Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY2007

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This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2007. The goal of the fellowship is to increase the participation of minority scientists at the postdoctoral level and to prepare them for positions of scientific leadership in US science. To attain this goal, the fellowship provides opportunities for postdoctoral training and research of the highest quality to recent doctoral recipients. It is expected that Fellows supported through these fellowships will play important roles in training of the future workforce.The research and training plan is entitled "Energetics in thin air: thermoregulation, flight, and fitness of alpine bumblebees." Temperature, oxygen partial pressure, and air density fall precipitously with elevation thereby challenging the survival of montane organisms. Yet, bumblebees are abundant and diverse in alpine ecosystems. To understand this, the research investigates energetics of thermoregulation and flight including varying morphology and physiology. This project combines laboratory experiments, field studies, and mathematical modeling. The sponsoring scientist is Robert Dudley at the University of California, Berkeley. The training goals are to enhance the Fellow's skills in physiological and evolutionary ecology and mathematical biology.