IRES Track I: Exploring the Ecophysiology of Energy Balance in Vienna, Austria

该奖项旨在通过在奥地利维也纳为不同群体的美国本科生提供国际研究经验，培养一支参与全球的美国科学队伍。在维也纳兽医大学跨学科生命科学系的一组充满活力的国际生态生理学研究人员的指导下，每年有五名学生将进行关于脊椎动物（包括冬眠睡鼠和候鸟）能量平衡的个人研究项目。了解各种脊椎动物在不同环境条件下如何选择分配能量资源，对于预测这些动物如何应对气候变化非常重要。回到北德州后，学生们将向当地社区展示他们对这些主题的研究结果和更广泛的影响，以及他们的旅行经历。比较生态生理学提供了一个独特的机会来研究不同生命阶段的脊椎动物在潜在变化的气候下应对极端能量需求的策略。冬眠动物会获得大量的身体脂肪，以便在几个月的失语期中存活下来，它们的寿命比它们的体型预期的要长。候鸟在大陆范围内的迁徙需要消耗大量的能量，但也必须有足够的能量来进行昂贵的繁殖行为和求爱表演。了解鸟类和哺乳动物在不同季节管理能量分配的共同策略，可能有助于了解这些生物应对气候变化可能导致的食物供应扰动的能力。IRES参与项目主要分为三大类：1)生命早期热量限制（对睡鼠的冬眠和衰老以及鸟类的迁徙行为）的影响；2)候鸟到达时间和繁殖行为的成本效益决策；3)鸟类求偶行为的代谢成本调控。IRES学生将在出发前参加一个学期的半学分课程，提供文化能力、必要的技术技能和项目设计方面的培训，与他们的国际研究导师合作。在维也纳的7周时间里，学生们将完成他们的个人项目，展示他们的发现，并撰写一份项目报告，在适当的时候可以提交发表。回到美国后，学生们将在当地、地区和国家的各种场所向同行、科学和普通观众展示他们的研究成果。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 award aims to grow a globally engaged U.S. scientific workforce by providing an international research experience in Vienna, Austria to a diverse group of U.S. undergraduate students. Five students per year will conduct individual research projects on energy balance in vertebrates (including hibernating dormice and migratory birds), mentored by a dynamic group of international ecophysiology researchers at the Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna. Understanding how various vertebrate animals choose to allocate energy resources under different environmental conditions is important for predicting how those animals might respond to a changing climate. On their return to north Texas, students will present the results and broader implications of their research on these topics and their travel experience to the local community.Comparative ecophysiology provides a unique opportunity to investigate the strategies by which various vertebrates at different life stages cope with extreme energy demands under a potentially changing climate. Hibernators gain extensive body fat to fuel survival over months of aphagia, and have lifespans longer than predicted for their body size. Migratory birds expend immense amounts of energy to fuel continent-scale migrations, but also must have sufficient energy for costly breeding behaviors and courtship displays. Understanding the common strategies by which birds and mammals manage energy allocation in different seasons may provide insights into the ability of these organisms to deal with the likely perturbations of food availability due to climate change. IRES participant projects fall into 3 main categories: 1) effects of early-life caloric restriction (on hibernation and ageing in dormice, and on migratory behavior in birds); 2) cost/benefit decisions of arrival time and breeding behavior in migratory birds; 3) regulation of metabolic costs of courting behavior in birds. IRES students will participate in a semester-long half credit pre-departure course providing training in cultural competency, necessary technical skills, and project design in collaboration with their international research mentors. During their 7 weeks in Vienna, students will carry out their individual projects, present on their findings, and write up a project report that where appropriate may be submitted for publication. On their return to the US, students will present their research to peer, scientific, and general audiences in a variety of local, regional, and national venues.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.