Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Group

The Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Group is tasked with broadly looking at how EDI issues can be effectively dealt with within SCAR, and what practical actions are relevant for the organization.

About

EDI squareBackground

In 2020, a scoping group was convened to investigate the best way forward for SCAR in addressing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) issues. The membership drew on experience of EDI issues as well as SCAR, and recognised similar efforts in other polar organisations, sharing membership in the case of the SOOS Working Group on EDI.

The main proposal from the scoping group was for a dedicated SCAR Action Group on EDI to be recommended to SCAR Delegates, which would take forward the areas identified by the scoping group. It was envisaged to present these to the new Action Group to ensure there was already a series of actions relevant to SCAR to begin working on, with the Action Group deciding how to deliver on these actions and identify further actions that were required.

Included in the actions was a survey to establish relevant baseline information from the community, using available historical data to evaluate diversity and investigating best practice in terms of codes of conduct. The impact of language restrictions and the barrier it can present to sharing relevant research on EDI issues is an important consideration.

At their meeting in March 2021, SCAR Delegates approved the formation of the EDI Action Group and the formal Group proposal was agreed in May 2021 by the SCAR Executive Committee.

Commitment

The leadership of the Action Group is decided from within the volunteers from the community, and the leadership team will work with the Executive Committee and Secretariat, as well as the Capacity Building, Education and Training (CBET) Committee, to deal with the issues identified by the scoping group and help SCAR further develop into a truly inclusive organisation.

Aims, Goals and Objectives

The EDI Action Group is tasked with broadly looking at how EDI issues can be effectively dealt with within SCAR and what practical actions are relevant for the organization.

Following the work of the scoping group, a number of specific activities and areas to be addressed have been identified:

  • Reviewing high level ambition through e.g. mission statements;
  • A community-wide survey to gauge understanding and experience of EDI issues;
  • Working with partners on setting recommendations for Codes of Conduct that can be referenced by individual national programmes;
  • Reviewing all SCAR literature and communications;
  • Advise on review of SCAR Medals nominations and evaluations processes;
  • Audit of existing information about diversity from attendance, leadership positions etc.;
  • Linking with partners and other relevant initiatives to learn from existing best practice.

EDI Statement

The Scientific Committee of Antarctic Research (SCAR) is committed to promoting a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion. With open minds, we aim to listen, engage in dialogue, and create meaningful change that will enrich our community with a wide range of voices, backgrounds, languages, experiences, and perspectives. The Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Group (EDI AG) is tasked with broadly looking at how EDI issues can be effectively dealt with within SCAR, and what practical actions are relevant for the organisation. SCAR expects all parts of the organisation and community to actively engage with these issues and, where necessary, consult the action group for guidance.

We acknowledge that we must be both reactive and proactive in our efforts to promote EDI, and we will work together to create an environment where all individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute to scientific research and leadership. We recognize that historic and systemic inequalities have excluded many individuals and communities from participating in scientific research, and as a result in leadership roles within SCAR, and we commit to understand where these inequalities continue to exist and to tackle them, whilst fostering a culture of inclusivity and respect, where every voice is heard and every contribution is celebrated.

SCAR will continue to work to build a more inclusive and representative community that reflects the diversity of the world we explore. We recognize that we must engage with the SCAR community and our spheres of influence to affect meaningful change. By working together, we can create a more equitable and inclusive future for Antarctic science and beyond.

News and updates on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

 

Members

The group is led by an inaugural senior leadership team, supported by a Leadership Steering Group (LSG). To contact the team, please email.

Senior Leadership Team

Dalia Barragan BarreraChief Officer – Dr Adriana María Gulisano
Adriana is a Research Scientist and Head of the Atmospheric Sciences Department at the Argentine Antarctic Institute. She has been involved in numerous SCAR events and Expert Groups, serving as Deputy Chief Officer of SCAR’s Physical Sciences Standing Group and as a member of SCAR’s GNSS Research and Application for Polar Environment Expert Group. She also has held numerous other scientific leadership positions and is a member of several scientific organizations in Latin America and worldwide.

Jilda Caccavo

Deputy Chief Officer – Dr Jilda Caccavo
Jilda is a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute Pierre-Simon Laplace in France. She has been an active member of the polar community since 2016, and has had leadership roles in APECSMEASO, and SOOS, in addition to being involved in numerous SCAR activities throughout the years, including her current role on the SRP Ant-ICON Steering Committee. Throughout these roles she has endeavored to promote EDI, and she is excited to support the Action Group to achieve its EDI goals within SCAR and the wider polar community.

Pilvi Saarikoski

Secretary – Pilvi Saarikoski
Pilvi works as Impact Facilitator within the Innovation Team at the British Antarctic Survey. They’ve been working on the Diversity in UK Polar Research Initiative (DiPSI) steering committee since its inception in September 2019. One of the key priorities of their work is to enhance innovation culture through Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, with a clear focus on the wider Polar community.

Coordinator – Dr Inga Beck (inga@scar.org)
Inga works for SCAR since 2022 and is mainly responsible for the EDI AG where she also serves as the representative of SCAR CBET. Inga’s educational background is in physical Geography and she did her PhD about permafrost in the Arctic. Since many years her focus is on science communication and education, as well as on the organization of projects.
Inga also represents SCAR as co-chair at the Research Priority Topic 6 of ICARP IV.

Leadership Steering Group (LSG)

Renuka Badhe Women in Polar Science / European Polar Board Netherlands
Steve Diggs Scripps Institution of Oceanography / UC San Diego USA
Huw Griffiths British Antarctic Survey UK
Nicole Hellesey Georgia Institute of Technology USA
Agnieszka Kruszewska Council of Managers of National Antarctic Progams (COMNAP) / Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (PAS) Poland
Dan Morgan Vanderbilt University USA
Meredith Nash University of Tasmania Australia
Alice Oates University of Cambridge UK
Morgan Seag University of Cambridge UK
Sukyoung Yun Korea Polar Research Institute Korea

Membership

The membership of the EDI group is broad, including members of the Antarctic research community from all career stages, disciplines and geographical regions. If you are interested in joining the group and helping with its work, please complete and submit the membership form.

Resources

Publications, Data and Links relevant to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Links