Doctoral Dissertation Research: Evaluating Consultation and Informed Consent via Social Network Analysis

自由、事先和知情同意（FPIC）是一项原则，旨在促进土著居民和其他当地社区成员充分有效地参与影响他们的决策，包括计划保护和发展的所有阶段。该奖项支持的研究调查了碳封存项目背景下知情同意的概念。了解如何评估和改进目前的FPIC咨询方法对于最大限度地减少冲突和确保长期生态可持续性至关重要。除了提供资金培训一名人类学研究生学习经验、科学数据收集和分析方法外，该项目还将通过向从事优化个人和社区知情同意实践的组织广泛传播其研究结果，增进对基础科学和科学方法的理解。该研究项目将由马里兰大学的博士生Jessica Breitfeller在Janet Chernela博士的指导下进行。在一个正在制定土著协商政策（FPIC）的地点，该项目将探索向受碳封存项目（减少毁林和森林退化造成的排放：REDD+）影响的土著社区提供信息的过程。研究设计检验了以网络联系和结构的属性如何影响信息传递为中心的假设。数据将通过半结构化访谈、社会网络映射和分析、参与者观察和文件分析来收集。这项研究的结果将有助于科学地理解FPIC协议背后的过程，包括知识交流和政策翻译。此外，这项研究将提出一个可复制的框架，通过这个框架来评价协商过程并为今后的协商设计提供信息。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。

Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) is a principle that is intended to promote the full and effective participation of indigenous and other local community members in decisions that affect them, including all stages of planned conservation and development. The research supported by this award investigates the concept of informed consent within the context of a carbon sequestration program. Understanding how to evaluate and improve current FPIC consultation methodologies is essential to minimizing conflicts and ensuring long-term ecological sustainability. In addition to providing funding for the training of a graduate student in anthropology in the methods of empirical, scientific data collection and analysis, the project would enhance understanding of basic science and the scientific method by broadly disseminating its findings to organizations engaged in optimizing practices for individual and community informed consent. The research project will be carried out by the University of Maryland doctoral student, Jessica Breitfeller, with guidance from Dr. Janet Chernela. At a site where policies for indigenous consultation (FPIC) are being developed, this project will explore the process of information delivery to indigenous communities affected by carbon sequestration projects (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation: REDD+). The research design tests hypotheses that center on how attributes of network ties and structure affect information transfer. Data will be collected through semi-structured interviews, social network mapping and analysis, participant observation, and document analysis. Findings from the study will contribute to scientific understanding of the processes, including knowledge exchange and policy translation, that underlie FPIC protocols. In addition, this research will present a replicable framework through which to evaluate consultative processes and inform future consultation designs.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.