First Annual Meeting of the Macrosystems Ecology For All (MEFA) Network
Dates
July 25 – 27, 2023 (Tuesday – Thursday)
Details
Meeting format: Hybrid (in-person and virtual options)
In-person location: Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA
Funding: Travel funding available. See details below.
Applications due: Monday, May 15, 2023, at 11:59pm Eastern
Are you interested in engaging in macrosystems ecology research?
Are you looking for a supportive community to make that leap by learning or by sharing your expertise?
Would you like to work with colleagues from undergraduate institutions and beyond, to develop collaborative research projects that are inclusive and welcoming of scientists of all backgrounds – from novices to experts in macrosystems science?
Would you like to gain experience working with environmental datasets and teaching macrosystems ecology and data science to undergraduates?
…
Then please join us for our first annual meeting of the Macrosystems Ecology For All (MEFA) Research Coordination Network at Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA! To ensure broader participation and engagement, this will be a hybrid meeting with both in-person and virtual options.
Meeting Goals
1. Create research incubator groups. Research ideas will integrate these five themes:
- Inclusive, welcoming, equitable research team
- Macrosystems ecology concepts
- Use of existing environmental datasets
- Teaching macrosystems ecology and/or data science to undergraduates through engagement with authentic research experiences
- Ethical engagement with communities where data are gathered
2. Jump-start thinking about the following:
- Designing collaborative research teams that are inclusive and welcoming of scientists from all backgrounds
- How to ethically engage local communities in macrosystems ecology research
- Best practices to teach macrosystems ecology and data science to undergraduates
Funding
Travel to Swarthmore College will be covered with grant funds by reimbursing participants for all or a significant majority of travel costs. Costs of meals and hotel rooms during the meeting will be fully covered. Online participation options may be offered to in-person applicants if we reach capacity for in-person participants.
Application Details
- The application process is to ensure that participant goals align with the goals of the meeting.
- Applicants can apply to participate either in-person or online.
- All participants commit to:
- Attending the MEFA meeting in its entirety as an in-person or online participant.
- Being open to the possibility of engaging with an incubator working group to develop a collaborative macrosystems ecology project over the next year and likely beyond. We understand that this is dependent upon what kinds of project ideas emerge at the meeting and how project teams decide to identify responsibilities among the team members.
- Follow MEFA’s Code of Conduct, which is adopted from EREN: https://erenweb.org/policies/code-of-conduct/
- Application results will be distributed during the first week of June, 2023.
Meeting COVID Policy
Swarthmore College is a mask-optional campus. Individuals who wish to wear masks are welcome and supported in this choice but masks will not be required for meeting attendees. Updated COVID vaccinations for all attendees are strongly encouraged. Those who are concerned about COVID exposure may wish to consider opting for online attendance.
