also advancing C-CoMP’s scientific mission through cohort-based collaborative research and field research at sea. During the two-year fellowship, B2P Fellows develop strong relationships with their mentors in their research groups and in the wider C-CoMP community. In addition, B2P Fellows engage in professional development, including building skills applicable to applying for fellowships and graduate programs, conducting research ethically, and communicating science, and collaborate on outreach activities. Here, the theory of change, design, initial evaluation and outcomes, and future directions of B2P will be presented.

Presentation Preference: No Preference

Primary Presenter: Victoria Centurino, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (victoria.centurino@whoi.edu)

Authors:

Victoria Centurino, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution  (victoria.centurino@whoi.edu)