The IGI Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee has the objective of promoting and increasing equality, diversity and inclusion among IGIs members and in the broader geoscience profession. These objectives are strategic objectives of the IGI for the period 2019-2024 and beyond. To that end, the EDI committee will endeavour to deliver a number of initiatives.

The current initiatives include:

· Develop and publish an EDI Charter for the IGI;

· Provide supports (e.g. mentoring, financial, information, advocacy) for geoscientists or those looking to study geoscience from marginalised, disadvantaged or underrepresented groups;

· To raise awareness of EDI issues and to provide opportunities for improvement within the geoscience profession, towards the geoscience community itself, and society in general (e.g. through structured CPD).

Thus far, the committee has made progress on a number of these, through the following activities:

  • Provision to members of Unconscious Bias CPD training, which IGI sponsored as part of the iCRAG EDIG project conference. Ongoing support of the EDIG project is envisaged. https://www.icrag-centre.org/edig/
  • Provision of a four year bursary to U.C.C. to support a student in the geosciences, who would otherwise face, potentially multiple, barriers to obtaining third level education in the geosciences. IGI engaged with each of the university access programmes and chose U.C.C. as the first recipient based on the quality of the access offering. It is intended to review the bursary every four years, so as to result in a geographic spread of opportunity around the country. IGI will mentor the student, if they wish to be supported in this way.
  • Engaging with organisations already expert on the EDI field, to inform how the IGI organisation itself can improve in terms of equality, diversity and inclusion and to provide support to the geoscience community. The Committee is exploring the possibility of partnerships with a number of organisations, including Recruit Refugees Ireland.

Committee Members:

Cian O’Hora, Mairéad Fitzsimons, Meabh H Banríon (new chair), Jennifer O’Donnell, James Symons, Aishling O’Donnell, Orla O’Connell, Fani Papageorgiou & Alex Russell