We are in an era of rapidly changing climate, threatening animal species that form complex
relationships with microbes for essential benefits. To understand how these interactions will
respond to certain climate futures from molecular to ecological scales, we have established
the NSF Biological Integration Institute, INSITE — The INstitute for Symbiotic Interactions,
Teaching, and Education in the Face of a Changing Climate. INSITE brings together a multidisciplinary
team at the University of California Merced and Michigan State University.
The INSITE research team is seeking to recruit passionate junior scientists with wide-ranging
interests in biology and applied math. INSITE’s research aims integrate studies of marine and
terrestrial symbioses across the fields of ecology, evolution, physiology, bioinformatics, applied
mathematics, and conservation biology to establish a foundational a set of expectations and a
roadmap for the integrative understanding of symbioses under climate crises. Our integrated
research approach established a training platform intended to break down interdisciplinary
barriers to promote effective and seamless integration of multiple STEM disciplines. INSITE’s
trainees will broaden the field of symbiosis to new biological systems and scientific frontiers,
making INSITE fellows more competitive for various careers. As a community, INSITE aims to
foster equity and diversity in STEM, where everyone’s input is equally respected by creating
an atmosphere designed to recruit and retain people from diverse backgrounds in science. Interested scholars can apply here: https://aprecruit.ucmerced.edu/JPF01411
CAMPUS INFORMATION
The University of California, Merced, is the newest of the University of California system’s 10 campuses. With over 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students (https://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts), UC Merced provides outstanding educational opportunities to highly qualified students from the heart of California, the nation, and abroad. The campus has special connections to nearby Yosemite National Park; is on the cutting edge of sustainability in construction and design; and supports the economic development of Central California. The Merced 2020 Project doubled the physical capacity of the campus, and enhanced academic distinction, student success, and research excellence (https://merced2020.ucmerced.edu/).
UC Merced is a smoke & tobacco free campus (https://smokefree.ucmerced.edu/).