https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13724

Aubry-Wake, C., Somers, L. D., Alcock, H., Anderson, A. M., Azarkhish, A., Bansah, S., Bell, N. M., Biagi, K. M., Castaneda-Gonzalez, M., Champagne, O., Chesnokova, A., Coone, D., Gauthier, T. L. J., Ghimire, U., Glas, N., Hrach, D. M., Lai, O. Y., Lamontagne-Hallé, P., Leroux, N. R., Lyon, L., Mandal, S., Nasri, B. R., Popovi, N., Rankin, T. E., Rasouli, K., Robinson, A., Sanyal, P., Shatilla, N. J., Van Huizen, B., Wilkinson, S., Williamson, J., & Zaremehrjardy, M. (2020). A new flow for Canadian young hydrologists: Key scientific challenges addressed by research cultural shifts. Hydrological Processes, 34, 2001-2006. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13724

Canadian hydrological research is built on a strong legacy and has seen a steady progression over recent decades (Woo, 2019). Canada is a leader in cold regions hydrology and its varied landscapes have led to developments in our understanding of hydrological processes across forest, prairie, mountain, and wetland environments. Today’s early career researchers (ECRs), including graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and junior faculty, will shape the future of hydrological research in Canada. ECRs play an important role in advancing Canadian hydrological sciences as they make up a large portion of conference presentations and publications. The strong presence of students and other ECRs in the science community led the Canadian Young Hydrologic Society (CYHS) to organize a three-day workshop from July 4 – 6, 2019, in Montreal, QC. Thirty-three hydrology ECRs (within five years of their last degree, including graduate students) from across Canada discussed current and future challenges as well as emerging opportunities in Canadian hydrology. Each day, the workshop was comprised of small (6-10 people) peer-moderated group discussions followed by plenary discussions. These conversations formed the basis for this perspective paper. We outline three challenges faced by Canadian hydrology ECRs: (1) data management, (2) multidisciplinary methods and (3) scientific engagement with society. These scientific challenges have underlying institutional and cultural factors, which may exacerbate existing technical challenges or barriers. In other words, non-scientific aspects of graduate education and collaboration significantly impact scientific outcomes. We propose institutional and cultural shifts that can address inherent obstacles in Canadian hydrological research and can help us to propel the discipline forward in the coming decades.

https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13724