Designing a collective prototype of future (sub)tropical science

Ecologists coming from certain countries are currently disfavoured on the peer review process, the recognition of their research products and academic labour, and the lack of leadership opportunities in global settings. Additionally, we often witness deliberate obfuscation of (sub)tropical ecologists on matters pertaining to our own communities, and we believe that putting these researchers at the centre of the discussion on the practice of tropical science is urgent. Breaking barriers for early career researchers with lived, living, and working experience in the tropical and subtropical regions to lead and contribute meaningfully to their own communities will be decisive to revamp academic culture, as well as to bring the necessary change to public policies affecting local ecosystems. In this perspective, we acknowledge the multiscale efforts needed to shape the future of ecology as a profession, delineating the effects of social spheres outside academia, academic and adjacent institutions, and the scientific community on the opportunities available for (sub)tropical researchers.