Shelton, D. S., Delgado, M. M., Greenway, E. V., Hobson, E. A., Lackey, A. C., Medina-García, A., ... & Horner-Devine, M. C. (2021). Expanding the lan

Topic: Enhancing opportunities for early-career researchers, especially from marginalized groups, through professional societies, community programming, and peer coaching, using the Weaving the Future of Animal Behavior (WFAB) initiative and its Power of Peer Circles (POP Circles) as a case study.
Core problem: Underrepresentation of marginalized scholars in advanced STEM careers, with significant losses during career transitions (graduate→postdoc, postdoc→faculty).
Proposed solution: Professional societies can offer integrated, long-term support (sponsorship, mentoring, and community-building) to amplify opportunities, identity, and career trajectories.
Funding: WFAB was supported by NSF IOS BIO: $1833455$ and the Animal Behavior Society.

Persistent disparities: Despite increased early-stage representation, women and minoritized scholars face career advancement gaps due to social isolation, unequal network access, biases, and other factors.
- Transition points are critical, with significant representation drops (e.g., Hispanic/Latino postdocs $2.9 ext{ extsuperscript{(percent)}}$ vs. doctoral level $10.9 ext{ extsuperscript{(percent)}}$ ).
Role of professional societies: They are crucial for providing avenues for presenting work, funding, networking, and building peer coaching communities. They offer sponsorships (active advocacy), mentoring (guidance), and coaching (self-discovery facilitation).
WFAB approach: A cohort-based professional development initiative involving early-career researchers in animal behavior, spearheaded by senior women professors.

Inaugural symposium: Spring 2019, an in-person symposium for $30$ early-career participants where POP Circles were introduced.
Post-symposium engagement: Participants were invited to join year-long POP Circles.
Additional components: Annual research symposia and workshops preceding the Animal Behavior Society meeting.
Key facilitators: Dr. Claire Horner-Devine designed the model; senior women (Emília P. Martins, Jennifer Fewell, Zuleyma Tang-Martinez) secured support.

Definition: Small, peer-led coaching circles (typically $5-9$ members) meeting every other week for $90 ext{ min}$ .
Mechanics: Each member gets $10 ext{ min}$ "work time" to discuss an issue, followed by clarifying questions from peers. A "contract" (proactive action) is set for the next meeting. Roles (Facilitator, Timekeeper, Notetaker) rotate among members.
Initiation and Autonomy: Trained role models or mentors join the first three meetings to establish guidelines; groups then meet autonomously.
Foundational Pillars:
- Confidentiality: Strictly private discussions.
- Active listening: Peers ask questions, avoiding direct advice.
- Nonjudgment: Creating a safe, supportive space.

Qualitative benefits: Increased sense of belonging, a strong "sisterhood" network, and improved access to advice and resources for career navigation (promotions, grants, industry roles).
Evolution of sentiment: Initial vulnerability shifted to trust, belonging, and strategic action after $21 ext{ months}$ .
Social impact: After a year, POP Circles pivoted to social justice initiatives, leveraging external guidance (Dr. Danielle N. Lee) and the Animal Behavior Society to amplify campaigns.
- Notable outcomes:
- #BlackInAnimalBehavior Twitter campaign: $220{,}276$ impressions and $9{,}351$ retweets.
- Graduate student professional development workshop for BIPOC students ( $48$ attendees, $90 ext{ extsuperscript{(percent)}}$ identified as women/minorities), with a tweet yielding $10{,}600$ impressions. This showcased global interest.

Challenges:
- Competition: Acknowledging and normalizing competitive feelings.
- Access to senior sponsorship: Circles enhance social capital but don't replace direct senior sponsorship.
- Group continuity: Needs guidelines for member transitions.
Benefits:
- Egalitarian structure: Promotes inclusion through equal work time.
- Resilience: Survives member absences due to distributed participation.
- Cross-institutional advantage: Reduces bias, improves cultural norm comparison, and enhances persistence.
- Collective action: Fosters strong group identity, enabling members to become "agents of change."

Integrated support: Institutions and professional societies must fund and integrate sponsorship, mentoring, and peer coaching.
Key actions:
- Provide institutional funding for sustained circles.
- Compensate and recognize senior women scientists who serve as organizers and role models.
- Amplify efforts through professional societies and social media.
- Foster cross-institutional and racially diverse group composition.
- Integrate circles into broader initiatives (cluster hires, training grants).
- Support individual participation with professional development funds.
- Implement an evaluation framework that includes both interpersonal and outward-facing metrics.
Infrastructure needs: Video conferencing, accessibility tools, and financial support for new circles.
Theoretical alignment: The model aligns with an additive-interaction synergistic model $A = \alpha S + \beta M + \gamma C + \delta (S M) + \epsilon (S C) + \zeta (M C) + \eta (S M C)$ , where Sponsorship (S), Mentoring (M), and Coaching (C) synergistically contribute to Career Advancement (A).

Main takeaway: Continued scientific advancement for marginalized scholars requires institutional alliances, particularly through professional societies, that connect across institutions to sustain peer-coaching programs like POP Circles.
Outcome: The WFAB model successfully transformed a cohort into an empowered "sisterhood" and agents of change.
Replicability: The model offers a blueprint for other societies and institutions to foster belonging, career advancement, and broader field-level impacts, complementing traditional mentoring and sponsorship.