Grant: Collaborative Research and Training Experience

Gobal change is emerging as one of the most important issues of our time, yet the public and governments have remained unmotivated to make fundamental changes in public behaviour and policy. The reasons for this are strongly rooted in human cultural memes. Moreover, an important contributor is the lack of clarity in scientific information and projections arising from traditional research strategies, as well as communication deficits between scientists and the public for motivating action. Graduates are entering the workforce deficient in skills for meeting these critical challenges posed by global change. The goal of TerreWEB is to create an enriched, innovative, collaborative graduate training environment that addresses (1) key scientific gaps in understanding the impacts of global change on terrestrial ecosystems and developing strategies for mitigation and adaptation (70% program emphasis), and (2) evaluating the factors underlying global change communication deficits, developing novel communication strategies for addressing these deficits, and measuring the efficacy of those strategies (30% program emphasis). A new breed of scientists will thus emerge with integrated training in natural sciences research, behavioral decision research and science communication. This program falls within NSERC's first priority area (environmental science & technologies) and will make contributions to two others (natural resources & energy; information & communication technology). TerreWEB includes a strong interdisciplinary network of 11 UBC researchers who bridge six graduate programs and are internationally recognized for their excellence in research and training. This core is supported by a broad network of collaborators who provide diverse expertise and training opportunities. The program includes co-supervision, collaboration, new courses, a seminar series, rotations, internships, professional development, and an infrastructure to foster teamwork and mentoring. TerreWEB will train 14 Masters, 13 PhD and 5 PDFs with further programs to recruit promising undergraduates. TerreWEB trainees will engage at the interface of climate change science, social science and communications research of critical importance to Canada.