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Frontiers in Polar Biology in the Genomic Era (2003) / Chapter Skim
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5. An Integrated Polar Biology Community: Interactions Among Scientists, Education, and Outreach
Pages 119-127

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From page 119...
... This chapter explores some of the impediments to collaborative efforts and possible avenues for improving collaboration. Building an Integrated Polar Community Recent reports have addressed the urgency and complexity of global and environmental problems (NRC, 1999, 2001; NSB, 2000; NSF ACERE, 2003; PCAST, 1998~.
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From page 120...
... also contribute to the lack of interchange between scientists from different nations. Perhaps NSF could solicit comments from the polar science community through a survey that would identify major impediments to bipolar research and international collaboration.
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From page 121...
... ARCSS has been successful in uniting polar scientists from various disciplines by supporting large integrated research projects that are proposed and implemented in response to science plans developed by the scientific community through Science Steering Committees. Furthermore, ARCSS has been particularly good at using web-based and e-mail communications to broaden participation and the sense of community.
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From page 122...
... International, Multidisciplinary, Integrative Funding Initiatives As genomics technologies begin to be applied to the study of physiological mechanisms of polar organisms and their response to physical stress, the need for international multidisciplinary research will likely emerge. The sequencing and analysis of the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana, carried out by the Arabidopsis Genome Initiative comprised of scientists from large and small laboratories in the United States, Great Britain, France, and Japan, represented a successful model for collaboration among international scientists with expertise in genomics, bioinformatics, and plant biology.
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From page 123...
... Development of an integrated, international, and multidisciplinary polar genome initiative is likely to require crossdirectorate funding within the NSF as well as funding by other agencies. At NSF, integrative biology and genomic research is funded by the Directorate of Biological Sciences, whereas polar research and logistical support are primarily funded by the Office of Polar Programs.
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From page 124...
... They should convey both the excitement of the polar environment and the relevance of the polar regions to pressing questions, ranging from insights into how biomolecules like proteins work, how new types of adaptive traits arise, and how global climate change disrupts the functioning of individual organisms and ecosystems as a whole. This same sense of excitement and challenge has to be conveyed to the research community in order to attract to polar science the types of expertise needed and a next generation of creative minds.
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From page 125...
... Polar scientists should take advantage of NSF's program on "Communicating Research to Public Audiences," which provides funds for scientists to disseminate research results, research in progress, and research methods to public audiences through media presentations, exhibits, or youth-based activities (see web site ~. Training and media programs such as the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program also teach academic environmental scientists to communicate to the public and media effectively and offer another means of training scientists and their graduate students to interact with the media.
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From page 126...
... Many scientists are apt to regard work in polar regions as logistically complicated, inconvenient in terms of time requirements, and "not worth the effort" involved. To provide an accurate portrayal of what is involved in doing research in polar regions, workshops should be held to familiarize potential polar investigators with the requirements and opportunities for polar work.
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From page 127...
... Asking local communities for input about research questions and incorporating native knowledge of polar biology can bring surprising rewards scientifically and socially, as documented by Krupnick and folly (2002~. Respecting local culture and customs can open the door to sharing scientists' excitement about local biological issues among secondary school children, which may in turn facilitate entry of some of these students into research or related careers where they currently are underrepresented.
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Key Terms

  • polar organisms
  • polar regions
  • integrated polar
  • local communities
  • multidisciplinary research

  • genomic research
  • genome initiative
  • polar research
  • polar science
  • bipolar research

  • monterey bay
  • successful model
  • polar scientists
  • indigenous communities
  • school children

  • bay aquarium
  • logistical support
  • scientific communities
  • integrated research
  • rising temperatures

  • polar biologists
  • winter season
  • polar genome
  • arctic region
  • polar topics

  • primarily funded
  • technologies including
  • undergraduate classes
  • coupling addresses
  • biology exploration


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