Photo by SESYNC Postdoc Albert Ruhi
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News from the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center
Research Opportunities

SESYNC Invites Proposals for Collaborative Pursuits & Workshops

SESYNC invites proposals for collaborative team-based research (Pursuits) that synthesize existing data, methods, theories, and tools to address a pressing socio-environmental problem. Researchers are encouraged to develop research questions and methods that can be applicable across multiple places and scales and have the potential to inform decision makers. We are particularly interested in novel, actionable synthesis efforts that employ synthesis methodologies in new ways.  Projects that bring together quantitative and qualitative data and knowledge are of special interest.  In this Request for Proposals we are introducing two NEW Themes, and have a particular interest in developing portfolios of projects to address aspects of each.

Please note that proposals do not need to fall within one of SESYNC's previous Themes or the new Themes listed above. Applicants are encouraged to examine existing SESYNC funded  Pursuits  for examples of successful proposals.

SESYNC is also accepting proposals for Workshops that are single meetings of up to ~25 participants that focus on a broad topic or a set of topics related to socio-environmental science.

Proposals for both Pursuits and Workshops are due May 15.  Click here to find out more about SESYNC's Requests for Proposals. 
SESYNC Requests Proposals for Graduate Student Research

In addi tion to the above Request for Proposals, SESYNC is also acceptin g applications for Graduate Student Pursuits, with the same Themes. Click here to find about more about SESYNC's Grad Student RFP.

For interested graduate students, Nicole Motzer will be hosting two informational webinars at 1:30pm EST on March 17 and March 24 . 

Apply for SESYNC's Summer Short Courses!

Summer Institute: 
Cyberinfrastructure for Socio-Environmental Synthesis

SESYNC invites applications to a short course on data and softwa re skills for socio-environmental synthesis (SES).  The 4th annual Summer Institute will be held July 18-21 at SESYNC in Annapolis, Maryland.  The short course will combine lectures, hands-on computer labs, and project consultation designed to accelerate the adoption of cyber  resources for all phases of data-driven research and dissemination. 

Bayesian Modeling for Socio-Environmental Data

Solutions to pressing environmental problems require understanding connections between human and natural systems. Analysis of these systems requires models that can deal with complexity, are able to exploit data from multiple sources, and are honest about uncertainty that arises in different ways. Synthesis of results
 from multiple studies is often required. Bayesian hierarchal models  provide
 a  powerful approach to analysis of socio-environmental problems that are complex and that require synthesis of knowledge.

SESYNC will host a nine-day short course 
August 15 - 25 covering basic principles of using Bayesian models to gain insight from data.  Click here to find out more information and to apply  online.

Teaching Socio-Environmental Synthesis

SESYNC invites applications for the Teaching Socio-Environmental Synthesis with Case Studies short course to be held  July 25-28 at the Center.

We seek a diverse group of participants, including faculty, postdocs, and graduate students from both the social and natural sciences. Participants should have a strong interest in learning about and teaching S-E synthesis and be willing to commit to writing a case study related to S-E synthesis. We welcome applications from individuals or small teams (four people max) that will collaborate on writing a case study. Teams are strongly encouraged, but not required.

Find out more and apply online on  SESYNC's website.

New Publications

Interpreting beta diversity components over time to conserve metacommunities in highly-dynamic ecosystems  - Published by SESYNC Postdoctoral fellow Albert Ruhi and colleagues in the journal  Conservation Biology . 

Regime shifts and panarchies in regional scale social-ecological water systems  - Led by Lance Gunderson as part of the  Adaptive Water Governance  Pursuit  and published in Ecology and Society.

Science and Federal Environmental Decisions: A Survey of Interactions, Successes, and Difficulties - Published by James Boyd and Jonathan Kramer as a collaboration between Resources for the Future and SESYNC.

Social-ecological enabling conditions for payments for ecosystem services - Published in Ecology and Society by  Heidi R. Huber-Stearns and colleagues,  as part of the  Enabling Payments for Watershed Services Graduate Student Pursuit.

Book Chapter in Impact of Biological Invasions on Ecosystem Services titled Non-native Species and the Aesthetics of Nature authored by  Christoph Küffer and Christian Kull (and partly funded by SESYNC).


Join Our Team!

Associate Director for Actionable Science and Associate Director for Research

SESYNC is currently accepting applications for two Associate Director positions .  For more information, read the full job descriptions on SESYNC's website . Please share with potentially-interested colleagues. Applications due  March 30.


Research Accounts Coordinator

SESYNC's Research Accounts Coordinator will be responsible for managing the financial aspects of multiple research accounts, assisting with new grant proposal routing and budget preparation, sub award monitoring, accurate reporting, and compliance with federal and state regulations. Click here for more information and to apply online.

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