Cross-post: What are the impacts of performing a Decadal Survey during a global pandemic?

The following post was written and contributed by the members of the Professional Culture and Climate Subcommittee of the AAS’s DPS.

The Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey is a once-in-ten-years opportunity for the research community to provide critical input into the U.S. strategy for space research. The survey is in its early stages; nominations for panel membership were due on May 1st, and white papers (a major form of community input[1]) are due July 4th.

However, since the Statement of Task for this Decadal Survey was formulated, the coronavirus pandemic has caused major disruption throughout our society, including in the work of planetary scientists. Of greatest concern for the Decadal Survey, this burden falls unevenly. For example, the pandemic has disproportionately affected the scientific productivity of women researchers[2], and racial and ethnic minority communities overall[3].

Read more at

https://womeninplanetaryscience.wordpress.com/2020/05/14/what-are-the-impacts-of-performing-a-decadal-survey-during-a-global-pandemic/