REMOTE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES EXPAND REACH AND INCREASE DIVERSITY - A NEED TO EXPAND AND CONTINUE AFTER COVID 19

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) are the primary avenues for recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups in science; they have been shown to be critical for facilitating the upward advancement of minoritized individuals in geosciences. The REU model has not changed significantly in the past 30 years; most programs require students to relocate for several weeks to engage in an immersive research experience. While generally effective, this model is untenable to students who are unable to relocate due to financial, family, and cultural obligations. The same students are often members of minoritized groups in STEM. We attempted to address these issues by developing and expanding upon an REU framework to provide research experiences focused on digital data analysis for students in their own communities; students were mentored by faculty at their local institution and remotely co-mentored by faculty at other institutions. Removing the geographic barrier in this REU model had a positive impact on the diversity of student identities involved in research. Of the 19 students who participated in 2 remote REUs, 63% identified as women and 47% identified as belonging to an underrepresented racial/ethnic minority group; this equals twice and 4 times the rates of representation of women and racial/ethnic minorities in geosciences, respectively.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many academic programs, requiring the community to adapt to engage with students in new ways. Of the 25 geoscience REUs posted on the National Science Foundation’s website, 20% were canceled, 20% moved online, and the status of the remainder is unknown. The pandemic exposed and exacerbated many inequities in our society e.g., access to research opportunities and upward advancement in science; many such inequities existed prior to the pandemic and will continue to exist after the pandemic. As the pandemic continues, there remains a sense of urgency to return to normal activities. By returning to traditional REU formats, however, these research opportunities will be persistently inaccessible to some. We therefore suggest that institutions should continue to offer and expand remote research opportunities after the pandemic, to improve research access for students from underrepresented communities.