How Virtual Convenings Can Enhance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

Marie A. Bernard, M.D., NIH Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity. Guest post by Marie A. Bernard, M.D., NIH Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity, originally posted on the NIH Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity Office Blog. In the COSWD Office, we continually explore ways to foster inclusive excellence in the biomedical research enterprise. As such, I have decided to hold all COSWD seminars, conferences, and meetings entirely online throughout 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic-induced shift to online events has led to a growing body of research on the impacts of virtual scientific convenings. A review of this literature suggests that an entirely or primarily virtual format can enhance meeting access, diversity, and climate. Impacts on Meeting Access, Diversity, and Climate Scientific conferences and meetings are critical to a scientist’s professional development, historically offering in-person opportunities to disseminate research, engage with colleagues, and develop vital networks. Yet these on-location events are not always inclusive of groups underrepresented in science. For example, a 2021 Nature Human Behaviour study examined 270 in-person conferences hosted by scientific societies and organizations in 2018 and 2019. The analyses revealed most of these were organized in ways that led to exclusionary practices based on gender, career stages, and ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, and geographical backgrounds. The authors suggest that a shi...
Source: NIH Extramural Nexus - Category: Research Authors: Tags: blog Open Mike COVID-19 Diversity Source Type: funding