A One-Day Immersion in Professional Development for Early-Career Faculty and Researchers

The early-career stage for scientific researchers and faculty is fraught with challenges, including establishing professional relationships, securing funding, balancing work and personal life, and navigating job uncertainties. Early-career professionals were among those especially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, in having limited opportunities for networking and professional development. Recognizing these challenges, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) piloted a one-day professional development workshop in Boulder, Colorado, on October 8, 2023 as a pre-workshop for the bi-annual UCAR Members Meeting. We hoped to foster networking and peer learning among 122 attendees from the atmospheric sciences; 76 (62%) of whom were university faculty and 46 (38%) of whom were postdocs, researchers, and staff from NSF NCAR and UCAR. Participants, representing 58 universities across the U.S. and Canada, engaged in a program that included networking events, informational sessions, and hands-on workshops. Sessions covered topics such as active learning, mentoring graduate students, understanding tenure, time management, mental health, fostering welcoming environments, and grant proposal writing. Feedback from participants highlighted the value of networking opportunities and peer learning, emphasizing the importance of continued professional development tailored to early-career scientists’ needs. The workshop also allowed us to learn more about challenges early-careers are facing. This workshop serves as a model for future initiatives aimed at supporting early-career researchers in Earth system science and related fields.