Infrastructure via Science and Technology Enhanced Partnerships III

此次授予蒙大拿州EPSCoR的RII奖将建立一个协调的研究计划，将微生物学、生态学和气候学联系起来，以了解支配生态系统如何应对气候变化的过程的动态。通过这种跨学科和以生态系统为中心的方法，该计划将提供一个既具有地区意义又具有全国意义的创新模式，同时利用蒙大拿州独特的资源和科学优势。资助的参与者包括蒙大拿大学系统(MUS)、蒙大拿大学(UM)和七所部落学院：黑脚社区学院、佩克堡社区学院、小大角学院、斯通儿童学院、贝尔纳普学院、佩克堡社区学院和Salish Koontenai学院。该项目将形成一个全州范围的伞形研究所--蒙大拿大学生态系统研究和教育联盟(MtCERE)，它将在过去EPSCoR投资的基础上，在有针对性的科学领域获得新的人才，建立共享研究设施，并开发一个综合的教育、多样性和推广计划。智力价值拟议的MT EPSCoR研究计划旨在将微生物生态学、系统生态学和气候学联系起来，以调查管理生态系统对气候变化反应的多尺度过程。特别是，研究人员将研究在多个尺度上运行的物理和生物过程如何相互作用，以管理生态系统的结构和功能，以及气候变化对这些系统的影响。该项目确定了三个重点研究领域：1)微生物动态和生态系统过程之间的反馈；2)景观格局和生态系统过程之间的联系；3)物种和生态系统对气候变化的多尺度相互作用和具体脆弱性的影响。该项目将在蒙大拿州的四个基准生态系统中进行跨学科实验、观察、建模和迭代数据模型比较，包括大陆之冠、高平原、上密苏里州和大黄石公园。更广泛的影响研究成果将与蒙大拿州和全国范围内的广泛研究领域具有很强的相关性。该项目有一个广泛的多元化计划，旨在提高美国原住民本科生和其他代表性不足群体在数学和科学方面的成功，改善部落学院的核心环境科学教育，支持加快部落学院学生的数学准备，并增加环境科学方面的美国原住民博士生的数量。劳动力发展努力包括研究伙伴关系、教师授课计划、预科学生机会、以团队为中心的研究实习和指导，以及科学交流的新方法，以促进蒙大拿州S与科学的联系，并为该州S农村和代表性不足的人口提供机会。此外，该项目计划利用蒙大拿州S独特的自然区域，包括黄石国家公园和冰川国家公园，与广大公众进行广泛的外部接触。

This RII award to Montana EPSCoR will build a coordinated research program linking microbiology, ecology, and climatology to understand the dynamics of the processes that govern how an ecosystem responds to climate change. Through this interdisciplinary and ecosystem-centric approach, the program will provide an innovative model that is both regionally relevant and nationally significant, while capitalizing on the unique resources and scientific strengths in Montana. The funded participants include Montana University System (MUS), University of Montana (UM), and seven tribal colleges: Blackfeet Community College, Fort Peck Community College, Little Big Horn College, Stone Child College, Fort Belknap College, Fort Peck Community College, and Salish Koontenai College.This project will form a single statewide umbrella institute, the Montana University System Consortium for Ecosystem Research and Education (MtCERE), which will build on past EPSCoR investments to acquire new talent in targeted scientific areas, establish shared research facilities, and develop an integrated education, diversity, and outreach program. Intellectual MeritThe proposed MT EPSCoR research program aims to link microbial ecology, systems ecology, and climatology to investigate the multi-scale processes that govern ecosystem responses to climate change. In particular, researchers will examine how physical and biotic processes, operating at multiple scales, interact to govern ecosystem structure and function and the influence of climate change on these systems. The project has identified three focal areas to study: 1) feedback between microbial dynamics and ecosystem processes; 2) linkages among landscape patterns and ecosystem processes; and 3) impacts of multi-scale interactions and specific vulnerabilities of species and ecosystems to climate change. The project will involve interdisciplinary experimentation, observation, modeling, and iterative data-model comparisons in four benchmark Montana ecosystems, including the Crown of the Continent, High Plains, Upper Missouri, and Greater Yellowstone. Broader ImpactsThe research outcomes will have strong relevance to a broad set of research fields, both within Montana and nationally. The project has an extensive diversity plan to enhance math and science success for Native American undergraduate students and other underrepresented groups, improve core environmental sciences education at Tribal Colleges, support accelerated math preparation for Tribal College students, and increase the number of Native American Ph.D. students in environmental sciences. Workforce development efforts include research partnerships, teaching-the-teacher programs, pre-college student opportunities, team-centered research internships and mentoring, and new approaches for science communication to promote Montana?s connection to science and provide the state?s rural and underrepresented populations. In addition, the project plans to take advantage of Montana?s unique natural areas, including Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, to have extensive external engagement with the general public.