Thrust Areas Ecosystem Water Institute Classification Level
Water, Land Use and Ecosystems Water and Climate Water and Society Water Resources Sustainability Springs Wetlands Watersheds Aquifers Lakes Coastal Zone  Water Institute Classification 1  Water Institute Classification 2  Water Institute Classification 3  Water Institute Classification 4
     

IGERT Program in Adaptive Management: Wise Use of Water, Wetlands and Watersheds
Goals and Objectives
 
Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) is the National Science Foundation’s flagship interdisciplinary training program, educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers by building on the foundations of their disciplinary knowledge with interdisciplinary training. This IGERT program in Adaptive Management links four colleges, fifteen academic departments, and three research centers at the University of Florida with international wetlands research centers in Africa, Mexico, South America, Australia, and south Florida. It focuses on the theme of wise use of water, wetlands, and watersheds.

At the heart of the research theme for this project, and a key educational feature of the program, is the innovative practice of Adaptive Management. Adaptive Management is a systematic process for continually improving management policies and practices by learning from the outcomes of operational programs. Adaptive Management is an essential study area for future scientists, engineers and policy makers who will be working with coupled human and natural systems.

The education component of this IGERT project stresses basic science in each student's discipline, coupled with training in systems, law, policy, ethics, and communication. The graduate students in the program research and explore Adaptive Management and the science, engineering, and policy frameworks that drive it. Furthermore they experience Adaptive Management first hand, as they navigate the learning environment, self-evaluate direction and outcomes, and possibly change their own research focus during their graduate studies. The Adaptive Management IGERT faculty are working in a dynamic interdisciplinary atmosphere, developing training opportunities and an educational pedagogy aimed at producing graduates with interdisciplinary and adaptive management skills, and participating in their own development vis-a-vis graduate education and research from an integrative perspective.
 
Planned Outputs
Ph. D. Graduates with interdisciplinary and adaptive management skills
 
Project Lead
Brown, Mark T
 
Project Participants
Brown, Mark T
 
Additional Participants
Richard Hamann
Jonathan Martin
Konda Ramesh Reddy
Sandra Russo
Jane Southworth
 
EcoSystem:
Watersheds
Wetlands
 
WIClassLevel: 
Level 1: WI Affiliated Faculty Project
 
ThrustArea: 
Water and Society
Water, Land Use and Ecosystems
 
Sponsor
NATL SCIENCE FOU
 
Grant Award Dates
9/15/2005 to 2/28/2013