San Francisco, USA
colostate.edu
Date: Early December prior to AGU (Friday and Saturday, December 11 and 12)
Venue: TBD
Rationale
IGBP has amassed an incredible set of research findings in our quest to understand how human activities have contributed to our changing earth system. The Future Earth Programme will endeavor to build on the research community created during the past three decades and enhance these efforts through integrating with the other global environmental change (GEC) communities to address major challenges to Earth and society. The effort will also need strong collaborative efforts from the private sector, policy makers, and other end-users of the knowledge generated by the Future Earth community. Co-design and co-development of research activities will go beyond transdisciplinary efforts and will call for special skills to bring all of the skills and expertise together in ways that enhance discovery and innovation to meet global challenges.
The IGBP and Future Earth secretariats jointly propose a multi-day workshop exploring co-production and co-design for early career researchers attending the AGU Fall Meeting. This workshop will provide an overview of recent understanding of the earth system through the IGBP lens and insights from other GEC programmes; evaluate how this has led to the Future Earth agenda; assess how society is challenged by current and projected changes; and explore methods to co-design research and development approaches to meet end user and stakeholder needs. Participants will be exposed to a number of principles and approaches useful in co-design across disciplines and with multiple end users in mind.
This workshop aims to:
• Provide a set of skills to carry out effective co-design efforts
• Enhance the understanding of the research and engagement scope of Future Earth
• Develop collaborative skills to work across boundaries of disciplines and society
Workshop Structure
We anticpate approximately 20 to 25 participants, plus 3 to 5 organizers (presenters, facilitators, etc) will attend. Four to five topical teams will be formed to work on defining transdisciplinary co-design/co-production research and engagement activities. Major issues to be covered during the 2-day workshop include:
• Overview of the Future Earth Agenda
• Review of “Challenges” reflecting on the earth system science and social-economic facts of these Challenges
• Presentation and exercises on approaches
• Feedback on challenges, opportunities, and further actions
In the pre-AGU workshop, we will have a combination of team and plenary discussions and 2-hour blocks with a combination of presentations and group discussions. Teams will present on various aspects of research design, activities for stakeholder and end-user engagement, and co-production efforts in various topical areas. During AGU, participants will arrange periodic meetings with research experts and working group teams to discuss issues and research approaches. Following AGU, we will have presentations and discussions, followed by a primer on communication approaches.
To apply
Please provide:
1. A short biog (~ 250 words)
2. An outline of your research interests and recent accomplishments (~500 words)
3. Identify your interest in one or more of the 8 topics below
Please send your application to: dennis.ojimacolostate.edu by 28 August 2015.
The topical areas in transdisciplinary research are:
• Water, energy, and food systems interactions
• Decarbonise socio-economic systems
• Safeguard the terrestrial, freshwater and marine natural assets
• Build healthy, resilient and productive cities
• Promote sustainable rural futures
• Improve human health by understanding complex environmental interactions
• Encourage sustainable consumption and production patterns
• Increase social resilience to future natural threats
We are currently trying to source funding for local costs, but at the moment it should be noted that there is no travel support. Participants will need to be self-funded.
Contact
Dennis Ojima
Acting Director US hub of the Executive Secretariat of Future Earth
University Director, North Central Climate Science Center, CSU
Senior Research Scientist, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, CSU
Professor, Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Department, CSU
Mail address: Campus Delivery 1499
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1499
Email: dennis.ojimacolostate.edu (dennis[dot]ojima[at]colostate[dot]edu)
Tele: +1 970 491 1976
Co-organizers
Dennis Ojima, Cheikh Mbow, Ninad, Bondre, Karen Smyth, Kirsti Ashworth plus others