While shifting global climate and concomitant biological responses have always been part of Earth's history, the rapidity of current human-mediated environmental change is unprecedented. The most important of such changes include global warming, habitat loss and the introduction of species to novel geographic areas. Biologically, species may respond to rapidly changing environments through altered morphology, behavior or physiology. Humans uniquely adapt to environmental change by learning from the past, forecasting the future, and by using public policies to shape behavior. The goal of this Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) renewal award is to develop a multidisciplinary understanding of the biological and social mechanisms needed to respond to rapid environmental change. The dynamism of environmental problems means that solutions must be on-going accomplishments, requiring continuing commitment to monitoring, management, and adaptation. Graduate students, trained through coursework, research collaborations, and internships, will become proficient in the fundamental scientific and social issues involved in responding to rapid environmental change. Students will also organize workshops that bring together citizens, agency representatives, policymakers, non-governmental organizations and industry. New collaborations with Howard University and California State University-Fullerton will expand efforts to broaden participation. Because environmental change is global in scope, students will have opportunities to develop international collaborations through internships and research activities. All of the activities of the past and proposed IGERT make direct contributions to solving society's most pressing environmental problems. 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.
