REU Site: Socio-Ecological Systems (SES) in the American West: Rangelands and Resilience at Montana State

REU网站授予蒙大拿州立大学，该大学位于蒙大拿州的博兹曼，将在2024-2026年的夏季为10名学生提供为期10周的培训。预计总共有30名学生将接受该项目的培训，这些学生主要来自研究机会有限的学校或代表性不足的群体。该计划将培养下一代生态学家和生物生物学家，为他们研究任何生态系统带来基本的社会生态学观点。研究和教育经验将引导学生综合牧场和动物生物学的学科领域专业知识，形成对美国西部社会和生态过程如何相互作用的整体系统理解。学生将学习如何进行研究，许多人将在科学会议上展示他们的工作成果。该计划的评估将通过在线工具完成。学生应使用NSF ETAP（教育和培训申请：https://etap.nsf.gov）向REU网站申请。该项目的主题是美国西部大草原的社会、经济和生态可持续性。学生将接受培训，以全面的社会生态视角来研究任何生态系统。涉及的部门包括动物与牧场科学、土地资源与环境科学、农业经济和研究站。学生将与教师一起研究不同的学科，包括植物生态学、土壤生态学、野生动物生态学、动物健康和营养、动物繁殖和养牛。项目将在实验室和实地进行。学生将参加指导研讨会，以了解他们的研究项目的更广泛的社会生态背景，并与其他学生进行跨学科综合。活动将包括前往工作的土著和非土著牧场的旅行体验，包括佩克堡保留地的野牛牧场，在那里学生将进行实践服务学习，并从社会生态学的角度讨论牧场。其他讲习班将侧重于伦理和负责任的研究行为。项目评估将通过学生、顾问和PI之间的会议、入学和退出调查以及研讨会期间的形成性评估进行。学生将根据他们的学科领域兴趣和参与教师的匹配兴趣来选择。包括部落学生和代表土著观点将是这个项目的重点。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。

This REU Site award to Montana State University, located in Bozeman, MT, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2024–2026. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities or from an under-represented group, will be trained in the program. This program will train the next generation of ecologists and organismal biologists to bring a foundational socio-ecological perspective to their study of any ecosystem. Research and educational experiences will guide students in synthesizing subject-area expertise in rangeland and animal biology into a whole-system understanding of how sociological and ecological processes interact in the American West. Students will learn how research is conducted, and many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. Assessment of this program will be done through an online tool. Students should apply to the REU site using NSF ETAP (Education and Training Application: https://etap.nsf.gov). The program theme is the social, economic, and ecological sustainability of the prairies of the American West. Students will be trained to bring a holistic socio-ecological perspective to their study of any ecosystem. Departments involved will include Animal & Range Sciences, Land Resources & Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Economics, and Research Stations. Students will work with faculty members on diverse subjects including plant ecology, soil ecology, wildlife ecology, animal health and nutrition, animal reproduction, and cattle production. Projects will be conducted in the laboratory and the field. Students will engage in guided workshops to understand the broader socioecological context for their research projects and to conduct cross-disciplinary synthesis with other students. Events will include travel experiences to working Indigenous and non-indigenous ranches, including the bison ranches at the Fort Peck Reservation, where students will do hands-on service learning and discuss ranching from a socioecological perspective. Other workshops will focus on ethics and responsible conduct of research. Program assessment will occur via meetings between students, advisors, and the PI, entry and exit surveys, and formative assessments during workshops. Students will be selected based on their subject-area interests and matching interests of participating faculty members. Including Tribal students and representing Indigenous perspectives will be a focus of this program.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.