Virtual Posters

In April 2011, the Research Activities Committee (RAC) of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) launched a new initiative: the Discipline of the Month (DOM). The more than 2750 APECS members self-identify with one or more polar research areas. To foster communication between APECS members worldwide and to facilitate the exchange of information on a discipline-specific level, APECS uses several tools such as the APECS webpage, blogs, email listservs, and Virtual Poster Sessions. The innovative concept of the DOM is to draw the attention of early career scientists and mentors to these various activities by dedicating a specific month to a single research field and providing an open platform for information exchange and discussion.

Within the framework of the DOM, discipline-specific webpages are created or revamped and additional overview webpages are established (see http://www.apecs.is/research-fields). The typical content of a DOM webpage includes, among other items, an introduction to the field, APECS mentor names, APECS member publications and website links, related APECS webinars, information on how to get further involved with APECS, and further resources. In addition, video-interviews with established scientists and APECS mentors designed for a broad audience are produced and published on the webpages for some DOMs. The monthly APECS Virtual Poster Session (VPS) topic is synchronized with the DOM (recorded live sessions can be found here: http://www.apecs.is/virtual-poster-session). Working together, both initiatives attracted attention beyond the APECS community, and from June 2011 onwards senior keynote speakers from established international polar research associations joined the DOM-VPS.

At the time of writing, the following research areas have been featured (with the number of site visits during the DOM and during the previous month indicated in parentheses if available): April – Atmosphere (406 vs. 10), May – Marine Biology (349), June – Social Sciences (387 vs. 30), July – Glaciology (397), September – Sea Ice (460). Every discipline saw a distinct increase in web traffic and interest from APECS and wider communities. Altogether, unique views on the DOM and the associated research area pages made up 19.8% of all visits on the APECS website between 1 April 2011 and 26 September 2011. Permafrost and terrestrial microbiology DOMs followed in October and November 2011, respectively.

Beyond the enhanced exchange of information within a specific research area, the DOM also fostered interdisciplinary interests with many APECS members attending DOM-VPS calls not directly related to their research. This makes the DOM an effective way to encourage intra- and interdisciplinary communication between young researchers, mentors, and senior scientists worldwide and to help build a continuum of leadership and research in Polar Science.

This community-driven effort helps early career scientists to develop leadership skills, gain project management experience, expand their network and enhance their communication skills. The learning-by-doing concept of the DOM, and many other APECS activities, presents members with opportunities that are not often provided in a typical graduate education program, but are necessary for successful careers.