Field research in extreme environments is essential—yet faces dual safety challenges. Top-down safety policies exclude qualified researchers before they even reach the field, often across demographic lines. Those who do make it to the field often face hostile interactions that go unreported and unaddressed.

Both barriers disproportionately affect marginalized researchers while hindering scientific progress. CIRES research scientist Michael MacFerrin and Center for Education, Engagement, and Evaluation (CEEE) Director Anne Gold will present on both topics today and tomorrow at the 2025 AGU Annual Meeting in New Orleans. 

"The fields of geoscience and polar research rely heavily on outdated modes of thinking and rigid hierarchical systems that benefit a select few while actively hurting others, regardless of qualifications,” MacFerrin said. “Despite their intended purpose, they do very little to make the science safer, nor to save lives in the field. This can be better. But to change systems, one has to change hearts and minds. That's what we're trying to do."

MacFerrin’s research proposes a bottom-up approach to developing in-field safety systems for researchers working in remote locations. Current frameworks for screening scientists traveling to polar regions for fieldwork place absolute authority in the hands of a few individuals, resulting in broad exclusions for individuals with disabilities, mental health diagnoses, and more. 

Research began when MacFerrin was deemed “not physically qualified” (NPQd) to travel to Antarctica for fieldwork on the Thwaites Glacier in 2020. His Type I diabetes, which had been controlled since childhood, excluded him from qualifying for months on the ice in a remote location. 

After facilitating a non-scientific survey, MacFerrin discovered that countless scientists experienced similar exclusions. He presented his survey results at the 2022 Annual AGU Meeting and was interviewed by E&E News shortly after. 

To continue this research, MacFarrin and his colleagues at the ADVANCEGeo Partnership are raising awareness and helping to develop new screening programs for larger programs like the U.S. Antarctic Program or the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs. The team is modeling their work after the Juneau Icefield Research Program and the International Association for Geoscience Diversity—both of which have made serious efforts in working with people with disabilities. 

MacFerrin’s efforts draw on decades of disability studies and activism. While these practices may require greater up-front investments, they offer long-term benefits that will reduce medical emergencies and external evacuations while expanding participation to qualified researchers currently excluded from fieldwork. 

Once researchers are in the field, different safety challenges often emerge. Gold’s work addresses these challenges: hazards, microaggressions, and exclusivity. The nature of research in the polar regions is key to understanding rapid climate changes, but the remote and logistical challenges of these campaigns can create issues that are difficult to address in the field. 

Gold and her team at CEEE are confronting this issue through the ADVANCEing FieldSafety program. The training course is a collaboration between the University of Colorado and ADVANCEGeo, and the online training suite (MOOC on Coursera) is geared toward outgoing field teams so they can plan for safer, more inclusive field experiences. The curriculum builds on an intersectional framework addressing power dynamics, harassment, and team culture, and provides a field-ready resource hub and structured reflection workshops. 

To date, about 350 researchers have completed the course, and CEEE’s evaluation of the program reveals impressive results. Pre- and post-course evaluation survey questions show participants' confidence in using new tools, skills, and knowledge developed through the training resulted in improved  “preparedness for addressing unsafe spaces in the field” and “for creating welcoming and safe spaces in the field.” 

“Safer, more welcoming field programs don’t just protect people, they strengthen science,” Gold said. “When team members feel respected and secure, they contribute more fully, collaborate more effectively, and stay engaged in the work, leading to better data, stronger teams, and more innovative scientific outcomes.

Learn more about Anne Gold’s AGU poster session today at 2:15. 

Learn more about Michael MacFerrin’s AGU presentation on Thursday at 11:22 am.