Institute for Global Change Biology Exchange Program

The Institute for Global Change Biology Exchange Program is intended to support networking opportunities for students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty working on global change biology problems, while at the same time enhancing interdisciplinary, integrated global change science. These activities can be off-campus exchanges, in which University of Michigan students, postdocs or faculty travel to a non-University of Michigan location; on-campus exchanges in which non-University of Michigan scholars are brought to the University of Michigan’s campus; virtual interactions and collaborations; or all of the above. 

Although there is no concrete rule, we would anticipate most in-person exchanges to range from 3 weeks to 6 months. Although this Program can support full costs, especially of more modest requests, we would hope to co-support larger requests with either another unit at Michigan or the reciprocal unit at another institution elsewhere in the US or internationally. Additionally, we can support individuals who have funding in hand or who successfully apply for funding (such as from their host university or country or another non-UM institution), by providing visiting scholar status and in-kind support (e.g. office space, library access, internet access, supercomputer resources). We also encourage non-UM researchers who are working collaboratively with UM researchers to apply to be Exchange Fellows, without (or prior to) a specific travel or funding request. This designation will be relevant to non-UM researchers collaborating with UM researchers on IGCB-supported working groups and especially for those potentially serving officially or unofficially as co-supervisors and mentors of IGCB postdocs and graduate students.

Note that we expect all proposals to be submitted by UM affiliates (students, postdocs, faculty) and for all proposals, the proposer is responsible for working directly with either the host person/institution or the visitor(s) to make all logistical arrangements, including travel, local transportation, and lodging. 

The Program offers the following opportunities to Univ. Michigan faculty, postdocs and students:

Opportunities for off-campus exchange

Postdoctoral Researchers and PhD Students:

1. Provides travel and accommodation support for UM Postdoctoral Researchers and PhD students to be embedded in external academic research labs to collaborate in joint research activities (fieldwork, lab studies, modeling, synthesis or other) and/or learn a new skill or method. 
2. Funds participation in fieldwork or expeditions conducted by research groups outside of University of Michigan (or within the University, but in a different unit) to collaborate in joint research activities and/or learn new field-based research methods.
3. Supports applied learning opportunities with governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and grassroots/activist groups to learn about the research needs of conservation and sustainability practitioners, and to learn from practitioner perspectives and experiences. This could take the form of the Program paying for participation in existing unpaid internships, or the Program supporting informal experiential learning opportunities (e.g. shadowing or informally volunteering for a governmental employee).

Faculty:

1. Provides travel and accommodation support for UM faculty to be embedded in external academic research labs, either at the home institution or at a research field site, to collaborate in joint research activities (fieldwork, lab studies, modeling, synthesis or other). This can be short-term (such as several weeks) or longer-term (such as partial sabbatical support).
2. Supports “learning outings” in which faculty attend non-academic events that might inform future scholarship or engagement (e.g. congressional hearings, community meetings, strategic engagements with NGOs, or meetings with sustainability-adjacent corporations). 

Opportunities for on-campus exchange

MS Students:

1. Invite a scholar- or practitioner-in-residence to provide guidance on an ongoing Master’s Project or Master’s Thesis related to global change biology that can complement the faculty advisor’s expertise. The Program can provide support for the visiting expert’s travel and on campus office space to support these collaborations; it must be clear how the invitee fills a gap in expertise on the UM campus. 

Postdoctoral Researchers and PhD Students:

1. Host an exchange student or postdoc. PhD students can invite a PhD student or Postdoc from another institution to temporarily join a lab group at University of Michigan. This invitation needs faculty sponsorship, and must include a proposed plan for integrating the visiting student into the lab’s activities (e.g., joining in on lab meetings, etc.) and for collaborative joint research (fieldwork, lab studies, modeling, synthesis or other).

Faculty:

1. Extended visits by non-UM faculty. The Program can host non-UM faculty, with preference given to longer visits (e.g., faculty spending their sabbaticals or summers on campus) and proposals that include formalized plans for integrating visiting scholars into existing on-campus initiatives associated with global change biology. For example, a visiting scholar conducting research on land sparing vs. land sharing could come for their sabbatical and deliver seminars and guest lectures co-hosted by the Institute for Global Change Biology and the Sustainable Food Systems Initiative, with preference for visits that are expected to result in new collaborations with UM faculty on grant proposals or publications. The Program can support these visiting scholars by providing office space and travel expenses; preference will be given to proposals that include co-funding. 
2. Action-oriented working groups. Faculty can invite 1-2 academics, researchers, practitioners, and/or activists to visit University of Michigan to produce a specific deliverable. This could take the form of a grant proposal or synthesis paper, but could also take the form of a specific outreach goal (e.g., a white paper on a global change issue to be delivered to a government office, or a strategy for driving political change associated with a particular global change initiative). 
3. Think tanks. The Exchange Program can support a short-term collaborative brainstorming session that brings together a group of experts on UM’s campus to design new research projects or proposals. 
4. Proposals geared at 1-3 above might also be encouraged to apply for IGCB Working Group funding (i.e. turn their project into an Exchange-catalyzed IGCB collaborative Working Group).

Application process and Selection criteria

Proposals are accepted for Fall semester (deadline: July 1), Winter semester (deadline: Nov 1), and the summer (deadline: March 1). Note: where opportunities with short time horizons develop, proposals outside of those deadlines will likely be considered (please consult with either Professors Brian Weeks or Peter Reich about this possibility). Proposals should be submitted via this form. Each proposal should include a <500 or < 1,000  word summary (for proposals requesting ≤$5,000 or >$5,000, respectively) of the proposed activities, a 1-2 page CV, and a budget (which does not count toward the word limit) that includes the total amount requested from IGCB, explains (using a coarse breakdown) how IGCB funds will be used and includes any co-funding available. For applications submitted by grad students and postdocs, we also request a brief letter of endorsement from a UM faculty member (<125 words).

Applications will be evaluated by two IGCB faculty and the IGCB Program on the basis of: 1) potential for resulting in improved global change research, collaborative research success, broader impacts, and/or broader sustained collaboration, 2) potential to enable skills/knowledge transfer that would not otherwise be possible, and 3) clear logistical plan (e.g., points of contact are clearly established, and there is a high likelihood of practical success). All decisions will be made at least 1 month prior to the start of the relevant Fall, Winter, or Summer terms. Awardees will be named IGCB Exchange Fellows, listed as such on IGCB materials and website, and will be expected to use this co-affiliation on any products (e.g., lectures, reports, proposals, conference presentations, publications, and other activities) associated with their IGCB Exchange experiences. Exchange Fellows will give a brown bag IGCB seminar where they discuss their project, its methods, goals and results (if any). Upon completion of the Exchange, Fellows will submit a short report (≤2 pages and with illustrations of some kind) that will be posted on the IGCB web site.