LTER National Coordination Office: Facilitating Collaboration, Accelerating Synthesis

长期研究对基础生态学认识的发展起着关键作用。28个长期生态研究（LTER）站点分布在全国和热带太平洋的栖息地。对每个站点的研究提供了重要的系统特定知识，而跨站点的整合促进了对生态系统功能的广泛分布模式和一般生态学理论的发现。该项目扩展了长期生态研究（LTER）站点网络的协调、交流、培训和综合研究活动，这些站点是在LTER国家通信办公室的支持下发起的。该办公室在多个方面促进LTER站点之间的联系，包括假设制定、实验设计、测量协议、数据管理、协作、通信培训、各级教育和外联。该办公室支持LTER网络内的共享治理和协作关系，以及与合作伙伴网络的牢固联系，这对于扩大LTER研究的范围和影响是有价值的。LTER站点在跨学科团队科学方面培训了全国很大一部分生态学家，其中一个重要的活动子集侧重于开发和分享包容性和评估的最佳实践。llt网络办公室维持并改进了目前lco的大部分活动，但根据前4年业务期间的经验教训进行了一些重组和重新确定优先次序。通过与国家生态分析和综合中心的联系，以及在适当的时候支持综合研究和委员会活动的虚拟会议，该办事处保持了成本效益。为了吸引长期的研究社区，该团队继续开发LTER网络网站，通讯和社交媒体平台。促进协作的新工具包括重新设计的集中式人事数据库、协作平台和LTER产品的累积目录。该项目的一个核心方面是支持多个综合工作组，这些工作组由严格的小组程序选出，并适当地包括陆地、沿海和海洋科学家和观点。向工作组提供开放数据实践和团队科学方面的培训和支持。参与合作伙伴网络，如国际LTER网络（ILTER）、关键区域观测站（CZO）和国家生态观测站网络（NEON）也是办公室的优先事项。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Long-term research plays a key role in the development of fundamental ecological understanding. Twenty-eight Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites are distributed in habitats across the nation and in the tropical Pacific. Research at each site provides important system-specific knowledge whereas integrating across sites fosters the discovery of wide-spread patterns of ecosystem functioning and general ecological theory. This project expands on the coordination, communication, training, and synthetic research activities across the network of Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites that were initiated while first supported as the LTER National Communications Office. The Office facilitates connections among LTER sites across multiple dimensions, including hypothesis development, experimental design, measurement protocols, data management, collaboration, communications training, education at all levels, and outreach. The office supports shared governance and collaborative relationships within the LTER network and strong ties with partner networks that are valuable for expanding the reach and implications of LTER research. LTER sites train a large fraction of the nation's ecologists in interdisciplinary team science and an important subset of activities focuses on developing and sharing best practices for inclusion and assessment.The LTER Network Office maintains and improves upon most of the activities of the current LNCO, but with some re-organization and re-prioritization based on lessons learned during the first 4 years of operation. The office remains cost-efficient through affiliation with NCEAS, the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, and by supporting virtual meetings for synthesis research and committee activities whenever appropriate. To engage the long-term research community, the team continues to develop the LTER network website, newsletters, and social media platforms. New tools to facilitate collaboration include a redesigned centralized personnel database, collaboration platform, and cumulative catalogue of LTER products. A central facet of the project is support for multiple synthesis working groups selected by a rigorous panel process and appropriately inclusive of terrestrial, coastal and marine scientists and perspectives. Working groups are provided training and support in open data practices and team science. Engaging partner networks such as the International LTER network (ILTER), Critical Zone Observatories (CZO), and the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is also a high priority for the office.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.