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The
Environmental Science and Policy
Program (ESPP) manages the Environmental Research Initiative (ERI)
funded by the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, the Provost,
the College of Social Science, and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment
Station.
The ESPP Program Advisory
Group reviewed proposals for
- potential for scientific
excellence in the area
- potential for increased
funding and visibility in the area
- improvement in MSU’s
potential that will result from the investment proposed
- scientific quality
Twelve proposals were
selected for funding:
- Institutions and
Governance for Water Management: Synthesizing MSU Socioeconomic Research,
Anne Ferguson, professor of anthropology
- Environmental Statistics
and Modeling Signature Program, Daniel Hayes, associate professor
of fisheries and wildlife
- Invasive Species Policy,
Ecology and Management, Douglas Landis, professor of entomology
- Environmental and
Resource Economics and Policy, Frank Lupi, associate professor of
agricultural economics
- Facilitated Research and
Education through an Integrated Data Support Service, Jessica Moy,
director, Remote Sensing and
GIS Research and Outreach Services
- Michigan’s ECHO,
David Poulson, associate director, Knight Center for Journalism,
- Environmental and Social
Impact Assessment of the Avanca Brasil in the Amazon Basin, Cynthia
Simmons, assistant professor of geography
- Ecosystem Services from
Low Input Cropping Systems, Scott Swinton, professor of
agricultural economics
- Sustainable Planning,
Design and Construction, Matt Syal, professor of planning design
and construction
- Pharmaceuticals in the
Environment, James Tiedje, University Distinguished Professor of
crop and soil sciences
- Environmental
Biogeochemistry as a Potential MSU Signature Program, Merritt Turetsky,
assistant professor of plant biology
- Integrated Risk and
Impact Assessment Associated with Climate Change and Variability in the
Great Lakes Region, Julie Winkler, professor of geography
Summaries of the funded
proposals follow:
Institutions and
Governance for Water Management: Synthesizing MSU Socioeconomic Research,
Anne Ferguson, PI
Most efforts to improve
water quality and quantity focus on technical solutions, the investigators
wrote, but policies and institutions that shape human interaction with water
also need to be improved. Policies and institutional arrangements influence
human behavior that affects water supply conditions, for example the extent
to which people conserve water or engage in activities that cause pollution.
Policies and institutions also determine how clean water supplies are
allocated among different populations, thus affecting how people gain access
to water in sufficient quantity and quality and who suffers from shortages.
The researchers proposed to
- Synthesize MSU’s ongoing
research on upstream-downstream interactions in water management.
- Develop a common
biophysical-socioeconomic framework for analyzing upstream-downstream
water management problems. The purpose of the framework would be to yield
comparable research findings across multiple contexts.
- Test the framework by
applying it to two to three specific cases, including at least one in
Michigan.
- Secure outside funding
sources to expand this research.
- Participate in
conferences and other events to promote MSU's knowledge and expertise in
this area.
Environmental Statistics
and Modeling Signature Program, Daniel Hayes, PI
Environmental research
increasingly relies on the application of specialized statistics and
modeling, the investigators wrote. They proposed a program to foster the
application and integration of these tools. One of the emphasis areas will
be methods for combining dynamic modeling with formal statistical analysis.
To meet their goals they plan
- A series of seminars to
raise visibility and facilitate interactions among faculty
- A workshop to identify
the current state of environmetrics at MSU and develop a strategy for
strengthening the area
- An inventory of faculty
and expertise at MSU with a Web site to highlight that expertise
- Short courses on
environmetrics topics after determining potential demand
- Recommendations for
potential faculty positions and other actions to enhance the area
Invasive Species Policy,
Ecology and Management, Douglas Landis, PI
Nonindigenous invasive
species (NIS) cause problems for the earth’s biodiversity and are expensive:
estimates of costs to the United States exceed $137 billion per year. In the
Great Lakes region NIS such as zebra mussel, sea lamprey, emerald ash borer,
garlic mustard, and West Nile virus
threaten human and animal health and lead to constraints on travel,
recreation, and commerce. On-going large-scale processes such as
climate change and globalization are likely to increase the introduction,
spread, and impact of NIS. To address these ecological and economic impacts
of NIS the research team proposes to
- complete the
Nonindigenous Biota of Michigan database and publish a comprehensive
inventory of potentially invasive species and an analysis of risk
potential
- conduct workshops to
develop a network of biological and social scientists and partnerships
with policy makers at state, regional, and federal levels
- develop a web-based
training and reporting platform for invasive species survey, detection,
and mapping
Environmental and
Resource Economics and Policy, Frank Lupi, PI
“MSU’s expertise in
environmental and natural resource economics and policy (ENREP) extends into
multiple departments and is noted for its diverse methods (e.g., valuation
of ecosystem services, efficiency analysis, design of market-based
environmental policies) and, perhaps more importantly, an increasing range
of subject matter (e.g., land use, forestry, fisheries, air pollution, water
pollution, water markets, corporate environmental management, climate
change, etc.),” the team wrote. They plan a series of interdisciplinary
workshops to
·
improve integration of the ENREP faculty with other MSU faculty
·
assess, articulate, and record the current best practices, understanding,
and gaps in knowledge
·
engage external clientele, potential collaborators, and funders.
The three areas proposed for the workshops
are invasive species, restoration of surface water quality, and integration
of physical science and economics.
Facilitated Research and
Education through an Integrated Data Support Service, Jessica Moy, PI
Many datasets necessary for faculty research exist in the public domain but
are not organized for efficient and convenient use, the team wrote. Remote
Sensing and GIS Research and Outreach Services (RS&GIS) proposes to develop
an Integrated Data Support Service (IDSS) that will make a variety of
spatial (GIS) and tabular datasets available to MSU faculty, staff, and
students. “IDSS will create a portal for both data users and producers. Data
users will access an intuitive, Web-based site that will permit direct links
to the RS&GIS servers for (1) read-only, interactive data access or (2) data
downloads for local applications and/or manipulation. Data producers will be
able to upload and archive files, containing proper metadata citation, for
cross-campus collaboration,” the proposal explains. |
Michigan’s ECHO, David
Poulson, PI
“Michigan’s Echo” is
a service that searches for environmental news stories on the Web sites of
Michigan daily newspapers and sends a digest to subscribers by e-mail or RSS
feed, the researchers wrote. The
digest is also posted on the Web where the database of previous digests
can be searched. The team proposes to expand Echo, tailoring the service to
MSU departments and centers that have environmental components: for example,
food safety stories for the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center,
water quality and water use stories for the Institute of Water Research, and
land use stories for the Land Policy Program. Those units could then use
Echo on their Web sites to deliver news that is relevant to their
constituencies. Echo can similarly serve local government agencies, industry
groups, and environmental organizations.
Environmental and Social
Impact Assessment of the Avanca Brasil in the Amazon Basin, Cynthia Simmons,
PI
This project aims to
assemble a team of scientists from MSU and Brazil, collect data on the
status of infrastructure development in the Brazilian Amazon, and submit a
proposal to an external funding agency for assessing the environmental and
social impact of infrastructure projects in the Brazilian portion of the
Amazon Basin. “Such an assessment is quite timely,” the researchers wrote,
“given that the Brazilian government has developed and begun to implement a
plan called ‘Avança Brasil’ (Advance Brazil), which involves
extensive Amazonian investment in infrastructure improvements such as the
paving and recuperation of highways, the construction of power plants and
dams, and the development of ports.” An impact assessment is particularly
needed, they add, given the importance of the Amazon forest to the global
carbon cycle and biological diversity; little systematic information of this
type has been collected and analyzed although infrastructure improvements
are known to have significant environmental and human impacts. The
assessment results will also help policy makers predict future impacts.
Ecosystem Services from
Low Input Cropping Systems, Scott Swinton, PI
Scientists at MSU’s Long-term Ecological Research (KBS LTER) project on the
agroecology of row crops have identified a low-input rotation of corn,
soybean, and wheat that offers good crop yields while maintaining water and
soil quality, climate stability, and beneficial insect populations. However,
this low-input crop rotation is not widely adopted by Michigan farmers, the
proposal notes. In order to find out why, the researchers will explore three
areas:
-
Whether the benefits can be scaled up from experimental plots to farm
fields.
-
What farmers know and believe about the low-input crop rotation.
-
What compensation farmers might need to adopt an environmentally
beneficial crop rotation and what citizens would be willing to pay to get
the associated environmental benefits.
The project will
contribute new social science knowledge to complement the ecological
research at the KBS-LTER, help establish a sustainable agriculture and food
systems research area at MSU, and advance understanding of the economic and
scientific aspects of agriculture and climate change.
Sustainable Planning,
Design and Construction, Matt Syal, PI
Policymakers at all levels—local, regional,
national, and international—have enacted legislation requiring new
construction to meet stringent environmental standards, thereby creating,
almost overnight, a new set of sustainability challenges at the
business-environment interface. To remain viable, the research team wrote,
“build environment industries must learn new approaches for sustainable
project management practices, respond to revised local planning ordinances
and master planning, understand procedures to evaluate initial cost/life
cycle cost tradeoffs, have access to ‘green’ products throughout the supply
chain, and appreciate the international ramifications of global demand for
sustainable products.” This project will “address the pressing need for
industry-responsive, research-based solutions by advancing the scholarship
and practice of sustainable planning, design, and construction.”
Pharmaceuticals in the
Environment, James Tiedje, PI
The environmental fate and
effect of pharmaceuticals has become a major social issue. A survey of
organic wastewater chemicals in 139 streams in 30 states published in 2002
showed, in addition to contaminants from detergents, plasticizers, and
pesticides, steroids, non-prescription drugs, antibiotics, reproductive
hormones, other prescription drugs, and disinfectants in the nation’s
surface waters. This proposal links MSU’s expertise in environmental
chemistry, microbiology, toxicology, environmental ethics and communication;
experience in medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture, and aquaculture
where pharmaceuticals are widely used; and growing reputation in
environmental policy. The researchers propose to
- Develop common interest
in this topic area by faculty from broad disciplinary areas and encourage
core interacting groups that generate new knowledge and submit competitive
external grants.
- Gain further insight
into the issues at the developing edge in order to identify new knowledge
needed and keep their work in the forefront of the field.
- Develop enabling
technologies or knowledge that allows the team to deliver what others only
propose to develop. This also provides a competitive edge in grants.
- Develop preliminary data
needed for grants and publish this work to gain credibility. A
field-initiating paper is often rewarded with funding.
The work will begin in
three program areas: environmental chemistry, environmental microbiology,
and policy and ethics.
Environmental
Biogeochemistry as a Potential MSU Signature Program, Merritt Turetsky, PI
Individual faculty in diverse departments have internationally recognized
research programs in biogeochemistry, both in terrestrial and aquatic
environments. State-of-the-art remote sensing and spatial data analysis
laboratories provide the necessary capability to regionalize field and lab
investigations to landscape, regional, and global scales, and also
facilitate synthesis and modeling. This proposed environmental
biogeochemistry initiative aims to close gaps among the diverse academic
programs and biogeochemical research programs and promote development of an
integrated program of biogeochemistry research and training at MSU. The
group proposes expanding communication and collaboration among the faculty
and laboratories by
-
Developing a Web site and electronic communication networks to inform
faculty and students of biogeochemistry courses, developments, funding
opportunities, seminars, and hands-on training workshops
-
Funding guest speakers
-
Sponsoring an annual research symposium on biogeochemistry
-
Offering environmental biogeochemistry graduate student fellowships that
attract the best students to MSU
-
Supporting multidisciplinary laboratory instrumentation
-
Identifying new faculty lines to maintain and strengthen biogeochemistry
at MSU.
Integrated Risk and
Impact Assessment Associated with Climate Change and Variability in the
Great Lakes Region, Julie Winkler, PI
The impacts and risks associated with climate variability and change are an
increasingly significant societal issue for the Great Lakes region
affecting, among other things, agriculture, retail business, insurance,
human health, outdoor recreation and tourism, water resources, and water
quality. This proposal requests funds to support two major research
“thrusts” under the general theme of integrated risk and impact assessment
associated with climate variability and change in the Great Lakes Region.
Both are of regional significance and will advance the understanding of
potential impacts and the development of improved assessment strategies and
methods. The research team will consult with assessment experts, plan an
international workshop for climatologists, economists, horticulturalists,
and geographers from major tart cherry production areas including the U.S.
and Germany, Poland, and the Ukraine, and organize a workshop for
stakeholders who would be affected by changes in water availability and
quality. |