Coordination of the DFG Priority Program 1803 (Phase I): EarthShape- Earth Surface Shaping by Biota

EarthShape优先计划定义了四个可测试的假设，以量化生物群对地球表面过程的影响为中心。我们为跨学科研究创造了一个独特的机会，跨越了地球科学、生物学、地貌学、土壤科学和水文学之间的传统界限。这项协调提案解决了几个与测试我们的科学假设和为德国未来表面工艺研究培养跨学科研究氛围有关的管理挑战。这些挑战包括：a)提供基本的仪器和数据集，使许多EarthShape子项目受益；b)协调智利偏远地区的实地工作、许可证和国际合作；c)通过青年科学家技能研讨会、性别平等措施和项目会议，确保参与者作为跨学科研究人员的发展和流动性。在本提案中，我们强调了未来3年地球形状优先计划的主要目标和行政和财政需求。在这样做时，我们提请注意协调员和指导委员会在过去四年中设想的作为成功的优先方案的基本要素的重要组成部分。这些考虑包括：a)参与者需要解决原始EarthShape科学提案中概述的研究集群和时间尺度桥接问题，b)来自截然不同学科的研究人员配对以促进跨学科研究，以及c)参与者需要在选定的重点研究领域内（或非常接近）工作，以便交叉比较和整合来自不同项目的结果。

The EarthShape priority program defines four testable hypotheses centered on quantifying the influence of biota on Earth surface processes. We do this by creating a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary research that spans traditional boundaries between the geosciences, biology, geomorphology, soil science, and hydrology. This coordination proposal tackles several administrative challenges related to testing our scientific hypotheses and fostering an interdisciplinary research atmosphere for future surface processes research in Germany. These challenges include: a) providing essential instrumentation and data sets that benefit many EarthShape subprojects; b) coordinating field work, permits, and international collaborations in remote field areas in Chile; and c) ensuring the development and mobility of participants as interdisciplinary researchers through young-scientist complimentary skills workshops, gender equality measures, and project meetings. In this proposal, we highlight key goals and administrative and financial needs of the EarthShape Priority Program for the next 3 years. In doing so, we draw attention to the important ingredients the coordinators and steering committee have envisaged over the preceding 4 years as essential elements of a successful priority program. These considerations include: a) the need for participants to address the research clusters and timescale bridging that are outlined in the original EarthShape scientific proposal, b) pairing of investigators from distinctly different disciplines to foster interdisciplinary research, and c) the need for participants to work within (or very near) the selected focus study areas to enable a cross comparison and integration of results from different projects.