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5 February  2001: 

3rd Summer Institute on Interdisciplinary Science
in the Americas

ITEM: 005
SOURCE/AUTHOR: Victor Scarabino, IOC               
DATE:   05/02/2001

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science of the University of Miami (UM) announce the third Summer Institute on Interdisciplinary Science in the Americas.

The theme of the Institute 2001 is "Integrated Management of Water Resources in the Americas: Challenges and Emerging Issues". To plan and conduct the Institute 2001, the IAI and UM have joined efforts with UNESCO's Regional Office of Science and Technology for Latin America and the Caribbean. Full financial support for the Summer Institute on Interdisciplinary Science in the Americas is provided by the United States' National Science Foundation.

Objectives: The central objective of the Summer Institute is to foster effective communication between early-career natural and social scientists from the Americas. Effective management of water resources requires communication and collaboration among natural and social scientists, policy and decision makers, and involved communities. A secondary objective is to give participants the foundations for developing competitive proposals for interdisciplinary research that can be funded by the IAI and other organizations.

Tentative Program: Institute organizers are developing an exciting program that should be of interest to many natural and social scientists, resource managers, and policy and decision makers involved with the multiple dimensions of use and management of water. The Summer Institute 2001 will explore issues related to: (1) water supply (climate variability and change, land use/cover change, health of aquatic systems) and demand (population growth, urbanization); (2) governance (regulatory and institutional issues); (3) conflict resolution (community participation, multiple objectives, trans-jurisdictional and transnational resources); and (4) new challenges in water resources management (new techniques, development of common language and interdisciplinary approaches).

Institute Activities: The Institute will be organized around a variety of activities, many of them highly participatory. Two Institute leaders (with backgrounds in natural and social sciences) will present introductory lectures to establish a common language among participants. Subsequently, several guest lecturers will address in depth specific topics of the Institute's program. Guest lecturers will come from academic institutions, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and multilateral credit institutions from the Americas. Participants will also carry out hands-on research projects to apply the concepts learned during the Institute.

Financial Support: Travel to and from Miami, housing, meal expenses, local transportation, and health insurance will be provided to ALL selected participants.

Who Should Apply? Researchers, managers, policy makers, community leaders, or advanced graduate students with backgrounds or current activities related with water-related problems should apply for participation. Applicants should have academic and/or professional background in disciplines relevant to the Institute's theme. Fields of study appropriate for applicants include, but are not limited to: hydrology and water resources, resource economics, ecology, environmental legislation, biogeochemistry, demography, irrigated agriculture, statistics, environmental policy, hydroclimatology, sociology, civil or hydraulics engineering, urban planning, public health, and political science.

Eligibility. Eligible applicants must be affiliated with a research, educational, or resource management institution, governmental or not, in an IAI Ratified Member Country. At this time, the IAI Ratified Member Countries include: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, The United States of America, Uruguay and Venezuela. Preference will be given to applicants in the early or middle stages of their professional careers. Most Institute activities will be conducted in English; therefore participants must demonstrate sufficient command of the language.

How to Apply: Detailed application instructions can be found at the Institute's WWW site (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/IAIUM). The site contains a detailed list of all the necessary application materials, electronic versions of an Application Form, and a checklist to ensure that all required materials have been compiled.

Application Deadline: All application materials must be postmarked before Friday, March 30, 2001 and received in Miami no later than Friday, April 6, 2001. Applications arriving after that date, or incomplete applications (i.e. missing some components) will not be considered. Prospective applicants are encouraged to assemble and mail their application packages as early as possible.

Further Information: Expanded information on many of the topics listed in this announcement can be found at the Summer Institute's WWW site:

 http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/IAIUM.

Prospective applicants having questions should contact Dr. Guillermo Podestá, Summer Institute Science Coordinator, via e-mail (gpodesta@rsmas.miami.edu), telephone (1.305.361.4142) or fax (1.305.361.4622).