Recognizing the seriousness of consequences of both accidental and deliberate biotic introductions, this Integrative Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) award promotes the development of the scientific basis of decision-making about introductions of new species and genotypes, including how to prevent future detrimental introductions, and how to control harmful organisms already present. The overarching goal is to educate Ph.D. students to conduct research to improve ecological risk analysis and contribute solutions to problems affecting management of introduced species and genotypes worldwide. The education and training program establishes linkages between research and this type of decision-making. As students develop foundational knowledge and skills in ecological risk analysis, they will also gain practical experience in its application to real-world problems. These educational goals will be accomplished via: (1) a new curriculum and minor, (2) semiannual symposia and weekly discussions, (3) problem-solving practica with external partners, and (4) dissertation studies on IGERT research themes in collaboration with external partners.
Broader impacts include advancing the scientific basis of decision-making; and producing young scientists, with diverse cultural perspectives, who are uniquely and highly qualified to meet the challenges posed by introduced organisms. Curricular materials, developed from real-world scenarios, will help build professional capacity worldwide for analyzing risks associated with these introductions. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE Forty-two University of Minnesota faculty from seven Colleges and 16 Departments provided an integrative and interdisciplinary research experience and mentorship for 26 graduate student trainees in ecological risk analysis (ERA) for introduced species and genotypes. Seven trainees have completed a Ph.D., two trainees have completed an M.S., and 17 trainees are still completing the requirements for a Ph.D. Of the seven Ph.D.’s, two are employed in private companies and five are in post-doctoral positions. Trainees have published 50 referred journal articles, one book, and 9 other articles up to the end of the IGERT funding, and more are being produced. Trainees gave 121 presentations at academic conferences and gave 109 outreach presentations to the public on invasive species or genotypes. Each year trainees interacted with at least seven domestic partners and six international partners, including academic, corporate, governmental and other partners, many of which have oversight responsibilities for invasive species and genotypes. Faculty and trainees mentored 23 undergraduate students during our summer research program: 14 were underrepresented minorities, 13 were female, and only two were from the University of Minnesota. Fourteen students were selected and mentored by trainees, who gained invaluable experience mentoring undergraduate researchers. We provided a positive and often transformative research experience to the undergraduates and gave them a taste of graduate-level research. Five students are still completing their Bachelor’s degrees and the other 18 have graduated. Eight are employed in STEM careers; three are in education, two are working at consulting firms and two others at NGOs. Two have completed Master’s degrees, five others are working on Master’s degrees, three on Ph.D. degrees, and two on medical degrees. A key element of the IGERT was development of annual symposia, usually organized by the trainees. The first symposium was "Predicting the Invasive Potential of Exotic Species", which exposed trainees to the variety of professionals involved with invasive species and the high degree of concern for the problem. This symposium and follow-up activities generated six refereed journal publications and $2.7 million in external grants. We also helped organize a symposium held on the White Earth Indian Reservation to build bridges between the Minnesota Ojibwe and the University of Minnesota. Leaders from both communities spoke about their knowledge of and concerns about wild rice (manoomin) and genetic modification. Trainees facilitated discussions and experienced how cultural and spiritual considerations impinge on ERA. The trainees, at the request of he Chair of the White Earth Band, drafted a whitepaper to support a policy to protect wild rice from genetic modification. Two subsequent symposia were co-organized by IGERT trainees to follow-up these activities. The first cohort of IGERT Trainees worked with the US Forest Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, concentrating on oak wilt and how it can be managed by State and local government. Oak wilt would cause $18-60 million over the next 10 years in one Minnesota county alone if left unmanaged. Trainees integrated economics, ecology, sociology and policy, and their findings are available at http://isg-igert.umn.edu/news/OakWiltReportOct08.pdf and in three refereed journal articles. Trainees shared their results with key managers and decision-makers to help these communities improve their policy and decisions. The second cohort of trainees worked with the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to review ERA frameworks used by different countries for living modified organisms (LMOs). The team used economic, cultural and biological criteria to evaluate how the ERA process corresponded to treaty language for nine countries. The resulting document was published in the Biosafety Technical Series of the CBD and is available at http://bch.cbd.int/protocol/cpb_technicalseries/cpb-ts-02-en.pdf, and is being used by the CBD to help other countries develop their own RA frameworks for LMOs. The third cohort of trainees worked with WorldFish Center in Malaysia to develop a risk/benefit framework to assess potential effects from introduction of Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) to Solomon Islands. This framework balances the benefits of introducing a fast-growing fish to increase availability of protein for humans with the potential for ecological harm from escape of fish or fish byproducts. They presented this work to representatives from fisheries departments from many Pacific Island nations at a Secretariat of the Pacific Community conference. The final document is informing the official ERA contracted by the Solomon Islands government and being distributed by WorldFish to other countries considering similar introductions. The fourth cohort published a framework for identifying potential adverse ecological and societal effects of genetically engineered mosquitoes released for malaria control. Trainees developed a new approach for identifying such effects, which led to identification of several new kinds of potential adverse effects. Many insects are being genetically engineered, and because nearly all of these targets are pests and considered detrimental, it is even more important to make sure that they can be used safely.
