Towards Equity in Tropical Ecology Research

In this workshop, we will co-create a framework of ecological research in the Global South (GS) that moves us from extractive to more equitable practices. Historically, research in the GS has been dominated by Global North (GN) institutions that control project design, data, and knowledge production while providing limited benefits, agency, or representation to local researchers and communities. Combined with lower financial and institutional support in the GS, this has produced major knowledge gaps that undermine our ability to address the global biodiversity crisis, which is most acute in biodiversity-rich GS regions. Bringing together twenty-five ecologists from the GS and GN, alongside interdisciplinary experts with experience in equitable collaboration, the meeting will first focus (Days 1–3) on building a shared understanding of the history of ecology and institutional barriers to equity; critically evaluating the research process; learning from case studies of successful collaborations; and synthesizing recommendations into a draft framework for more just ecological research. In Days 4–5, participants will co-create 1–3 collaboratively led research proposals that embody and test this framework, targeting urgent biodiversity and health challenges. In doing so, the meeting seeks both to redistribute power and representation within ecological science and to generate more robust, impactful research.