DISCCRS VII Interdisciplinary Climate Change Research Symposium

Dates: October 13-20, 2012
Location: La Foret Conference and Retreat Center
Colorado Springs, CO

Application Deadline: February 29, 2012
Participation limited to 30 early-career Ph.D. scholars
Airfare and on-site expenses are supported through grants from NSF and NASA
http://disccrs.org

Eligibility: Ph.D. requirements completed between August 1, 2009 – February 29, 2012 in any natural or social science field relevant to the study of climate change, its impacts, or its societal implications. U.S. citizens and residents have preference though limited funds are available for non-U.S. participation.
See http://disccrs.org/files/DISCCRS_VI_Symposium_Scholars.pdf for information on the previous symposium scholars, and http://disccrs.org/files/DISCCRS_VI_Symposium_Report.pdf for information on the symposium experience.

Since 2003, DISCCRS has hosted symposia for early-career researchers to catalyze formation of interdisciplinary collegial networks, while fostering skills to better prepare graduates to conduct collaborative research and respond to the myriad challenges posed by climate change and its impacts. Participants will share their research; engage in discussions with peers, mentors, and funding agency representatives; and participate in communication and team training. Thirty early-career scholars will be selected through a review process with the expectation that invitees will become leaders in their chosen fields. Airfare and on-site expenses are supported through grants from NSF and NASA.

Symposium Application Instructions
http://disccrs.org/application_instructions

DISCCRS Resources
Webpage http://disccrs.org: The DISCCRS webpage includes information about symposia, a Ph.D. dissertation registry, news and links to other climate research sites, DISCCRS symposium and program reports and publications from the symposia, information.

Online Ph.D. Dissertation Registry http://disccrs.org/register: Join over 2500 climate change researchers by registering your Ph.D. dissertation and adding your abstract to our fully searchable database. Or browse the registry to identify other climate change researchers.

Career Resources http://disccrs.org/career: In addition to the Dissertation Registry, the DISCCRS website includes a wealth of valuable resources for finding a job, developing your professional skills, locating funding opportunities, crafting grant proposals and more.

Electronic Newsletter: With weekly climate-change job listings, news stories, funding opportunities and more, our weekly e-newsletter is automatically provided to anyone who registers their Ph.D. You can also subscribe at: http://disccrs.org/subscribe

DISCCRS Sponsors
AAG, AERE, AGU, AMS, ASLO, ESA, ESS-ISA, STEP-APSA, TOS, USSEE

DISCCRS Funding
U.S. National Science Foundation Collaborative Grants: SES-0931402 to the University of Oregon and SES-0932916 to Whitman College
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Grant NNX10AJ53G to Whitman College

Contact: info@disccrs.org
Organizers: Ronald B. Mitchell (University of Oregon) and C. Susan Weiler (Whitman College)

The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) is holding its eighth annual Energy Summer School from 17th June – 22nd June 2011 at the University of Warwick in the English Midlands. There will be 100 places available for UK and international students.

The School has been specifically designed to give second year PhD students an understanding of energy systems as a whole and of pathways to low-carbon and resilient energy systems.  This directly relates to international climate change issues and policies as students will become engaged
In mock United Nations style negotiations throughout the week in order to achieve a reduction in carbon emissions through the use of energy systems.

We welcome applications from those engaged in energy-related research including technical, physical, social, economic, environmental and business aspects of energy and energy systems.

We would like to invite you to nominate students to attend. There is no charge for registered research students to attend the School; UKERC will provide accommodation and all meals and materials for activities. The School is conducted in English, and as it is highly interactive a good standard of comprehension and spoken English is essential.
Agenda

During the week-long course, which runs in parallel to UKERC’s Annual Assembly, students will:
•  Examine the evolving challenges, and the feasibility of, the transition to a low-carbon, resilient and affordable energy system out till 2030;
•  Understand the global commercial, political, innovation and technological challenges in the transition to a low-carbon system;
•  Be involved in high level debate on energy technologies and research priorities in a number of key research areas, from demand reduction to future sources of energy;
•  Be presented with a number of contrasting international perspectives on energy;
•  Have the opportunity to network with key academic, and energy research contacts;
•  Research, develop, negotiate and agree a collective vision for a low-carbon energy system and present the work to the UK Energy Research Centre
•  Develop and practice professional skills in communication and engagement.

The course is professionally facilitated to provide continual support for participants, and includes a number of networking opportunities as well as social events.

Successful applicants will be notified by e-mail from 22nd March 2012 and both nominator and nominee will at that time be asked to formally accept the place. Should the delegate subsequently withdraw and a suitable replacement not be found, the nominator will be required to pay for the cost of the unused place. The course is normally over-subscribed, and UKERC will select delegates by giving preference to those in the second year of a PhD, to provide an appropriate mix of specialist disciplines, and a balance of UK and non-UK based students.
Nominations
Nominations are now open until 1700hrs (5pm) GMT Thursday, 8th March 2011. For convenience we ask that the student completes the nomination form, but they will need to include your details as confirmation of endorsement.

The nomination form can be accessed from our website or by clicking on the link below. http://www.regonline.co.uk/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1037477

Information
If you have further questions, please call us on +44 (0)207 594 1574 or email Ilaria Longo (Ilaria.longo@ukerc.ac.uk )
Further information is available from the UK Energy Research Centre website at www.ukerc.ac.uk

Forest and Nature for Society (FONASO) is a three-year world-class Joint Doctoral Programme. FONASO is part of the Erasmus Mundus programme initiated by the European Commission to enhance and promote European higher education throughout the world. The language of the programme is English. The main objective of the FONASO programme is to educate the leaders of the future generation of researchers, teachers and top management staff working with sustainable forest and nature management, in both tropical and temperate regions, to ensure wider societal benefits. Within forest and nature management, the programme is focused on the scientific fields of (i) economics and policy, and (ii) ecology and silviculture, each with two sub-groups, see www.fonaso.eu. The emphasis is on applied research.

The FONASO programme is offered by a Consortium that includes globally top ranked universities and leading international research organisations. The programme builds on existing research schools and environments, taking the best from each to build up joint supervision, activities and doctoral candidate courses. The Consortium consists of seven partner institutions and five associate institutions:

For more information, please visit
Forest and Nature for Society: FONASO
The application deadline is 1 November 2011

Partner
University of Copenhagen, Denmark (coordinating partner)
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
Bangor University, UK
Dresden University, Germany
University of Göttingen, Germany
AgroParisTech, France
University of Padova, Italy

Associate
Center for International Forestry Research, Indonesia
Dalhoff Larsen & Hornemann, Denmark
James Cook University, Australia
University of British Columbia, Canada
World Agroforestry Centre, Kenya

PRESS RELEASE
Oslo, 2 February 2011

International Year of Forests: Taking Action for Our Forests
Europe’s forests contribute to sustainable societies and a healthy environment across the globe
Forests are a unique renewable natural resource. Today, the United Nations are launching the International Year of Forests 2011 at their Headquarters in New York. The overall objective is to raise awareness about the need to strengthen the sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests for the benefit of current and future generations. The upcoming FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, which will be convened on 14-16 June in the Norwegian capital Oslo, represents a major European contribution to the International Year of Forests. The launch of this important global forest initiative takes place in conjunction with the Ninth Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF9), 24 January-4 February, in New York, USA. The UNFF deliberations will address key challenges of forests for people, livelihoods and poverty eradication.
“Benefits of healthy, sustainably managed forests in Europe go far beyond the borders of the continent and make significant contributions globally”, says the Norwegian Minister of Agriculture and Food, Mr Lars Peder Brekk. Norway currently holds the chairmanship of FOREST EUROPE and will host the next Ministerial Conference.
The cooperation within FOREST EUROPE develops policies to safeguard the vitality of forests in order to meet societies’ needs. FOREST EUROPE has been working for 20 years to develop and improve policies on sustainable forest management. The FOREST EUROPE participating countries and the European Union make a substantial contribution to the achievement of the four Global Objectives on Forests agreed by UNFF. Criteria, indicators and guidelines for sustainable forest management have established a solid basis for growth and diversity in today’s forests. Forests cover 44 percent of Europe’s land area and they continue to expand. Europe’s forests represent 25 per cent of the world’s forest resources.
Forests for people and nature
Europe’s forest represents a huge potential in mitigating climate change – through carbon sequestration in trees and soils, carbon storage in forest products and substitution of non-renewable materials and energy sources. Forests are also a source of essential and environmentally friendly wood and non-wood products. They help preserve biodiversity and secure the supply of fresh water and they minimise the risks of damage from storms, floods and droughts. Forestry and agriculture are also crucial for employment, land use and the management of natural resources in Europe. Over half of Europe’s population lives in rural areas. Forests play an important role in providing jobs and generating income. Forests also provide benefits to human health through a broad range of recreation opportunities.

Protecting and safeguarding healthy forests for future generations
When ministers responsible for forests in Europe gather at the FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference on 14-16 June in Oslo, Norway, they will continue to commit to working towards addressing global environmental and societal challenges and objectives. “At the Ministerial Conference in Oslo the European countries will take decisions aimed at the preservation of forests and the safeguarding of their environmental, societal and economic benefits for present and future generations. Norway looks forward to welcoming high level representatives from signatory countries and observer organisations and countries and the media to Oslo in June”, Mr Brekk says. Ministers are expected to adopt a vision, goals and targets for Europe’s forests and address ways to strengthen cooperation on sustainable forest management in Europe. In this context, they will consider opening negotiations on a legally binding agreement on forests and their management in Europe. “It is our intention that the results of the FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference Oslo 2011 will be a milestone in international forest policy and a significant celebration of the International Year of Forests”, Mr Brekk says.
About FOREST EUROPE – The Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe
FOREST EUROPE is the pan-European policy process for the sustainable management of the continent’s forests. It develops common strategies for its 46 participating countries and the European Union on how to protect and sustainably manage forests. Founded in 1990, the continuous co-operation of FOREST EUROPE has led to achievements such as the guidelines, indicators and criteria for sustainable forest management.
Priority topics of FOREST EUROPE are to strengthen the role of forests in mitigating climate change, to secure the supply of good-quality fresh water, enhance and preserve forest biodiversity and provide renewable forest products. Other important tasks are to develop a framework for future political collaboration and to prepare options for decision by ministers on a possible legally binding agreement on forests in Europe. Norway currently holds the chairmanship of FOREST EUROPE and will convene the next Ministerial Conference on 14-16 June 2011.
For more information about FOREST EUROPE:
www.foresteurope.org
For more information about the International Year of Forests:
www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011
For further information, please contact:
FOREST EUROPE
Liaison Unit Oslo Kristin Dawes,
Head of Communications and Public Affairs
Tel. + 47 64 94 89 32 Mobile: + 47 941 49 351