Achievement

The 10-day Summer Institute was the first joint experience for trainees, faculty, and community partners. It covered the IGERT mission, theoretical framework, scope, and structure of the applied projects. Due to the cross-disciplinary nature of ecosystem services, the Institute emphasized interdisciplinarity through 1. discussing various value systems and ethical considerations important to interdisciplinary research; 2. ecological and social field sampling methods; 3.ecosystem services theory from a multi-disciplinary perspective; and 4. building a strong interdisciplinary and collaborative cohort through facilitated training in cross-disciplinary communication and research. The Institute addressed the logistics of the ESUR program and offered time for informal interactions, ensuring personal connections within the cohort.

Modifications to the 2012 Summer Institute will be based on trainee feedback about the 2011 Institute and comments from the external evaluator.