REU Site: Summer Research Program in Ecology at Harvard Forest

Harvard University, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

This REU Site award to Harvard University’s Harvard Forest, located in Petersham, MA, will support the training of 10 students for 11 weeks during the summers of 2024- 2026. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities or from an under-represented group, will be trained in the program. The program prioritizes creating an inclusive community in which students can envision themselves having a place in science. Linking students with colleagues from scientific networks will help students develop professional contacts before they join the nation’s workforce. An array of activities (e.g., seminars, data analysis and management workshops, campus visits, career forum) give students myriad opportunities for professional development. Students will learn how research is conducted, and many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. Assessment of this program will be done through an online tool. Students should apply to the REU site using NSF ETAP (Education and Training Application: https://etap.nsf.gov). The goal of the program is to inspire and empower the next generation of ecologists and environmental scientists who will work in diverse, interdisciplinary teams to understand and find equitable solutions to pressing long-term ecological challenges. The intellectual focus is to engage students in the long-term, place-based nature of ecological research. Students join research teams who think critically across temporal, socioecological, and observational scales. They learn about diverse methods of ecological inquiry and engage with the ethical and social justice contexts of the endeavor of science. Projects range from investigating interactions among plant roots and soil microbes, co-developing research with the local Nipmuc tribe to address land stewardship challenges, understanding the impacts of invasive insects on forest biodiversity, and connecting long-term measurements and near-term forecasts of the carbon cycle. Harvard Forest has the distinction of being part of multiple networks including LTER, ForestGEO, Ameriflux, and NEON, so student researchers have rich opportunities to connect site-based work to cross-site and macrosystems scales. 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.