IGERT: Ecology, Management and Restoration of Integrated Human/Natural Landscapes

这一综合性研究生教育和研究培训(IGERT)奖支持建立一个多学科的博士培训计划，该计划涉及生态、管理和恢复人/自然综合景观的教育和研究。这一培训计划的愿景是将研究生教育的重点从传统的保护原始栖息地转移到改善人类活动与本地物种和群落的整合上。新开发的跨学科课程将包括生态学、补救和恢复、规划和政策以及环境经济学方面的教学，并将以团队为基础的顶峰项目结束。学生还将通过与参与地区合作伙伴的暑期实习直接与实践环境专业人员合作，这些合作伙伴包括芝加哥植物园、美国农业部林务局、野外博物馆、Midewin National Tallgras Prairie和美国陆军工程兵团。学生将由一名合作的环境实践者和伊利诺伊大学芝加哥分校的一名教职员工共同指导，并与合作机构共同开发一个现实世界的研究项目。这一培训计划将培养出更好地为环境和环境保护事业的领导职位做好准备的学员。该项目设在芝加哥的一所城市大学是一个重要的组成部分，因为该地区提供了丰富的研究环境，与地区机构建立了强有力的和多样化的合作伙伴关系，以及来自不同背景的学生参与的巨大潜力。IGERT是一个NSF范围内的项目，旨在应对培养具有跨学科背景、所选学科的深厚知识以及满足未来职业需求所需的技术、专业和个人技能的美国博士科学家和工程师的挑战。该项目旨在通过建立创新的研究生教育和培训新模式，在超越传统学科界限的合作研究的肥沃环境中，催化研究生教育的文化变革。

This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) award supports the establishment of a multidisciplinary doctoral training program of education and research on ecology, management and restoration of integrated human/natural landscapes. The vision for this training program is to shift the emphasis of graduate education in conservation from its traditional focus on protecting pristine habitats to a focus on improving the integration of human activities with those of native species and communities. A newly developed interdisciplinary curriculum will include instruction in ecology, remediation and restoration, planning and policy, and environmental economics and will conclude with a team-based capstone project. Students will also work directly with practicing environmental professionals through summer internships with participating area partners that include the Chicago Botanic Garden, USDA Forest Service, The Field Museum, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and the Army Corp of Engineers. Students will be co-mentored by a partner environmental practitioner and a University of Illinois at Chicago faculty member, and develop a real-world research project in conjunction with the partner institution. This training program will produce trainees who are better prepared for leadership positions in environmental and conservation careers. The setting of the program at an urban university located in Chicago is an important component, as this region provides a rich setting for research, strong and diverse partnerships with area institutions, and outstanding potential for participation by students from diverse backgrounds. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.