RaMP: Training the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists to collaboratively address species responses to climate change with SPARCnet

Two formidable challenges exist for the scientific workforce in the 21st century: (1) to produce a new generation of scientists with a broad spectrum of ideas and experiences; and (2) to mitigate the impacts of large-scale global change, including land-use shifts, species introductions, atmospheric deposition, and climate change. Because the impacts of global change are challenging to predict, there is a need for multi-disciplinary and collaborative perspectives to better understand these impacts and to implement solutions. Coordinated networks that integrate researchers across disciplines and locations provide a framework to address these challenges. The Salamander Population and Adaptation Research Collaboration Network (SPARCnet) is an intellectually and geographically distributed network that brings together a diverse group of scientists, educators, university, federal, state, and non-profit partners to use terrestrial amphibians as models for understanding how species respond to global change. The SPARCnet RaMP program will recruit and mentor a diverse cohort of 30 postbaccalaureate mentees within this collaborative and multi-disciplinary network. Individual and collaborative research projects will be carried out by mentor-mentee teams to investigate patterns and predict responses of species to global change. These teams will also integrate diverse perspectives for policy and management. The SPARCnet RaMP program will provide professional development and career exploration for mentees to gain placement in career or graduate school opportunities, with the goal of expanding participation in the scientific workforce. Climate is driving ecosystem change, but the precise response will vary among populations based on local conditions. Amphibians are particularly at risk given their narrow temperature and moisture tolerances. The network-wide research approach of the SPARCnet RaMP program will determine how different populations of the same species, across a large geographic range, differ in their sensitivity and response to changing climate. Program participants will integrate multiple sources of complexity and variation to understand the behavioral, physiological, and genetic basis of local adaptation and population dynamics. In parallel, the principal investigators will provide and assess the effectiveness of evidence-based mentoring practices and formative research experiences for each cohort of postbaccalaureate mentees. Assessment of the effectiveness of this program will focus on how well the program (1) builds and fosters mentees’ scientific identity, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging in scientific disciplines, all of which are important measures of persistence and future success in scientific careers, and (2) reduces barriers in scientific career pathways for members of underrepresented groups. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.