The Consortium issued an internal RFP to Consortium members and Joint Degree Program partners and two intramural RFPs in November 2007 to University of Minnesota faculty and graduate/professional students. Funds were granted for research, projects, or colloquia in summer 2008 or academic year 2008-09. Applicants were current University of Minnesota faculty members who (1) direct a program or center represented in the Consortium or (2) serve as the head or Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) of a department or graduate or professional program represented in the Joint Degree Program.
These grants are made possible by funds received through the Presidential Interdisciplinary Initiative Process. In October 2003, President Robert Bruininks named the Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences one of eight Presidential Interdisciplinary Initiatives.
Consortium/JDP Members
Two awards were granted, totaling $38,210:
- Institute on the Environment (Anne Kapuscinski, Peter Reich, Kris Johnson, and Laura Schmitt Olabisi)—$20,210 awarded for Sustainability Science Forum. View Proposal
- InSTePP: International Science and Technology Practice and Policy Center (Phil Pardey)—$18,000 awarded for An Economic Evaluation of Intellectual Property Rights in the US Horticultural Sector. View Proposal
Graduate and Professional Students
We were delighted that the RFP stimulated 46 proposals from students in 33 programs around the University. Eight awards were made:
- The Role of Intergovernmental Organizations in the Production of Scientific Knowledge on Avian Influenza—Yu-Ju Chien, PhD student, Sociology ($6,653 awarded). View Proposal View Report
- Integrating Social and Natural Science in Ecological Risk Analysis—Genya Dana, PhD student, Conservation Biology ($2,000 awarded). View Proposal
- Agricultural Microfinance in Malawi: Investigating the Role of Financial Services in the Agricultural Sector of Developing Counties—Maria Dooner, Law student ($5,350 awarded). View Report
- Effect of Climate Change on Wildebeest-Human Relations—Margaret Kosmala, PhD student, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior ($7,000 awarded). View Proposal View Report
- Food Networks: Reconfiguring Political Action through Alimentary Practices—Michael Nordquist, PhD student, Political Science ($6,927 awarded). View Proposal
- Studying Biodiversity, Saving Biodiversity: Investigating Expert Constructions of Public Understanding of Conservation Science—Zoe Nyssa, PhD student, Writing Studies ($5,954 awarded). View Proposal
- Conservation as Practice: An Ethnography of Community-based Conservation in the Temperate Rainforest Region of Chile—Kathryn Pratt, PhD student, Geography ($5,270 awarded). View Proposal View Report
- Building Clean Water Communities: Understanding How Environmental Policies Can Promote and Coordinate Community Participation in the Long-Term Management of Local Freshwater Resources—Kaitlin Steiger-Meister, PhD Student, Natural Resource Science & Management, Forest Resources ($5,654 awarded). View Proposal View Report
Faculty
Two awards were granted totaling $25,948:
- Group Artist Book, Issue: The Environment—Prof. Jan Estep (Art) $9,400 awarded. View Proposal
- Fostering ‘Connectedness to Nature’ through U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Education and Outreach Programming: An Evaluation and Validity Assessment Study—Prof. Julie Ernst (Health, Physical Education and Recreation) $16,548 awarded. View Proposal