 BRAIDWHY WE COLLABORATE
Transforming geosciences through partnerships and access
About BRAID
BRAID is an innovative initiative focused on developing a talented and resilient geoscience workforce by opening access to education and training opportunities in this field. By fostering an evolving ecosystem of partnerships between members with complementary strengths, BRAID aims to provide opportunities to individuals who are under-resourced or otherwise limited in their access to geosciences. Through cross-cultural collaboration, leadership development, and strategic disruption of traditional organizational structures, BRAID strives to create lasting change that supports the success of students and faculty from a broad spectrum of groups. This scalable model seeks to transform institutions into drivers of innovation in geoscience, ensuring a more resilient future for the discipline.
Inspired by PEP
The Woods Hole Partnership Education Program (PEP) was an innovative social intervention that operated from 2009 - 2025 to open access to marine and ocean sciences for early-career researchers. It was supported by a collaboration across the six major research institutions in Woods Hole. PEP’s intentionality and success are the foundation upon which BRAID is built. [PEP Director's Report for 2024 is HERE]
Founded on Trust, Equity, and Collaboration
BRAID is an alliance of educators, researchers, social scientists, and allies in affiliated organizations who form evolving partnerships to open access to career pathways in the marine and climate sciences. Members have complementary strengths and come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. Their effective collaborations are underpinned by values including:
- Inclusive and welcoming environments that facilitate collaborative exchange of ideas
- Equity in partnerships between individuals with different strengths
- Trust as a foundation for meaningful connections
For Students, Faculty, and Staff
BRAID supports projects that offer mentoring and professional development to students, faculty, researchers, and other professionals to help them gain skills and confidence.
Theory of Change
BRAID’s Theory of Change operates on three levels: individuals, institutions, and the national system of organizations involved in geoscience education and research. For the individual students, faculty and staff, we provide mentoring and professional development to gain skills and confidence. For the organizations, we engage in dialogue with their leadership to catalyze support for change in practices and policies. For the broader ecosystem, we generate sustained collaboration that changes the culture of member organizations including educational institutions serving under-resourced and under-represented groups, the Woods Hole research institutions, and other organizations with shared values and vision.
