Collaborative Research: IRES: Track I: GYP-NEXTGEN: Empowering future scientists within an international consortium focused on gypsum plant communities

不寻常的土壤类型，如石膏是家庭的一个显着比例的世界植物多样性，主机独特的，往往是罕见的生物群落的保护问题，并作为优秀的系统，以进一步我们的基本进化和生态过程的理解。通过IRES第一轨道资金，GYP-NEXTGEN项目允许约翰卡罗尔大学、新墨西哥州州立大学和奥伯林学院支持每年6名学生的队列（每个机构每年两名学生，为期三年）与西班牙Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología、阿尔梅里亚大学和雷伊胡安·卡洛斯大学的合作伙伴开展指导研究项目。主要目标是促进我们对独特的植物和相关生物体的了解，这些植物和生物体专门研究不寻常的石膏土壤，同时为不同的美国本科生（共18名学生）提供高质量的国际研究经验。学生参与者将来自三个不同的机构，包括一个西班牙裔服务机构和两个本科生为重点的机构，其中一个有许多第一代学生。GYP-NEXTGEN建立在现有的美国-西班牙合作的基础上，为美国学生提供了与该研究领域的许多全球专家一起工作的机会。GYP-NEXTGEN将为全球劳动力培养18名未来的科学家，培养他们在STEM领域的跨文化，人际交往和学术研究技能。每个学生将由美国和西班牙科学家密切指导，因为他们制定研究方案，在现场和实验室进行研究，并准备他们的工作演示和进一步出版。学生将通过直接接触西班牙当地学校来谈论他们的工作，并通过制作关于他们项目的双语播客来提高他们的科学沟通技能。该项目还为美国和西班牙的多元化教师团队提供专业发展机会。通过利用和扩大GYPWORLD，GYP-NEXTGEN加强了美国和西班牙合作机构之间的联系，使石膏生态系统的基础研究和保护取得实质性进展，并为本科生，初级教师和高级教师的专业发展创造了有意义的机会。不寻常的土壤类型，如石膏，为了解基本的生态和进化过程提供了独特的机会。适应这些土壤的生物往往天生就很稀少，需要加以保护。尽管石膏生态系统在全球干旱和半干旱地区存在，但与其他恶劣土壤类型相比，石膏生态系统仍然研究不足，但它们在五大洲拥有生物多样性的地方性植物和生物土壤结皮社区。该项目建立在美国和西班牙合作伙伴之间现有的合作基础上，为来自三所美国机构（约翰卡罗尔大学，新墨西哥州州立大学和奥伯林学院）的18名学生提供了指导和培训机会，三所西班牙机构（Instituto Pirenaico de Almería，Universidad de Almería和Universidad Rey Juan卡洛斯）。通过进一步联系美国和西班牙的合作伙伴，该项目将推进与石膏生态系统的生理学，生态学，进化和保护相关的基础研究问题。我们的主要目标是提高我们对石膏生态系统的理解，同时为不同的美国本科生提供高质量的国际研究经验。重要的是，西班牙是石膏生态和进化研究的国际中心，GYP-NEXTGEN中包含的西班牙PI代表了石膏生态和进化的大多数全球领导者。学生将通过在西班牙的研究经历之前，期间和之后的综合活动进行指导，以确保始终如一的高质量指导。GYP-NEXTGEN将为全球劳动力培养18名未来的科学家，培养他们在STEM领域的跨文化，人际交往和学术研究技能。每个学生将由美国和西班牙科学家密切指导，因为他们制定研究方案，在现场和实验室进行研究，并准备他们的工作演示和进一步出版。学生将通过直接接触西班牙当地学校来谈论他们的工作，并通过制作关于他们项目的双语播客来提高他们的科学沟通技能。该项目还为多元化的教师提供专业发展机会。通过利用和扩大现有的欧盟资助的GYPWORLD项目，GYP-NEXTGEN加强了美国和西班牙合作机构之间的联系，使石膏生态系统的基础研究和保护取得实质性进展，并为本科生，初级教师，该项目由国际学生研究经验计划和刺激竞争性研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF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。

Unusual soil types such as gypsum are home to a significant proportion of the world’s plant diversity, host unique and often rare biological communities of conservation concern, and serve as excellent systems to further our understanding of basic evolutionary and ecological processes. Through IRES Track I funding, the GYP-NEXTGEN project allows John Carroll University, New Mexico State University, and Oberlin College to support annual 6-student cohorts (two students per institution per year for three years) to conduct mentored research projects with partners in Spain at the Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Universidad de Almería, and Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. The main objective is to advance our understanding of the unique plants and associated organisms that specialize on unusual gypsum soils, while simultaneously providing high-quality international research experiences to a diverse set of US undergraduates (18 students, total). The student participants will be drawn from three diverse institutions, including a Hispanic-serving institution and two undergraduate-focused institutions, one of which has many first-generation students. GYP-NEXTGEN builds on an existing US-Spanish collaboration, providing US students the opportunity to work alongside many of the worldwide experts in this research area. GYP-NEXTGEN will train 18 future scientists for a global workforce, developing their cross-cultural, interpersonal, and academic research skills in STEM fields. Each student will be closely mentored by US and Spanish scientists as they develop research proposals, conduct studies in the field and laboratory, and prepare their work for presentation and further publication. Students will advance their scientific communication skills through direct outreach to local schools in Spain to talk about their work, and in the US and Mexico through production of a bilingual podcast about their projects. The project also provides professional development opportunities for a diverse faculty team in the US and Spain. By leveraging and expanding upon GYPWORLD, GYP-NEXTGEN strengthens the links between the US and Spanish partner institutions, enables substantive advances in basic research and conservation of gypsum ecosystems, and creates meaningful opportunities for professional development for undergraduates, junior faculty, and senior faculty alike.Unusual soil types such as gypsum offer unique opportunities for understanding basic ecological and evolutionary processes. Organisms adapted to these soils are often inherently rare and of conservation concern. Despite their global presence in arid and semi-arid regions, gypsum ecosystems remain understudied compared to other harsh soil types, yet they host biodiverse endemic plant and biological soil crust communities on five continents. This project builds on an existing collaboration between US and Spanish partners, providing opportunities to mentor and train 18 students total from three US institutions (John Carroll University, New Mexico State University, and Oberlin College) at three Spanish institutions (Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Universidad de Almería, and Universidad Rey Juan Carlos). By further linking US and Spanish partners, this project will advance fundamental research questions related to the physiology, ecology, evolution, and conservation of gypsum ecosystems. Our main objective is to advance our understanding of gypsum ecosystems while simultaneously providing high-quality international research experiences to a diverse set of US undergraduates. Importantly, Spain is the international hub of gypsum ecological and evolutionary research, and the Spanish PIs included in GYP-NEXTGEN represent most of the global leaders in gypsum ecology and evolution. Students will be mentored through an integrated campaign of activities before, during, and after their research experiences in Spain, to ensure consistent high-quality mentorship. GYP-NEXTGEN will train 18 future scientists for a global workforce, developing their cross-cultural, interpersonal, and academic research skills in STEM fields. Each student will be closely mentored by US and Spanish scientists as they develop research proposals, conduct studies in the field and laboratory, and prepare their work for presentation and further publication. Students will advance their scientific communication skills through direct outreach to local schools in Spain to talk about their work, and in the US and Mexico through production of a bilingual podcast about their projects. The project also provides professional development opportunities for a diverse faculty. By leveraging and expanding upon the existing European Union funded GYPWORLD project, GYP-NEXTGEN strengthens the links between the US and Spanish partner institutions, enables substantive advances in basic research and conservation of gypsum ecosystems, and creates meaningful opportunities for professional development for undergraduates, junior faculty, and senior faculty alike.This project is jointly funded by the International Research Experience for Students program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).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.