Phase V: Building Research Infrastructure to Address Grand Challenge Problems in Ecological Forecasting and Biomaterials Design

堪萨斯国家科学基金会EPSCoR提出了一项研究基础设施改进（RII）项目，以解决生物科学的重大挑战之一：对世界加速的全球变化的生物和生态后果的评估、建模和预测。这是一个对堪萨斯州、该地区和整个国家都具有关键和战略重要性的地区。提高我们预测人类-自然系统全球变化的知识和能力，对于维持草原生态系统服务、提供清洁水、循环利用基本营养物质、固碳、保护多样性以及防范入侵物种和新出现的疾病至关重要。该项目将建立一个虚拟的生态预测中心，即“中原生态变化预测合作实验室”，包括大学、部门、研究人员、教育工作者和学生。该合作实验室将汇集生物多样性科学家、计算机软件工程师、进化生物学家、生态学家、地理学家、水文学家、计算机科学家和社会科学家，在水生和陆地生态系统的四个领域研究环境变化的人类层面：1)气候变化、土地利用和社会经济反馈；2)从基因到景观的生物多样性变化，包括入侵物种；3)生态系统功能在生物地球化学和生产力方面的变化；4)水文模式和过程。参与机构包括：堪萨斯大学（KU），堪萨斯州立大学（KSU），海斯堡州立大学（FHSU）和哈斯凯尔印第安民族大学（HINU）。堪萨斯州的RII项目包括有针对性的努力，以建立一个临界质量的研究人员，并在该州培养下一代科学家和科学领袖。重点讨论青年教师的指导和专业发展。高中生、本科生和研究生将积极参与该奖项支持的研究活动。高中教师也将参加并接受培训，以加强他们的科学教学。有几个项目将侧重于招募妇女、印第安人和其他代表性不足的群体的成员。

Kansas NSF EPSCoR proposes a research infrastructure improvement (RII) project to address one of the Grand Challenges of the biosciences: the evaluation, modeling and forecasting of the biological and ecological consequences of the world's accelerating global changes. This is an area of critical and strategic importance to Kansas, the region and the nation. Increasing our knowledge and ability to predict global changes in human-natural systems are critical to sustaining grassland ecosystem services, supplying clean water, recycling essential nutrients, sequestering carbon, preserving diversity and guarding against invasive species and emerging diseases. The project will establish a virtual ecological forecasting center known as the Collaboratory for Forecasting Ecological Change in the Central Plains which includes universities, departments, researchers, educators and students. The Collaboratory will bring together biodiversity scientists, computer software engineers, evolutionary biologists, ecologists, geographers, hydrologists, computer scientists and social scientists to study the human dimensions of environmental change in four areas of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems:1) climate change, land-use and socio-economic feedbacks; 2) changes in biodiversity from genes through landscapes, including invasive species; 3) changes in ecosystem function in biogeochemistry and productivity; and 4) hydrological patterns and processes. Participating institutions include: the University of Kansas (KU), Kansas State University (KSU), Fort Hays State University (FHSU), and Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU). The Kansas RII project includes targeted efforts to build a critical mass of researchers and grow the next generation of scientists and scientific leaders in the state. Mentoring and professional development of junior faculty will be highlighted. High school, undergraduate and graduate students will be actively engaged in the research activities supported by the award. High school teachers will also participate and receive training to enhance their teaching of science. Several programs will focus on recruitment of women, Native Americans and members of other underrepresented groups.