RCN: Feedbacks between geological, climatological, and biological dynamics associated with the formation of the Galápagos Islands: The Island Systems Integration Consortium (ISIC)

地球的动态和不断变化的性质早已被地质学，气候学和生物学等领域的研究人员所认识。地质和气候力量影响生物多样性的形成和维持，这些学科的证据通常用于了解这些生物模式。然而，当前和过去生物多样性模式的特征如何为地质和气候模型提供信息往往被忽视。该项目建立了岛屿系统集成联盟研究协调网络（ISIC-RCN），这是一个由地质学家，气候学家和生物学家组成的联盟，专注于确定每个领域以新颖，以前未探索的方式告知其他领域的潜力。为此，研究人员将把重点放在加拉帕戈斯群岛上，这是一个海洋岛屿系统，已经收集了大量数据，并且这种跨学科分析的时机已经成熟。ISIC-RCN参与者将：（1）形成一个长期的研究人员社区，其学科重点技能将产生新的跨学科思想和研究方向;（2）量化有关这些岛屿和世界各地海洋岛屿的地质，气候学和生物学理解的知识现状;（3）通过以新的方式解决悬而未决的问题来推动这种理解。最后，ISIC-RCN将通过最大限度地扩大参与者的多样性，开展科学传播方面的实践培训，提供组织加拉帕戈斯外联活动的机会和工具，并创建一个网站，分享加拉帕戈斯研究、ISIC-RCN的科学进展、外联活动，ISIC-RCN将以加拉帕戈斯群岛为模型，利用跨学科研究的力量，解决通过单一学科方法太具挑战性或不可能解决的基本问题。活动将围绕沿着三个主轴：（1）以加拉帕戈斯群岛为中心，围绕岛屿系统培养一个独特的跨学科社区，（2）通过跨学科合作创造新的研究方向，（3）促进科学家和公众的培训和教育活动。为了发展和维护这一新的科学界，ISIC-RCN将举办一系列虚拟会议和面对面会议，通过门户网站促进数据共享和科学知识传播，并支持成立专注于特定跨学科科学问题的工作组。ISIC-RCN的产品包括一个专注于创新研究方法的新社区，新的合作，关于该领域现状和跨学科研究前景的白色论文，以及科学出版物。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得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来支持。

The dynamic and changing nature of our planet has long been recognized by researchers in fields such as geology, climatology, and biology. Geological and climatological forces influence the formation and maintenance of biological diversity, and evidence from these disciplines is often used to understand these biological patterns. Yet, how signatures of current and past biodiversity patterns may inform geological and climatological models has often been overlooked. This project establishes the Island Systems Integration Consortium Research Coordination Network (ISIC-RCN), a consortium of geologists, climatologists, and biologists focused on determining the potential for each field to inform the others in novel, previously unexplored ways. To do so, the researchers will focus on the Galapagos Archipelago, an oceanic island system for which ample data have been assembled and that is ripe for such cross-disciplinary analyses. The ISIC-RCN participants will: (1) form a long-lasting community of researchers whose discipline-focused skills will spawn new interdisciplinary ideas and research directions; (2) quantify the current state of the knowledge about the geological, climatological, and biological understanding of these islands and of ocean islands around the world; and (3) move that understanding forward by addressing outstanding questions in new ways. Finally, the ISIC-RCN will extend its interdisciplinary framework to wider audiences in both the scientific and public spheres by maximizing the diversity of participants, conducting hands-on training in science communication, providing opportunities and tools to organize Galapagos outreach activities, and creation of a website to share Galapagos Research, ISIC-RCN scientific advances, outreach activities, and a student-led interactive learning app.The ISIC-RCN will use the Galapagos Archipelago as a model to leverage the power of cross-disciplinary research to address fundamental questions too challenging or impossible to address through single disciplinary approaches. Activities will align along three primary axes: (1) fostering a unique interdisciplinary community around island systems, using the Galapagos Archipelago as a focal point, (2) creating new research directions through cross-disciplinary collaboration, and (3) facilitating training and educational activities for scientists and the general public. To develop and maintain this novel scientific community, the ISIC-RCN will conduct a series of virtual and in-person meetings, facilitate data sharing and dissemination of scientific knowledge through a web-portal, and support the formation of working groups focused on specific cross-disciplinary scientific questions. Products of the ISIC-RCN include a new community focused on innovative research approaches, new collaborations, white papers on the state of the field and promising avenues of interdisciplinary research, and scientific publications.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.