IGERT: Applied Biodiversity Science - Bridging Ecology, Culture, and Governance for Effective Conservation in the Americas

21世纪最棘手的挑战之一是遏制生物多样性的丧失。然而，科学学科、保护机构和实际实施之间的脱节往往阻碍了有效的生物多样性保护。德克萨斯农工大学应用生物多样性科学综合研究生教育与研究实习（IGERT）项目将实现生物多样性研究与实地保护之间的整合。该项目由三大支柱支撑：1)社会科学和生物科学的综合研究；2)跨学科研究和与保护机构和领域参与者的合作；3)守恒理论在实践中的应用。由教师导师和学生组成的研究团队将与国际合作伙伴合作，围绕以下两个研究主题撰写互补的论文：A)生态功能和生物多样性；B)社区和治理。研究将在西半球的四个区域进行：1)美国和墨西哥（跨界）；2)中美洲;3)亚马逊西部；4)大查科。ABS-IGERT团队由来自五所学院十个系的20名教授组成，拥有广泛的国际合作者网络和在四个研究区域从事保护工作的前学生。学习路径中的整合点包括应用生物多样性科学的新课程，亚马逊野外学校，跨文化领导力培训，以及在国家和国际机构实践生物多样性保护的实习要求。互补的论文研究将使学生在研究区域内和跨研究区域共同工作，整理理论和结果，以产生复杂的保护问题的实际解决方案。毕业生将准备面对全球生物多样性丧失的多方面挑战，并将有资格担任董事和学术任命。通过培养有能力应对跨界问题和国际生物多样性危机的科学家，学术界、非政府组织和政府机构将获得重大利益。ABS-IGERT将促使代表性不足的群体更多地参与应用生物多样性科学；帮助建设美国和拉丁美洲的地方能力；并直接促进生物多样性保护。IGERT是一项nsf范围内的计划，旨在满足培养具有多学科背景和技术，专业和个人技能的美国博士科学家和工程师的挑战，以满足未来职业需求。该计划旨在通过建立创新的研究生教育和培训模式，在一个超越传统学科界限的合作研究的肥沃环境中，促进研究生教育的文化变革。

One of the most vexing challenges of the 21st century is curbing the loss of biodiversity. All too often, however, disconnects between scientific disciplines, conservation institutions, and practical implementation hinder effective biodiversity conservation. This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program in Applied Biodiversity Science (ABS) at Texas A&M University will achieve integration between biodiversity research and on-the-ground conservation. Three pillars support the program: 1) integrated research in social and biological sciences; 2) cross-disciplinary research and collaboration with conservation institutions and actors in the field; and 3) application of conservation theory to practice. Research teams of faculty mentors and students, in collaboration with international partners, will develop complementary dissertations related to two research themes: A) Ecological Functions and Biodiversity; and B) Communities and Governance. Research will be conducted in four regions in the Western Hemisphere: 1) USA and Mexico (transboundary); 2) Mesoamerica; 3) Western Amazon; and 4) Gran Chaco. The ABS-IGERT team consists of 20 professors from ten departments in five colleges, with an extensive network of international collaborators and former students working in conservation in each of the four study regions. Points of integration in the learning path include new courses in Applied Biodiversity Science, an Amazon Field School, Cross-cultural Leadership Training, and required internships at national and international institutions practicing biodiversity conservation. Complementary dissertation research will enable students to work together within and across study regions, collating theory and results to generate practical solutions to complex conservation problems. Graduates will be prepared to face the multidimensional challenges of global biodiversity loss and will emerge qualified to assume directorships and academic appointments. By producing scientists equipped to confront transboundary issues and the international biodiversity crisis, significant benefits will accrue to academic, NGO, and government agencies. The ABS-IGERT will lead to greater involvement of underrepresented groups in Applied Biodiversity Sciences; help build local capacity in the U.S.A. and Latin America; and directly contribute to biodiversity conservation. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the multidisciplinary backgrounds 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.