Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU

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The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research on communicating the impact of the Ecosystems Mission Area (Ecosystems) science done by the USGS. Ecosystems scientists conduct research and monitoring on freshwater, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems and the fish and wildlife within them. Federal and state natural resource managers use this scientific information to protect, restore and enhance natural resources, and ensure that healthy ecosystems, and the services they provide, will be here for generations to come. While some of the impacts of this research are communicated through traditional media, such as press releases, there is a significant need to research how to better identify and communicate the impacts of Ecosystems science to policymakers and the public. The ultimate goal of this research effort is to develop a consistent means by which the impacts of this research can be identified, summarized, framed, connected, and disseminated. The USGS Fort Collins Science Center is offering the opportunity to partners that have the capability to apply communications theory and practice to communicating scientific research and its impacts. Through this CESU agreement, the federal and state university partners will cooperate fully in development of a research program, and will produce final products that may be used in support of the planning needs of the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area. It is anticipated that the results of this effort will have significance for national level decision-making related to Ecosystems science. The cooperation between USGS and its CESU partner brings a combination of expertise to address this objective that is greater than that possessed by either partner on its own.

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