*MIGRATE Program: Training Opportunities and Exchange Visits*
The MIGRATE network brings together multidisciplinary specialists in animal migration to foster cross-disciplinary advances in the accuracy and precision with which long-distance movement data can be collected and analyzed (http://www.migrate.ou.edu/). Through a Training Opportunities and Exchange Visit program, MIGRATE seeks to catalyze rapid exchange of information and use of newly developing technologies by supporting workshops, meetings, training sessions focused on new technologies, laboratory exchange visits, and collaborations for scientists and graduate students. This program has limited funds available to offset travel, living costs and supplies of such activities. Average awards are $1-3,000. If you wish to be considered for a MIGRATE training opportunity, please submit a one-page proposal to the MIGRATE training committee. This proposal should detail the following: 1. Who will be involved 2. What will be done 3. How this activity will meet MIGRATE goals, which are to: · Advance the study of long-distance animal movement through the integrated use of novel and existing intrinsic and extrinsic markers, cross-validation of technologies, and development of innovative quantitative approaches. · Foster cross-disciplinary collaborations (e.g., ecology and engineering) among researchers throughout the Americas to understand *in situ *migratory movements of individuals and track physiology, behavior, and population dynamics across space and time. · Encourage data sharing by developing common standards for movement-related data, tissue collection protocols, and identification of central repositories for data and samples. · Create a platform to promote collaborative research and training of students, particularly from underrepresented minorities in the US and from countries across Latin America. 1. Budget (note that matching funds will allow us to fund more training opportunities). In addition, please also include a short CV of the applicant and if relevant a breakdown of the budget. For proposals from individuals receiving the training, we will also need a short letter from the trainer acknowledging that they will have time to do the proposed activity, and for graduate students we will need a brief letter from the major professor indicating how the activity would fit into the student's educational program. Proposals should be sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED] as an e-mail attachment and can be submitted at any time. Proposed activities should improve our ability to track migrants and directly or indirectly benefit our understanding of New World migration. Proposals therefore need to demonstrate not only how the training will benefit the trainee, but also how it will further the goals of MIGRATE. MIGRATE will prioritize this criterion when evaluating proposed training activities. We will evaluate proposals on a monthly basis until we have awarded the available funds. At the conclusion of training we encourage awardees to produce a report for MIGRATE on the activities. These reports will likely be posted to the MIGRATE web page. MIGRATE regrets that we will be unable to fund all worthy activities.
