NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2018

Carter Amanda W, Bloomington IL

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2018, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. A major consequence of climate change is increased temperature variation; however, most studies addressing temperature variation in climate change use constant temperatures and focus on adult organisms. This is problematic because many traits important to survival (e.g. metabolism) are not only temperature-sensitive, but are differentially affected by constant versus fluctuating temperatures. Further, developmental life stages may be more sensitive to temperature variation than adult life stages. This research will compare how developmental and adult life stages are affected by temperature variation, and the potential role of parents in mitigating the degree of temperature variation experienced by young. Findings from this work will enhance predictions of animal responses to climate change and ultimately aid conservation and management decisions. A key facet of the program will be carried out by high school students in the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI) during a summer STEM camp developed and led by the PI, her sponsor, and collaborators in the EBCI. The summer STEM camp will be evaluated and revised during the fellow's tenure, so that an effective outreach program can be implemented annually following the conclusion of the fellowship. This work will determine if (1) temperature variation differentially affects organisms throughout ontogeny, and (2) assess the role of parents in mitigating the degree of thermal variability experienced by young. This project will utilize Onthophagus taurus, which exhibits discrete life stages and suites of parental effects, like variation in sub-surface brood ball burial depth. Brood ball burial depth may significantly contribute to the degree of thermal variability young experience during development, potentially affecting thermal sensitivity of metabolism, survival, and fecundity, ultimately influencing responses to climate change. To address the first research objective, the fellow will measure: (a) metabolic costs incurred under fluctuating temperatures, (b) degree of thermal plasticity, and (c) potential costs associated with mounting thermally plastic responses across life stages. The second research objective assess shifts in brood ball burial depth under current and predicted climates. Importantly, this research objective will be carried out by EBCI students annually, culminating in a longitudinal citizen science database that tracks climate-driven shifts in parental behavior. During the research program, the fellow will receive training in invertebrate physiology, quantifying thermal sensitivity of metabolism, and R. The fellow will also receive career development training from K. Sheldon and NIMBioS, and gain educational experience implementing culturally responsive practices and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. 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.