New Earth Science Program Supports Discovery
Many scientists can describe a time they felt that spark of inspiration, followed by a steady hum of mental flow — like being transported — to an idea that bears the memory of knowledge they already had but has transformed into something uniquely new. This clarity and sense of discovery seldom come at the beginning of a research exploration, but at the culmination of dedication to observing the world, following many sparks and making many initial starts. This moment is one of creation, and those fortunate enough to experience it find that it drives an insatiable motivation to discover more. The story of Penny Chisolm, who as a graduate student decided to re-purpose a flow cytometer from the medical school to sample the natural environment comes to mind. Her work unlocked our understanding of the role of cyanobacteria on ocean ecosystems. Her discovery rippled through the discipline like a creative tsunami.
Scientific discovery starts with people.
The new Earth Science Program will recognize remarkable people, train future scientists, build community and support people exploring new ideas.
I am excited about this new program at the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, because I understand from my own research experience as a sea-going biological oceanographer and NASA research scientist the need for new ideas around the vulnerable enterprise of Earth science research. Earth science is complicated and draws on multiple disciplines. The Earth system features difficult-to-comprehend scales of space and time, from the very small to very large. The complexity is what makes it a really interesting subject, but the complexity, alongside a constant state of change, also is the reason many people struggle to understand Earth science and support discovery.
The Foundation’s new Earth Science Program acknowledges the importance of supporting people actively working to better understand the Earth — our home. And instead of being the arbiter of which questions are the “right” questions to ask about the Earth, or shying away from high risk or untested ideas, the Foundation is investing in the people whose perspectives and inquiries will help us better understand our home.
The Earth Science Program features five strategies.
The Foundation's values and existing programs, discussions with Earth scientists and Earth science funders, and my own experience as a researcher inform these strategies.
- The Awards in Earth Science strategy is similar to the Foundation’s Awards in Field Biology that recognize remarkable people doing hands-on science, making an impact and exploring in original ways. Awardees are at critical career junctures where recognition and monetary support have a catalytic impact on them, and the Foundation typically recognizes five awardees annually.
- The Awards and Prizes strategy provides additional monetary support for some existing society awards, because we want to bolster efforts in the field that are already recognizing outstanding scientists, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.
- The Fellowships and Internships strategy supports people doing experiential, hands-on learning through authentic research experiences.
- Community Building facilitates access to people and networks, especially through programs that build a sense of inclusion. This includes mentoring programs, convenings to discuss new ideas and travel grants to society meetings.
- The Enable Research Activity, a strategy special to me, addresses a gap in funding that occurs when a researcher has a really good initial idea but lacks support to go into the field, make observations and collect “seed” data that’s likely to help them write a new proposal and nurture the good idea. Earth science tools and infrastructure can be very expensive, which can be a barrier to people who are beyond their terminal degree, early in their career or at a research pivot later in their career.
We ask, test, refine and ask again.
Work in science requires us to ask questions, test ideas, refine approaches and ask again. As the Foundation launches this new Earth Science Program, we’re planning to do the same. At this early stage, we’ve started work on the Awards in Earth Science and expect to announce awardees in early December. In our grants portfolio, we are identifying programs across the diverse span of Earth science disciplines to support people as they seek to better understand the world and make discoveries about it.
Our partners at STEMSEAS and UNOLS-MATE had been thinking about a program that combines the existing technical apprenticeship internship (UNOLS-MATE) and early undergraduate field experience (STEMSEAS), with a new early-career research expedition and valuable mentoring program (STEMSEAS Chief Scientist Opportunities Program, ChOP). Foundation funds gave them the supporting nudge to make the new program a reality. These research cruises will provide experiential learning, access to infrastructure to collect data and community building and mentorship that will help these participants as they grow in their scientific careers. These opportunities are sorely needed. And if a science investment in community building is a surprise to you, then it's helpful to understand that there is no bond stronger than working alongside peers sorting sand grains under a dissecting microscope when the ship you’re on is plowing through eight-foot waves.
As we seek to support existing programs in our Community Building and Awards and Prizes strategies, we are excited to partner with the Geological Society of America to support their On to the Future™ mentoring program and Bromery Awards. This support will recognize remarkable people doing geoscience research and help foster a sense of inclusion for students and early career people entering the field.
Similarly, the Foundation’s Fellowships and Internships strategy is supporting the GeoSPACE Field Experience. The unique-in-the-country program works to create an inclusive, accessible field course and mentoring program for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students in geoscience — especially for students with disabilities or those who lack the opportunity for experiential learning. Students in this year’s program are just returning from the field researching volcanology and planetary geology, and I look forward to hearing about their experiences from the team leads.
Science sparks inspiration and helps us weather change.
People commonly express that we live in a time of great change, and the enterprise of Earth science embraces that notion of change. With this new program, the Foundation supports people who ask questions in these moments, create the conditions to spark inspiration and help us weather change.