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认识到。地质和气候力量影响生物多样性的形成和维持，来自这些学科的证据经常被用来理解这些生物模式。然而，现在和过去的生物多样性模式的特征如何可以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以前未探索的新颖方式向其他领域提供信息的潜力。为此，研究人员将把重点放在加拉帕戈斯群岛，这是一个海洋岛屿系统，已经收集了大量数据，进行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，他们专注于学科的技能将催生新的跨学科想法和研究方向；(2)量化关于这些岛屿和世界各地海洋岛屿的地质、气候学和生物学知识的现状；(3)通过以新的方式解决悬而未决的问题，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，在科学和公共领域向更广泛的受众扩展其跨学科框架，开展科学传播实践培训，提供机会和工具来组织加拉帕戈斯外联活动，并创建一个网站，分享加拉帕戈斯研究、ISIC-RCN科学进展、外联活动和学生主导的互动学习应用程序。ISIC-RCN将以加拉帕戈斯群岛为榜样，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根本问题。活动将围绕三个主要轴心展开：(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)促进对科学家和公众的培训和教育活动。为发展和维护这一新型科学社区，国际科学中心--区域科学中心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的传播，并支持成立侧重于具体跨学科科学问题的工作组。ISIC-RCN的产品包括一个新的社区，专注于创新的研究方法、新的合作、关于该领域状况的白皮书和有前途的跨学科研究途径，以及科学出版物。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.