This seems to get off to a bad start. The notion of "First Name" and "Last Name" is highly culturally-specific. Some people have only a single name, which will be upsetting since both "first name" and "last name" are required fields. Some have three or more. Even I have a "first name" which I don't actually go by and usually initialize.
Why do we need to break down names anyway? Just have a single "Name" field and be done with it.
Thanks! Good point. It is helpful to be able to search / sort participants by both first and last name. Can't change now as it will mess up the form results formatting. We have done this format in the past without issue / confusion. I will add a note to the form under last name saying "last name / surname"
Put a - or something? (It's not that people don't get creative in these cases, unless we assume that "The one... The only..." is Seddon's real name.)
My point is just that these choices broadcast to prospective applicants how we feel about diversity and how US-centric we are. A little bit of care can make us seem more welcoming.