This Academic Research Facilities Modernization Program (ARFMP) award from the Research Facilities Office provides funds to the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium of the state of Alabama, which serves 21 state academic institutions including three predominantly black colleges and universities and which operates and maintains the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, for the renovation and repair of Marine Science Hall and for the replacement of attendant buildings. Marine Science Hall houses multi-disciplinary biological and behavioral science research and research training activities in coastal marine science. This building was constructed in 1950 and last renovated in 1990. The ARFMP grant of $585,000 and $585,000 provided by the grantee as cost sharing will be used to modernize these research and research training facilities. In order to relieve overcrowding and to provide suitable facilities for collaborative investigation, this project will address the need to improve the current research infrastructure by repair or replacement of the physical structure and its supporting systems. Resulting from these changes will be more space for laboratory use and the creation of a video analysis facility and an isotope facility. This award contributes to the infrastructure of science and engineering by providing an improved environment for the conduct of research and for the training of undergraduates, graduates and postdoctoral students in interdisciplinary research. This modernization project makes a further contribution to the human resources pipeline because of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab's unique ability to introduce pre-college students to the knowledge generated by the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium's scientists and collaborators.
