Progress 10/01/20 to 09/30/21
Outputs
Target Audience:This research is broadly targeted to a variety of forestry natural resources professionals, land owners and the general public. This includes land and forest managers involved in management on federal, indigenous peoples, state, and private lands, resource conservationists, wildlife biologists, habitat managers, water resource professionals as well as scientists in forestry-related fields. Others include the upcoming generation of natural resource students including college undergraduates and graduates but also elementary and high school students and their teachers, and the general public. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The 10 SIU Forestry research scientists trained approximately 25 undergraduate and graduate students, research technicians, and staff scientists to design, establish, and conduct the approved current McIntire-Stennis research projects. Specifically, training and professional development included establishing field-plot and survey-based projects, operating and maintaining general use and scientific equipment, education and training in scientific methods; collecting, processing and analyzing research data. Also, students and scientists engage in professional development in scientific/analytical writing, as well as disseminating results through oral presentations, posters, and papers at given at professional meetings and through publishing scientific journal articles . Faculty and research staff, other support personnel, students, and the administration have been trained in REEport and EzFedGrants and to some extent the new NRS system, to applying for, manage, and report on the supported research projects. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Presentations of research findings were made by research faculty, staff, and students to forestry professionals including land managers, industry practitioners, natural resource managers, at regional and at virtual and actual national professional forestry meetings and conferences. Additionally, presentations were made to the indigenous peoples, and other members of the citizenry at local meetings and seminars. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Support for current active projects will be continued. At least one new project is slated to begin during the upcoming fiscal year with a new faculty member in forestry. Continued budget planning and facilitation will occur. Some projects may be completed in the next year. More travel is anticipated with vaccines and treatments to lessen the impact of the pandemic thus allowing for more face-to-face outreach and in-person professional meetings.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This administrative project supported the active McIntire-Stennis Forestry research projects at Southern Illinois University (SIU). This included the planning, budgeting, accounting, personnel management, activities of general administrative nature including office supplies, travel and other expenses and oversight related to the 10 approved and active research projects, This project supports planning and general overseeing of all of the McIntire-Stennis funded research including personnel management (developing and executing contracts for salary and wage payments for research personnel working on projects including faculty, technical research and support staff, and students (graduate and undergraduate); supporting travel for research activities; presentations of research results at research conferences and symposia; supplies and equipment purchases and maintenance; research data collection, processing, and analyses; publication costs; and other needed items to support research projects. This administrative research project includes maintaining functional research infrastructure (short- and long-term experimental plantings and study plots, research laboratories, greenhouses, and other facilities) and general actions underpinning SIU forestry research projects. Individual project research and financial reports are produced to fulfill reporting requirements. The ATR attended and participated in online training and communicated with NIFA and McIntire-Stennis administrators to update knowledge for new federal program processes and procedures including the transitioning to the new NRS reporting portal to comply with program requirements. The ATR maintains access in the federal system for communication and reporting in REEport, NRS, and EzFedGrants.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Audience includes administration of the McIntire-Stennis cooperative Research Program, USDA, NIFA, and SIU, researchers at SIU and other institutions, and the general public. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Each of the ten projects trained typically 1 graduate student, and several undergraduate students in a series of scientific research activities across a wide variety of research topics and actions. Professional development included lecture and professional presentations at conferences, professional meetings, and in the classroom. Graduate and undergraduate students received training in data collection and analysis, scientific writing, and preparation of publications. Additionally they helped design, implement, and carry out research activities and projects. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Most of the outreach this year was limited to written or remote communications because of the pandemic. These included refereed and non-refereed journal articles, popular articles in trade or news organizations, virtual meetings, and a few meetings before the pandemic hit. Materials and research results were also disseminated through some face-to-face courses as well as distance learning in related courses to undergraduate and graduate students. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Current active projects will be administered and facilitated. Budget planning will continue and be implemented. Some projects will be ending in the next year and their completion will be finalized. It is anticipated that 3 new projects will be approved to continue Forestry reesearch at SIU. An anticipate addition of a new faculty member will bring an oportunity for an additional new project. It is anticipated that easing of Covid-19 restrictions with vaccines will allow for more face-to-face outreach and travel to professioonal meetings.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This administrative project developed budgeting plans for students, faculty, and other personnel, oversaw spending, provided oversight and planning, reviewed accounting procedures, submitted appropriate applications and forms to the USDA to ensure support and accountability, and coordinated the activities of a general administrative nature to support the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Program at Southern Illinois University. This includes developing and executing contracts for faculty, staff, and students, oversight of SIU's research infrastructure including equipment, greenhouse facilties, labs, germplasm collections and other plantings and research areas. The ATR maintained access as a LRA level 2 upgrade in the federal system and participated in REEport activities and those in the EzFedGrants systems.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:This research is broadly targeted to a variety of forestry natural resources professionals, land owners and the general public. This includes land and forest managers that are involved in active management on federal, state, and private lands, resource conservationists and restorationists, wildlife biologists and habitat managers, water resource professionals as well as scientists in related fields. Additionally, the aim is to engage the next generations of natural resource students including undergraduate and graduate college students but also including elementary and high school students, citizen scientists, and the general public. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Forestry research faculty scientists trained approximately 20 undergraduate and graduate students, research technicians, and staff scientists to design, set-up, and conduct the approved research projects. Training and professional development includes learning how to: plan, design, and implement projects; installing, operating and maintaining scientific equipment; training in scientific methods; and collecting, processing and analyzing research data. Additionally, students and scientists are further trained in presenting research results through training in scientific/analytical writing, as well as publishing and disseminating results through oral presentations, posters, and papers at given at professional meetings. Research staff, other support personnel, students, and administration have been trained in aspects of REEport and EzFedGrants to applying for, manage, and report on the research projects. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research findings were presented by research faculty, staff and students to forestry professionals including scientists, natural resource managers, practitioners in the industry at regional and national professional forestry meetings and conferences. Additionally, presentations were made to the general public/citizenry at local meetings and seminars hosted in the surrounding communities. High-school and grade-school students were invited on campus at SIU to present research finding to them and involve them in forestry-related research seminars. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Monitor and facilitate current approved research projects to help meet research objectives and outcomes. Work with current scientists, staff, and students to meet existing goals through planning and efficient budgeting. Encourage and support the dissemination of research results at local, regional, and national professional meetings and through scientific publications. Additionally, support outreach to citizens and the general public.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This administrative project for FY 2019 supported the nine approved active forestry McIntire-Stennis research projects at Southern Illinois University (SIU) by performing activities such as: developing and executing contracts and salary and wage payments for personnel including faculty, technical research and support staff, and students (graduate and undergraduate); planning and administrative approval for travel for research activities; professional presentations of research results of the individual projects at research conferences and symposia; supply and equipment purchases and maintenance; data collection, processing, and analyses; publication costs and other required items to successfully carryout research projects. Administration included oversight of various activities including maintaining the research infrastructure (short- and long-term experimental plantings and study plots, research laboratories, greenhouses, and other facilities) and general actions supporting forestry research projects at SIU. Individual project research reports and financial reports were produced to meet reporting requirements of the program. The ATR attended and participated in online training, the National Association of University Forest Resource Programs (NAUFRP) annual meeting and communicated with NIFA and McIntire-Stennis administrators to update knowledge for new federal program processes and procedures to comply with changes in the research program. The ATR continued maintaining access as a LRA level 2 upgrade in the federal system and the electronic systems for communication and reporting in REEport and EzFedGrants.
Publications
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