Geneticists outline plan to boost diversity, inclusion in their field

Geneticists outline plan to boost diversity, inclusion in their field

Geneticists outline plan to boost diversity, inclusion in their field
Concrete examples to promote diversity and inclusion at conferences. These are action items for future conferences that were discussed during the ‘Meiosis in Quarantine’ equity and inclusion sessions. Credit: Billmyre KK et al., 2021, PLOS Genetics


The researchers’ definition of underrepresented groups is broad, but includes underrepresented gender, racial, or ethnic groups, as well as people who have disabilities or are neurodiverse, part of the LGBTQ+ community, from disadvantaged backgrounds, or first-generation college students. As discussed in the webinar, “Meiosis in Quarantine,” individuals from these groups face lack of representation and numerous other challenges in academia.

The first part of the plan focuses on boosting diversity and inclusivity at academic conferences. Action items include diversifying the lists of people invited to speak, providing innovative and inclusive networking opportunities, and addressing barriers that prevent in-person attendance—for instance, by providing financial assistance for travel or including a virtual conference component.

The action plan also outlines steps to increase diversity and equity outside of conferences. In particular, it addresses a lack of representation among leaders in genetics research, which can discourage pursuit of academia by trainees from underrepresented groups. To resolve this issue, the plan includes calls for encouraging interest in STEM fields from kindergarten through undergraduate education, removing obstacles that prevent diverse individuals from entering graduate school, improving the internal culture of research labs, and addressing inequality in faculty hiring.



“During the ‘Meiosis in Quarantine’ virtual conference our community, led by trainees, discussed the barriers encountered by underrepresented individuals in science,” Cole adds. “As a group, we developed a strategic diversity and inclusion action plan that can be broadly applied to the genetics and biomedical research communities.”


More information:

retrieved 16 July 2021
