Preparing the next generation of sustainability scientists

Ecology and Society: a journal of integrative science for resilience and sustainability

QuangPhung,¹  KelleySterle,²  AbhinandanBera,³  Anastasia W. Thayer,⁴  SaraAlian,⁶  Kristen A. Goodrich,⁷  Rachel A. Myer,⁸  Aaron M. Shew,⁹  Emily N. Bondank,^1,11  Alexander K. Killion,^1,12  MarciaHale,^1,13  Jillian R. Drabik,^1,14 

[1] California Center for Sustainable Communities, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability;Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Boise State University;Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, University of Miami, Florida;Bioengineering Department, University of Missouri;Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University;Department of Architecture, Pennsylvania State University;Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering , Oklahoma State University;Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of North Carolina Greensboro;Department of Psychology, Temple University;Environmental Dynamics Program, University of Arkansas;Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences and Cooperative Extension, University of Nevada, Reno;Human-Environment Systems Center, Boise State University;School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine;School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University

关键词: graduate education;    integrative research;    interdisciplinary;    team science;    training;    transdisciplinary;   

DOI  :  10.5751/ES-10395-230439

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Resilience Alliance Publications

【 摘 要 】

Graduate programs emerging in universities over recent decades support the advanced study of sustainability issues in complex socio-environmental systems. Constructing the problem-scope to address these issues requires graduate students to integrate across disciplines and synthesize the social and natural dimensions of sustainability. Graduate programs that are designed to foster inter- and transdisciplinary research acknowledge the importance of training students to use integrative research approaches. However, this training is not available in all graduate programs that support integrative research, often requiring students to seek external training opportunities. We present perspectives from a group of doctoral students with diverse disciplinary backgrounds conducting integrative research in universities across the United States who participated in a 10-day, National Science Foundation-funded integrative research training workshop to learn and develop socio-environmental research skills. Following the workshop, students conducted a collaborative autoethnographic study to share pre- and postworkshop research experiences and discuss ways to increase integrative research training opportunities. Results reveal that students, regardless of disciplinary background, face common barriers conducting integrative research that include: (1) lack of exposure to epistemological frameworks and team-science skills, (2) challenges to effectively include stakeholder perspectives in his/her research, and (3) variable levels of committee support to conduct integrative research. To overcome the identified barriers and advance integrative research, students recommend how training opportunities can be embedded within existing graduate programs. Students advocate that both internal and external training opportunities are necessary to support the next generation of sustainability scientists.

【 授权许可】

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