Collaborative Research: Conference: Interdisciplinary Antarctic Earth Science Conference & Deep-Field Planning Workshop

DESCRIPTION: The unique Antarctic environment offers insight into processes and records not seen anywhere else on Earth, and is critical to understanding our planet's history and future. The remoteness and logistics of Antarctic science brings together researchers from diverse disciplines who otherwise wouldn't be presented with opportunities for collaboration, and often rarely attend the same academic conferences. The Interdisciplinary Antarctic Earth Science (IAES) conference is a biennial gathering that supports the collaboration of U.S. bio-, cryo-, geo-, and atmospheric science researchers working in the Antarctic. This proposal will support the next two IAES conferences to be held in 2022 and 2024, as well as a paired deep-field camp planning workshop. The IAES conference is important to the mission of the NSF in supporting interdisciplinary collaboration in the Antarctic Earth sciences, but also fulfills recommendations by the National Academy for improving cross-disciplinary awareness, data sharing, and early career researcher mentoring and development. The size and scope of the IAES conference allow it to serve as a hub for novel, interdisciplinary collaboration, as well as help develop the next generation of Antarctic Earth scientists.

The goals of the IAES conference are to develop and deepen scientific collaborations across the Antarctic Earth science community, and create a framework for future deep-field, as well as non-field-based research. Across a 2.5 day hybrid conference, the IAES themes will include 1) connecting surficial processes, geology, and the deep earth; 2) landscape, ice sheet, ocean and atmospheric interactions; 3) exploring the hidden continent; and 4) evolution and ecology of ancient and modern organisms, ecosystems, and environments. The conference will share science through presentations of current research and keynote talks, broaden participation through welcoming new researchers from under-represented communities and disciplines, and deepen collaboration through interdisciplinary networking highlighting potential research connections, novel mentorship activities, and promoting data re-use, and application of remote sensing and modeling. Discussions resulting from the IAES conference will be used to develop white papers on future Antarctic collaborative research and deep-field camps based on community-driven research priorities. Community surveys and feedback will be solicited throughout the project to guide the future development of the IAES conference.

BROADER IMPACTS: Participation by early career researchers, graduate students, and undergraduates will be emphasized, as well as recruitment of first-time attendees, particularly from underrepresented groups. A novel, multi-year mentoring and professional development program will also be developed to build on previous informal IAES programs and help nurture a culture of inclusion within the IAES community. A conference component will also be dedicated to educational outreach activities featuring invited experts, with a three-pronged focus on: 1) Evaluation planning and training; 2) an Outreach forum for project resource sharing and brainstorming; and 3) Science communication tools and strategies. Our community surveys will be expanded as well to collect more data and be of broader relevance to Antarctic science stakeholders. This proposal does not require fieldwork in the Antarctic.