"Exploring Perceptions of Merit and Opportunity in the Geosciences” explores how academic geoscientists define and understand the concepts of merit and opportunity in relation to career advancement, departmental leadership, and access to professional development. Specifically: 
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• The extent to which perceptions or merit and opportunity align with or diverge from institutional policies, practices, and values espoused by academic geoscience departments.

• Perceived barriers and facilitators to advancement within academic geoscience departments, particularly among individuals from underrepresented and historically marginalized backgrounds.

• The effectiveness and reach of existing communication strategies in recruiting participants who hold influence within departmental structures and can champion inclusive change under the framework of merit-based advancement.

• Which stakeholders are involved in making departmental and institutional change and the communication strategies they employ to do so.

The project is supported by the Michigan State University Tetrad initiative. Launched in Fall 2023, the initiative is designed to foster new cross-unit and cross-college collaborations among Michigan State University faculty who have not worked together before, resulting in projects that create opportunities for extramural support of unique research programs.