MEFA is a spin-off of the Ecological Research as Education Network (EREN).
The Macrosystems Ecology For All Research Coordination Network (MEFA) invites short proposals for new projects in macrosystems ecology from inclusive research teams by November 1, 2024.
Successful applicants will receive training and mentoring support for project development. At least two members of the project team will also receive paid in-person attendance at the MEFA annual meeting in 2025. Online attendance will be available for all members.
Our NSF-supported research network aims to build a more diverse and inclusive community of scientists in macrosystems ecology. Project proposals should outline ideas for addressing questions in macrosystems ecology and make use of existing, publicly available data, possibly along with new data collected by participants. Additionally, we aim to support projects that train undergraduate students, make a positive impact on local communities, and broaden participation in macrosystems science. Teams should articulate how their members represent various axes of diversity. Plans to engage diverse participants and/or communities beyond the leadership team are encouraged. We invite proposals from teams of two or more people. Priority will be given to teams whose members have not contributed to MEFA projects in the past.
MEFA hosted a virtual information session about this opportunity on September 24, 2024 (recording below), and MEFA Leadership held virtual office hours on October 1 & October 3, 2024.
Proposal Guidelines for new MEFA Projects
A one-page (single-spaced) project proposal is due by 1 November 2024. We will inform applicants of their selection by 6 December 2024. The project proposal can describe ideas in very early stages of development, but should include the following:
- a short paragraph outlining the project’s research questions and potential connections to macrosystem ecology,
- some ideas for datasets that project members could use to answer the research questions, perhaps in coordination with new data collection,
- a few sentences on how undergraduate students might engage with the project (e.g., data collection, analysis of publicly available datasets, teaching modules, lab exercises),
- a short statement explaining how project recruitment and research activities will promote diversity, equity, and inclusivity, and how the project leadership team represents and engages with axes of diversity, and
- a description of how the project will engage local communities (optional).
The proposal and current CVs of the team members should be emailed as attachments to mefanetwork@gmail.com.
Up to five new projects will be adopted by the MEFA network.
This project is supported by the National Science Foundation (DEB #2213541).
