Jean, Errett, and Co-authors Release New Study on Connecting Underrepresented Disaster Scholars to NSF-Funded Resources
Posted: 4/26/2024 (CSDE Research)
CSDE Affiliate Nicole Errett (Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences) released an article with co-authors in Natural Hazards, titled “Bridging underrepresented disaster scholars and national science foundation-funded resources“. The article was lead-authored by Cassandra Jean, a recent postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences. The intentional inclusion of various perspectives is critical in disaster and hazard research to advance science and promote equitable resilience in a rapidly changing climate. However, historically underrepresented scholars like Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA2S + community members, and women are frequently absent from these efforts. Such exclusions exist as disparities in obtaining grant support, the disproportionate validation of their research or skills, limited training or mentorship opportunities, and implicit biases towards faculty members and students. As a result, many of these scholars, who frequently study communities living in precarious conditions, are absent from utilizing equipment or have limited access to resources that can ultimately assist them in their research efforts. This paper examined the experiences of such underrepresented scholars involved in disaster and environmental-related work to understand the needs, barriers, and opportunities to accessing National Science Foundation (NSF) supported resources.