EDI Action Plan

In 2020, Geotop surveyed its members (students, postdoctoral researchers, employees, and professors) to better target the EDI-related issues it faces. The main challenges specific to our group that were identified on this occasion (language, distance, communications) form the basis of our action plan and complement Geotop's efforts to raise awareness of EDI among its members as well as more general measures.

Issues

Actions taken

 
  
Language 
The language barrier is the biggest EDI challenge to integration within Geotop and limits participation in our activities among our English-speaking and allophone members.
  • a free French course is offered every year to all our students, post-docs, employees and researchers
  • official Geotop communications (e-mails, newsletter, etc.) are written in French and English
  • presentations at the Geotop student conference are made in the opposite language to that of the visual support (slides or poster)
  • announcements at Geotop events (Rentrée du Geotop, student conference, etc.) are made in French and English
 
   
Distance 
The geographic distance of branches outside Montreal limits the involvement of branch members.
  • partially cover travel expenses for students and researchers who need to visit a Geotop institution other than their own (meetings, analyses, etc.) 
  • creation of a multi-institutional student committee
  • official meetings in hybrid mode
  • seminars in hybrid mode
 
   
Communications 
Email is not always the best way to reach our community.
  • creation of a communications officer position
  • creation of Geotop's bimonthly newsletter
  • presence on social networks (Facebook, X, LinkedIn)
 
   
Inclusivity and integration 
 
  • use of gender-neutral language in official Geotop communications
  • representation of different partner institutions on Geotop committees 
  • extension of the period of eligibility for Geotop scholarships for personal reasons 
  • online access to recordings of Geotop seminars (with the speaker's agreement) for those unable to attend live
 
   
EDI in research 
Geotop must take into account the concerns and expectations of society in science, and share its knowledge with the general public.
  • creation of the Transfer Program for knowledge mobilization, open to all our students, postdoctoral fellows, employees and researchers
  • funding of participatory science and citizen science projects
  • meetings and discussions with the communities where the research is conducted
 
The results of research carried out at Geotop must be accessible to society.
  • publication of scientific articles in open-access journals or hosting of pre-print versions on institutional repositories (in progress)
  • data made available on online repositories, the links to which will be available on the Geotop website (in progress)
  • funding of projects to synthesize research results for use by non-academic stakeholders