Diversity and inclusion at scientific conferences

Abstract

Scientific conferences are important because they elevate researchers, provide an opportunity to meet leaders and funders, and build new collaborations. Conferences are particularly important for people who are often marginalized within scientific research related to gender, sexual identity, national origin, lived experience, and race/ethnicity. Nevertheless, many researchers who inhabit these marginalized identities or who are from low-resource settings face barriers to meaningfully participate in such scientific activities. As individuals who represent vulnerable patient groups (e.g. people living with HIV, people who use drugs, rare diseases, low-to-middle income country settings), and as academics who advocate for greater diversity and inclusivity, we believe that more remains to be done to ensure that scientific conferences remain equitable, represent diverse scientists and communities across all contexts, and are inclusive. This editorial reflects key issues that serve as barriers to diversity and inclusion at scientific conferences and proposes several solutions.