ADVANCEing FieldSafety: A new course and toolkit for diverse and inclusive geoscience teams

Field-based research is integral to many geoscientific studies. Harassment and discrimination in these settings are not new, but widespread recognition of their prevalence, different facets, and the harm they cause has led to demands for cultural change and increased training and preparation for researchers heading into the field. Here, we present a newly developed, widely accessible training program and resource hub for field researchers in preparation for successful and inclusive  field campaigns. This new collaboration, ADVANCEing FieldSafety, builds on the experiences from field safety trainings developed within the University of Colorado, Boulder's FieldSafe project and workplace climate trainings created by the AdvanceGeo Partnership. The ADVANCEing FieldSafety course offers numerous tools designed to create and maintain a positive team culture. The main elements of the training are informed by an intersectional framework and include strategies for creating and implementing codes of conduct, group dynamics and communication tools, allyship training, bystander intervention techniques, traditional and identity-focused risk assessment strategies, and evidence-based practices for inclusive mentorship in the field setting. The course will be offered as a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on coursera.org and will become available in 2024, allowing easy access and broad participation. The MOOC will have two pathways:  a Coursera certification and an ADVANCEing FieldSafety certification. The Coursera certificate is obtained by completing the fully online and self-paced course. The ADVANCEing FieldSafety certificate is obtained by completing the course and by participating in facilitated debriefs/reflections related to course topics. The ADVANCEing FieldSafety certification pathway is designed to help field teams meet the new field safety and harassment-mitigation requirements that have recently been implemented, for instance for field campaigns funded by the United States National Science Foundation. Additionally, an easily adaptable  toolkit is also in development such that references and resources can be easily taken into the field. Finally, we are conducting mixed-methods research to assess the effectiveness of the ADVANCEing FieldSafety training for participants and for implementing the management and support structures in field situations offered through the additional toolkit resources. Our goal is to build a stronger geoscience community that works proactively to create norms of inclusive and safe group behavior equipped with tools that promote anti-harassment and early intervention of exclusionary behaviors.