Russell E. Train Fellowship for citizens of Latin America

supporting graduate study in climate change adaptation[1] in Latin America

2010-2011 Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in WWF’s Education for Nature Program (EFN). Please read the following carefully to determine if you are eligible to apply for a Russell E. Train Fellowship.



Benefits

Financial support for tuition, books, travel to and from the training institution, and room and board for academic program for up to two years;

Costs for field research required by the academic institution to obtain the degree;

Complimentary copies of EFN News;

Long-term professional development support through the EFN Alumni Program; and

Networking opportunities to meet with other EFN grantees, alumni, and WWF staff through periodic regional gatherings.



Eligibility

* You must be a citizen or legal permanent resident of any of the following countries: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Surinam where WWF or its associate organizations have ongoing activities.
* You must have at least two year’s work experience in conservation and a clear interest in climate change.
* You must commit to working at least two years after the completion of your degree in your home country or another country in Latin America.
* You must NOT have received a Russell E. Train Scholarship or Fellowship in the past. Those who have received EFN Professional Development Grants may apply for a Train Fellowship.
* You must NOT be a current WWF employee, a long-term consultant to WWF, or an employee seconded to WWF from a government agency or other organization. Consultants on short-term contracts with WWF may be eligible. If you are working for WWF, it is strongly advised that you contact EFN in Washington, DC at efn@wwfus.org to make sure you are eligible before applying.
* Your thesis or dissertation should be focused on climate change adaptation including science (climate change modeling and application in terrestrial and marine ecosystems, monitoring or vulnerability assessments), adaptation strategy and program development for key biodiversity targets, and adaptation policy and communications.
* You must be enrolled in, admitted to or have applied to a graduate degree program (master's or PhD) at an institution of higher education by the application deadline and you must plan to begin your studies no later than one year after the application deadline. You may study in your home country or abroad.
* Individuals who are currently WWF Fuller Fellows may not receive a Train Fellowship. Applicants may apply to both programs simultaneously, if they are eligible for both, but cannot receive both fellowships from WWF.



Because EFN funds are limited, Train Fellows are encouraged to contribute to their educational expenses with personal or funding from other sources when possible.



To apply please download the application at: www.worldwildlife.org/efn. If you have any questions, please email us at: efn@wwfus.org



The application deadline for the Fellowships is

February 28, 2011

All applications must be sent by this date. Applications sent after this date will not be considered.

[1] Adaptation: initiatives and measures to reduce the vulnerability of natural and human systems against actual or expected climate change effects.

Adaptation Datasets

For those taking Vaske's survey class next semester these might be helpful? Here are two household survey datasets released on climate change adaptation by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI):

Ethiopia Nile Basin
http://www.ifpri.org/dataset/ethiopia-nile-basin-climate-change-adaptation-dataset

and

South Africa Limpopo Basin:
http://www.ifpri.org/dataset/south-africa-limpopo-basin-climate-change-adaptation-dataset

(both available in STATA and EXCEL, scroll to the bottom to download)

KLIMA 2010 conference Nov 1-7

The Klima 2010 online conference is free and starts today. The theme this year is sustainable management of water resources and has lots of info, papers and videos for physical and social scientists alike including policy making and education. There is even a game that looks awesome but it's in German. Enjoy, http://www.climate2010.net/en/start

Dialogue and Deliberation

Friday, October 23, 2010

On Friday I went to a program hosted by the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD). Clearly, the intent was to get people together beyond networking who are working in negotiation on the East Side (what is it called) of the Rockies. There were about 50-60 in attendence of diverse ages and gender but not of race. The design was two lectures and a bunch of break out groups and the requisite butcher paper + post its. It was valuable for networking opportunities. People who have been in the business for decades were approachable and interested in talking to young folks just starting out.

Some good quotes I heard:
Stan Deetz, UC Boulder 3CG: (paraphrase) It used to be that people were satisfied leaving a consensus with "I can accept that, and I can live with that." But that breeds mediocrity. Instead, we should try to get to: "I never thought of that and I'm excited about getting on board with that."

And, same guy, the reason for being here (in consensus building) should be because "I can't be smart enough alone."

The free book I got was called "Standing in the Fire: Leading high-heat meetings with clarity, clam, and courage" by Larry Dressler. Let me know if you would like to borrow it!

It was held at the Wellshire Inn, a hidden golf resort in a Denver neighborhood. For lunch they had delicious sandwiches and salads and cookies!

Peter Adler, President of the Keystone Center
Paul Alexander, Director of the Regis University Institute for the Common Good
Martin Carcasson, Director of the CSU Center for Public Deliberation
Stan Deetz, Director of the CU Center for the Study of Conflict, Collaboration and Creative Governance
Peggy Kerns, Director of the Center for Ethics in Government of the National Conference of State Legislatures
Steve Konieczka, Doctoral Candidate in UC Boulder Communication Department
Drew O’Connor, Co-Director of the Civic Canopy
Amanda Roman, Executive Director of the Citizens in Charge Foundation

Here's a link with more info about the event and registration: http://www.ncdd.org/events/denver.php