The ABS NSF-IGERT Program

The Applied Biodiversity Science (ABS) NSF-IGERT Program at Texas A&M University was founded in the fall of 2007 with a very generous grant from the National Science Foundation’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (NSF-IGERT) program. The mission of the ABS NSF-IGERT Program is threefold:

• To develop a doctoral education curriculum at Texas A&M that provides a strong, interdisciplinary foundation in the field of biodiversity conservation;

• To provide funding through NSF-IGERT Traineeships to students following this curriculum;

• To foster a multidisciplinary intellectual community of Texas A&M faculty and students involved in biodiversity conservation study and research.

The ABS NSF-IGERT Program strives to develop capacity in the faculty and students from the ten different departments at Texas A&M with whom we collaborate.

Vision

Applied Biodiversity Science: integration of conservation theory and practice

The vision of Applied Biodiversity Science (ABS) is to achieve integration between biodiversity research and on-the-ground conservation practices.

Three pillars support the program:

• integrated research in biological and social sciences;

• cross-disciplinary research and collaboration with conservation institutions and actors in the field;

• application of conservation theory to practice

Research teams of faculty mentors and students, in collaboration with international partners, will develop complementary dissertations related to two research themes: (A) Ecological Functions and Biodiversity; and (B) Communities and Governance. The ABS-IGERT will produce scientists prepared to understand ecological functions of local ecosystems, and also the activities and needs of surrounding communities in wider social, economic, and political contexts.

Original funding proposal (pdf)