2026 Award Announcement

The OBFS Advancing Equity Award (formerly known as the Human Diversity Award) provides recognition for unique activities, programs, or approaches (funded or unfunded) that increases the involvement, engagement, and sustainability of underrepresented groups in field science. Broadly speaking, underrepresented groups in field science may include, but are not limited to, ethnic minorities (African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, and others), women, first-generation college students, inner-city youth, disadvantaged rural communities, K-12 groups, tribal colleges, community colleges, undergraduate institutions with small programs, and citizen science programs.

Advancing Equity may be accomplished by disseminating materials and using, rearranging, or creating infrastructure to facilitate and stimulate both applied and individualized approaches to experiential scientific learning. We will also recognize stations that demonstrate how retention and application of new scientific concepts are promoted to facilitate further discovery and increase scientific dialogue among diverse user groups. This may include a pedagogy for the basic knowledge needed by underrepresented groups to address the current challenges in environmental and natural resources management and research at all educational levels (K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education).

In addition to the honor and recognition of peers, the OBFS Advancing Equity Award includes a permanent plaque for the winning station; an official award letter; a second traveling OBFS plaque that lists previous winners and is housed at the most recent recipient’s facility; and recognition on the OBFS website and social media platforms. The award may include a travel reimbursement of up to $1000 for the awardee to attend the annual OBFS meeting if travel funds are limited for the winning institution. The winning institution will be recognized at the OBFS annual meeting.

View example Advancing Equity Award Rubric (2026 rubric coming soon)

Timeline:

Timing	Action
Dec 1 - Jan 31	Nominations for the award open. Nomination of institutions by others as well as institutional self-nominations will be accepted. Email nominations to ideaplus@obfs.org
First Friday in March	Application and supporting materials due.
March	Applications will be reviewed by OBFS IDEA+ Committee and determined by the OBFS Advancing Equity Award sub-committee (members from organizations with no current applications) by the last Friday in March. Recommendations will be submitted to the OBFS Board for approval.
Last Friday in March	All applicants and award recipient(s) will be notified with decisions by email.
September	Award will be presented at the OBFS Annual Meeting with an opportunity for the recipient to highlight their efforts during the presentation.

 

Please email your nominations to ideaplus@obfs.org. You can nominate your own field station or another field station or marine lab.

When you are ready to submit your materials, use this submission link

 

Past Awardees 

2025 Queen's University Biological Station

2025 Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserves (VESR) (Special Award: Community Connection Award)

2024 Toolik Field Station

2024 Baruch Marine Field Laboratory (Special Award: IDEA+ Innovation Advancing Equity and Community Connections)

2023 University of California Merced ¿Field Curious? Program 

2022 W.K. Kellogg Biological Station

2021 Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve

2020 Friday Harbor Laboratories

2019 Rocky Mountain Biological Lab

2018 Sitka Sound Science Center

2017 University of Akron Field Station

2016 Santa Rosa Island Research Station 

2015 Powdermill Nature Reserve

2014 Harvard Forest

2013 Hawai'i Experimental Tropical Forest (HETF)

2012 University of Massachusetts Boston Nantucket Field Station (Grace Grossman Youth Collaborative)

2011 Sagehen Creek Field Station's Adventure Risk Challenge Summer Literacy & Leadership Program

2010  Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans (CEDO)

2009 - SUNY ESF Adirondack Ecological Center and Cranberry Lake Biological Station, New York

2008 - Llano River Field Station, Texas

2007 - Organization for Tropical Studies