Expanding Research, Education and Outreach: Planning Proposal for The Notre Dame Linked Experimental Ecosystem Facility

水是地球上生命的基础，使水生生态系统成为世界上最重要的生态系统之一，但它们也是最危险的。 ND-LEEF 是一个全球独一无二的现场站点，科学家和工程师可以在这里找到解决方案，以应对我们面临的一些最大的环境挑战，特别是对水生系统的威胁。该设施以实验流域的形式代表了相互连接的溪流、池塘和湿地的独特组合。研究人员可以单独或相互联系地操纵生态系统类型，同时仍然嵌入自然环境中，从而弥合实验室和现场规模之间的关键差距。 ND-LEEF 位于圣约瑟夫县 (印第安纳州) 的一个当地公园内，其位置方便了公众的接触，并允许进行有意义的研究翻译和推广。四年来，项目覆盖人数已达 1400 人，其中包括 800 名当地 K-12 儿童。该项目将通过识别潜在用户、可能限制当前使用的障碍，最大限度地发挥 ND-LEEF 的科学、教育和推广潜力，并帮助制定克服障碍的计划，以最大限度地提高 ND-LEEF 的影响和效率。该项目的目标是为 ND-LEEF 制定五年战略计划，为进一步的基础设施发展提供信息、识别潜在用户、吸引这些用户使用 ND-LEEF、促进区域科学合作、为本科教育提供平台并加强当地 STEM 推广。该计划将包括识别 150 英里驾驶距离内的潜在用户。项目团队将进行访谈，以确定使用障碍，并确定增加研究人员及其学生使用的策略。 该项目包括为当前和已确定的潜在研究人员/教育工作者举办为期一天的区域研讨会，该研讨会将 (i) 更详细地探讨 ND-LEEF 的增长潜力，(ii) 确定所需的新型基础设施，(iii) 确定当前的使用障碍，(iv) 促进跨研究和教育兴趣的区域合作，以及 (v) 为发展 ND-LEEF 社区奠定基础。

Water is the basis for life on this planet, making aquatic ecosystems some of the most critical in the world, but they are also the most imperiled. ND-LEEF is a globally unique field site where scientists and engineers can find solutions to some of our greatest environmental challenges, especially threats to aquatic systems. The facility represents a unique combination of interconnected streams, ponds, and wetlands in the form of experimental watersheds. Researchers can manipulate ecosystem types, individually or linked, while still being embedded within the natural environment that bridges a critical gap between laboratory and field scales. Set within a local park in St Joseph County (IN), ND-LEEF's location facilitates access to the public and allows for meaningful research translation and outreach. In four years, programming has reached 1400 individuals, including 800 local k-12 children. This project will maximize the scientific, education and outreach potential of ND-LEEF by identifying potential users, roadblocks that may be limiting current use, and help develop a plan to overcome hurdles to maximize the impact and efficiency of ND-LEEF. The goal of this project is to create a five-year strategic plan for ND-LEEF to inform further infrastructure growth, identify potential users, draw these users to ND-LEEF, facilitate regional scientific collaborations, provide a platform for undergraduate education and enhanced local STEM outreach. The plan will include identification of potential users within a 150-mile driving distance. The project team will conduct interviews to identify barriers for usage, and identify strategies to increase use by researchers and their students. The project includes a one-day regional workshop for current and identified potential researchers/educators that will (i) explore the growth potential of ND-LEEF in greater detail, (ii) identify required novel infrastructure, (iii) identify current barriers to use, (iv) promote regional collaboration across research and educational interests, and (v) lay the groundwork for growing an ND-LEEF community.