IRES: Patagonian Research Experiences in Sustainability Science (PRESS): Understanding Social-Ecological Drivers and Consequences of Global Change

可持续性科学由两个重要主题构成：1)环境变化只能在广泛的时空尺度上理解，需要国际和机构间的合作和比较研究；2)可持续发展是基于理论和应用方法的结合，将自然科学和社会科学结合起来，创造可操作的模型、准确的预测和可行的管理计划。因此，现代研究人员必须能够在跨越国家、文化和语言界限的团队和项目中有效地工作；他们必须在基于超越传统生态科学的方法和价值体系的社会生态方法方面受过良好的训练。巴塔哥尼亚可持续发展科学研究经验（PRESS）项目旨在满足这些需求，为20名精心准备的本科生和研究生研究人员提供一个密集的跨文化机会，为期三年。PRESS的研究将集中在巴塔哥尼亚南部全球变化和可持续性的社会生态驱动因素和后果的研究上，巴塔哥尼亚是全球200强生物群落之一，提供了一个无与伦比的自然实验室，具有鲜明的非生物和生物梯度。参与者将与巴塔哥尼亚合作区域研究所和大学的杰出研究人员配对。在本地教师和他们的巴塔哥尼亚导师的指导下制定研究计划后，参与者将前往加入他们的导师？在美国实验室进行为期四个月的培训，包括相关技术、实地工作和数据收集以及数据分析方面的重点培训。受支持的项目将评估影响南巴塔哥尼亚的全球变化的四个主要社会生态驱动因素：a)森林和草原的气候变化；b)林业和牧场的土地利用；c)入侵物种和本地物种的生物相互作用；d)生态旅游和保护区利用带来的经济发展。科学训练将伴随着文化和语言能力建设，因为学生沉浸在一个充满活力的跨文化研究环境中。参与者的成果包括向当地科学家和土地管理者展示研究成果，向当地和区域推广，在北亚利桑那大学举行的本科生年度研究研讨会上发表演讲，以及在同行评审的期刊上联合发表研究成果。, # 8195;理解全球生态变化的社会和生态驱动因素及其后果已成为当今最重要和最紧迫的可持续发展研究课题之一。？可持续性?在这种情况下，这意味着了解自然世界是如何变化的，以及人类是如何适应这种变化的，然后制定策略来减轻对人类和自然群落的负面影响。应对这一重大的研究挑战是困难的，因为环境变化是一个全球现象，跨越大陆和政治边界；明天好吗?美国的研究人员将需要能够跨越国家、文化和语言的界限进行有效的合作。巴塔哥尼亚可持续发展科学研究经验（PRESS）项目的中心目标是帮助培养下一代具有国际能力的研究人员，同时在南半球之一的社会生态和可持续发展研究方面取得重大进展。S最敏感和标志性的生物群系。具体来说，在三年的资助期内，20名精心准备的学生研究人员将与巴塔哥尼亚几个合作区域研究所和大学之一的导师配对。参与者将与巴塔哥尼亚导师和北亚利桑那大学教师顾问远程合作，准备项目提案。然后，参与者将前往巴塔哥尼亚与他们的东道主导师会合？在此期间，他们将接受基础研究培训，完善研究项目，收集和分析数据，并撰写结果。可持续发展科学培训将辅以文化和外语培训，并将对这两个领域的成果进行评估。PRESS通过以下途径提供高投资回报：(a)培养精通跨国研究的下一代研究人员；(b)从指导的项目中产生可发表的可持续发展科学研究；(c)为国际研究培训制定一个全面的教学模式，为其他美国机构改进其本科和研究生课程以适应快速全球化的现代研究环境提供参考。

Technical AbstractSustainability science is shaped by two important themes: 1) environmental change can only be understood at broad spatial and temporal scales, requiring international and inter-institutional collaborations and comparative research; and 2) sustainability is based on a combination of theoretical and applied approaches that integrate both natural and social sciences to create operative models, accurate predictions and viable management plans. Thus, modern researchers must be able to work effectively in teams and projects that span national, cultural and linguistic boundaries; and must be well-trained in social-ecological approaches based on methods and value systems that extend beyond traditional ecological science.The Patagonian Research Experiences in Sustainability Science (PRESS) project aims to meet these needs by providing an intensive, cross-cultural opportunity for 20 carefully prepared undergraduate and graduate student researchers over its three year term. PRESS research will center on the study of socio-ecological drivers and consequences of global change and sustainability in southern Patagonia, a Global 200 biome that provides an unrivaled natural laboratory with stark abiotic and biotic gradients. Participants will be paired with prominent researchers at collaborating regional institutes and universities in Patagonia. After developing a research proposal under the guidance of home faculty and their Patagonian mentor, participants will travel to join their mentor?s lab for four months, including focused training in relevant techniques, field work and data collection, and data analysis. Supported projects will assess four main social-ecological drivers of global change that affect southern Patagonia: a) climate change in forests and grasslands, b) land use by forestry and ranching, c) biotic interactions of invasive and native species, and d) economic development from ecological tourism and protected area use. Scientific training will be accompanied by cultural and linguistic capacity-building, as students are immersed in a vibrant cross-cultural research environment. Participant deliverables include presentation of findings to local scientists and land managers, local and regional outreach, presentations at the annual UGRADS student research colloquium held at Northern Arizona University, and the joint publication of research findings in peer-reviewed journals.  Non-technical Abstract Understanding the social and ecological drivers and consequences of global ecological change has emerged as one of the most important and pressing sustainability research topics of the modern age. ?Sustainability? in this context means understanding how the natural world is changing and how human populations are adapting to that change, and then developing strategies for mitigating negative outcomes for both human and natural communities. Tackling this grand research challenge is difficult because environmental change is a global phenomenon, spanning continents and political borders; tomorrow?s researchers will need to be able to collaborate effectively across national, cultural and linguistic boundaries. The central aim of the Patagonian Research Experience in Sustainability Science (PRESS) project is to help train this next generation of internationally-competent researchers, while at the same time producing significant advances in socio-ecological and sustainability research in one of the southern hemisphere?s most sensitive and iconic biomes. Specifically, over the three year grant period, 20 carefully prepared student researchers will be matched with mentors at one of several collaborating regional institutes and universities in Patagonia. Participants will work remotely with Patagonian mentors and with Northern Arizona University faculty advisors to prepare a project proposal. Participants will then travel to Patagonia to join their host mentor?s lab for four months, during which time they will receive basic research training, refine their research projects, collect and analyze data, and write up results. Training in sustainability science will be complemented with cultural and foreign language training, and outcomes in both areas will be evaluated. PRESS provides high return on investment through (a) preparing a next generation of researchers skilled at multinational research; (b) producing publishable research in sustainability science from mentored projects; and (c) developing a comprehensive pedagogical model for international research training that will inform other U.S. institutions as they evolve their undergraduate and graduate programs to adapt to the rapidly globalizing modern research environment.