REU Sites: Dryland ecology and biodiversity in the northern Chihuahuan Desert

REU Site奖授予新墨西哥州阿尔伯克基的新墨西哥大学(UNM)，将支持10名本科生连续三个暑期(2023-2025年)为期10周的研究和培训。将在新墨西哥州拉乔亚附近的新墨西哥州大学塞维莱塔实地站开展高质量的研究和培训活动。这项研究将在塞维莱塔国家野生动物保护区(SNWR)的长期生态研究(LTER)计划的背景下进行，该计划的重点是气候变化对生物多样性和生态变化的影响。学生将接受研究伦理方面的培训，与环境艺术家互动，并练习向公众传播科学。预计共有30名学生，主要来自研究机会有限的学校和/或代表性不足的群体，将在该计划中接受培训，目标是为研究生或联邦机构和非政府保护组织的职位提供一个跳板。将通过SALG Urssa在线工具对该方案进行评估。学生将被要求在NSF ETAP系统(etap.nsf.gov)注册，并在项目结束后进行跟踪，以确定他们的职业道路。这笔资金将继续为UNM Sevilleta野战站(SNWR)的REU Site计划提供为期三年的支持。这个由NSF资助的LTER站点支持对全球变化和区域分类群的长期研究。UNM(一家西班牙裔服务机构)将从代表性不足的群体和主要是本科生机构招募学员。申请将通过求职信、成绩单、GPA、推荐信和面试进行评估。与会者将在奇瓦瓦沙漠北部体验旱地生态系统和现实世界的保护。他们还将接受公共演讲和公共关系方面的培训，参加每周的研讨会，获得第一手的保护和管理知识，参加关于专业发展的工作坊，并接受关于展示和发布结果的指导。将使用SALG Urssa在线工具进行评估。参与者将满足关键的国家劳动力需求，包括环境科学职业，同时增加该领域中代表不足的少数族裔。欲了解更多信息，请访问https://sevilletareu.wordpress.com/，或联系国际和平组织(Scott Collins博士，电子邮件：scollins@unm.edu)或联合国际组织(AlesiaHallmark@unm.edu，AlesiaHallmark@unm.edu)。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并已通过使用基金会的智力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 REU Site award to the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque, New Mexico (NM), will support the research and training of 10 undergraduate students for 10 weeks for three, consecutive summers (2023-2025). High-quality research and training activities will be conducted at the UNM Sevilleta Field Station near La Joya, NM. The research will take place in the context of a long-term ecological research (LTER) program in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) that focuses on the impacts of climate variability on biodiversity and ecological change. Students will receive training in research ethics, interact with environmental artists, and practice communicating science to the public. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities and/or from an underrepresented group, will be trained in the program with the goal of providing a steppingstone to graduate school or positions with federal agencies and non-governmental conservation organizations. Assessment of the program will be done through the online SALG URSSA tool. Students will be required to register in the NSF ETAP system (etap.nsf.gov) and tracked after the program to determine their career paths.This funding continues three years of support for an REU Site Program at the UNM Sevilleta Field Station (at SNWR). This NSF-funded LTER site supports long-term studies of global change and regional taxa. UNM (an Hispanic Serving Institution) will recruit participants from underrepresented groups and primarily undergraduate institutions. Applications will be evaluated by the cover letter, transcripts, GPA, recommendation letters, and interviews. Participants will experience aridland ecosystems and real-world conservation in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert. They will also receive training in public speaking and R, attend weekly seminars, gain first-hand conservation and management knowledge, participate in workshops on professional development, and receive mentorship on presenting and publishing their results. Assessment will be done with the online SALG URSSA tool. Participants will fill crucial national workforce needs that include environmental science careers while increasing underrepresented minorities in this field. More information is available by visiting https://sevilletareu.wordpress.com/ or by contacting the PI (Dr. Scott Collins at scollins@unm.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Alesia Hallmark at AlesiaHallmark@unm.edu).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.