Workshop: The Role of Undergraduate Institutions in Continental-Scale Science to be held on March 24, 2009 at Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH

研讨会：本科院校在大陆规模科学中的作用将于 2009 年 3 月 24 日在俄亥俄州特拉华州俄亥俄卫斯理大学举行

• 批准号: 0918114
• 负责人: Laurel Anderson
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Ohio Wesleyan University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-03-15 至 2011-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0918114&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Workshop; Role; Undergraduate; Institutions; Continental

Now, more than ever, ecologists are being called upon to provide data and insight on issues such as climate change, the influence of urban development on ecosystem services, and the effects of invasive species on ecosystem functioning. These issues are difficult to address comprehensively through small-scale, short-term studies at single sites, yet valuable site-level experiments are often conducted by ecologists at undergraduate institutions because they are possible within typical practical and financial constraints. Through long-term, coordinated data collection at a network of sites, these site-level studies could be powerful in supporting recognition and analysis of important regional and national patterns. Scientists with limited research resources may be able to answer broader scientific questions by working together, and through cooperation can enhance their collective contributions to ecological science, education, and environmental policy. A workshop will be held in March 2009 at Ohio Wesleyan University to bring together a group of scientists from undergraduate institutions who are interested in developing collaborative ecological projects at regional and continental scales. Participants will discuss appropriate research problems, scientific details of implementing such projects, policies for project management, and strategies to recruit, support, and retain participants. An objective of the workshop is to form a broad coalition of scientific collaborators who can share expertise and contribute data to a range of ecological experiments, with students as key players in data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Research and education are tightly integrated in the undergraduate environment, and participation in collaborative, large-scale projects is an ideal vehicle for teaching students to think across levels of biological organization, see ecological connections among different geographic regions, and use the latest technology to discern broad patterns. The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) will provide a unique opportunity for the undergraduate education community to participate in and teach ecology at large spatial and temporal scales. NEON will enormously expand the potential and the opportunities for continental-scale research, education and training. The NEON data will offer an unprecedented opportunity for students at small undergraduate institutions to work with real data from the forefront of ecological research either as classroom exercises or through independent research projects. The associated cyberinfrastructure will provide the tools that make such large-scale working partnerships not only possible, but practical. The workshop participants will discuss how NEON will enable the research design developed and strategies for undergraduate institutions to actively participate in this transformative project. Participants will explore technological advances associated with NEON, such as cyber tools for data sharing. The workshop will highlight the importance of ecological research at undergraduate institutions, encouraging collaboration as a way to enhance the contributions of such research to our understanding of global ecology, and providing a model for continental-scale research at undergraduate institutions that is timely, relevant, and engages our students in the scientific challenges of the 21st century.

现在，生态学家比以往任何时候都更需要在气候变化、城市发展对生态系统服务的影响以及入侵物种对生态系统功能的影响等问题上提供数据和见解。这些问题很难通过在单个地点进行小规模的短期研究来全面解决，然而，生态学家经常在本科院校进行有价值的现场级实验，因为它们在典型的实际和财政限制下是可能的。通过在场址网络上长期协调的数据收集，这些场址一级的研究可以有力地支持识别和分析重要的区域和国家模式。研究资源有限的科学家可以通过合作来回答更广泛的科学问题，并且通过合作可以增强他们对生态科学、教育和环境政策的集体贡献。一个研讨会将于2009年3月在俄亥俄卫斯理大学举行，汇集了一群来自本科院校的科学家，他们对在区域和大陆尺度上发展合作生态项目感兴趣。与会者将讨论适当的研究问题、实施此类项目的科学细节、项目管理政策以及招募、支持和留住参与者的策略。研讨会的一个目标是形成一个广泛的科学合作者联盟，他们可以分享专业知识并为一系列生态实验提供数据，而学生则是数据收集、分析和解释的关键参与者。研究和教育在本科环境中紧密结合，参与协作的大型项目是教学生跨生物组织层次思考，看到不同地理区域之间的生态联系，并使用最新技术识别广泛模式的理想工具。国家生态观测站网络（NEON）将为本科教育界提供一个独特的机会，在大空间和时间尺度上参与和教授生态学。NEON将极大地扩展大陆规模的研究、教育和培训的潜力和机会。NEON数据将为小型本科院校的学生提供前所未有的机会，使他们能够通过课堂练习或独立研究项目使用来自生态研究前沿的真实数据。相关的网络基础设施将提供工具，使这种大规模的合作伙伴关系不仅成为可能，而且具有实用性。研讨会参与者将讨论NEON将如何使研究设计开发和本科院校积极参与这一变革项目的策略。与会者将探讨与NEON相关的技术进步，例如数据共享的网络工具。研讨会将强调生态研究在本科院校的重要性，鼓励合作，以提高这类研究对我们对全球生态学的理解的贡献，并为本科院校的大陆规模研究提供一个及时、相关的模式，并使我们的学生参与21世纪的科学挑战。