Collaborative Research: IRES: Partnerships Along the Headwaters of the Americas for Young Scientists Program

Water shortages occur in many places in the world due to increasing water demand and changing water availability. Navigating changes in water resources, therefore, requires a global workforce with the intellectual depth and breadth of expertise to respond to water-related challenges. The Partnerships Along the Headwaters of the Americas for Young Scientists Program (Pathways Program) develops such a workforce with training to work in interdisciplinary, international, and interorganizational (I3) settings throughout the Americas. Specifically, the Pathways Program provides educational and research experiences at research sites in the Andean Mountain Range (Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Argentina). Within the I3 context, the Pathways Program provides U.S. students with experiences in problem-based learning and teamwork-oriented collaboration, equipping them first to cross disciplinary borders, then organizational and international borders. Students acquire the skills necessary to excel in a wide range of water-related careers. Shifting climate patterns, changes in land use, escalating water demand, and rigid water policies have amplified the risk of enduring ecological damage and political conflict in river basins worldwide. Addressing and resolving water conflicts requires a robust understanding of various disciplines within varied interdisciplinary contexts. For instance, students investigating the human dimensions of water resources often require a solid understanding of the hydrological landscape and the physical barriers and opportunities that may influence water policy and norms. Conversely, hydrologists and ecologists are more likely to produce and communicate actionable science if they can interpret the social and political factors exacerbating water management issues. The Pathways Program facilitates collaborations between U.S. students and international researchers, who will provide research expertise, regional knowledge, and access to data and field sites. This will enable the exploration of water resource system connections across the Americas and provide opportunities for research collaborations and the development of intellectual capacity through educational activities. Objectives of the Pathways Program are to: (1) Build, deliver, and disseminate a novel model for graduate-level international research experiences including research-related professional development; (2) Use and expand an international research network to advance fundamental knowledge of socio-ecological systems; and (3) Enhance competency in I3 with community engagement to evaluate socio-ecological patterns and climate adaptation. Student research results improve society's ability to build adaptive capacity to changes in climate by expanding an interdisciplinary network of researchers. The training plan prepares U.S. students for I3 research to develop a set of elite water resources professionals, with scientific and cultural sophistication to work effectively in international settings. Through the multi-disciplinary Pathways program and its focus on internationalizing research and professional development this project grows international research capacity for U.S. graduate students and early career faculty. 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.