Environmental biology is one of the applied subdivisions of environmental science. The others being environmental policy, environmental economics, environmental chemistry, environmental geology, environmental psychology, environmental sociology, environmental sociology, and several others.
It is not ecology. Ecology is the theoretical foundation on which environemental biology builds. It intersects Wildlife, fisheries, conservation biology, agriculture, and an assortment of other applied areas iin natural resource management, etc.. Having said this, many ecologists shift between ecology and environmental biology frequently throughout their career. Likewise, many environmental biologists work in ecology. Also, most environmental biologists will work in a more interdisciplinary area than will a classic wildlife biologist or ecologist. They will have a signficant portion of their training in the other areas of environemntal science despite their emphasis in environmental biology. For example, when I worked on my PHD in environmental science, I was required to complete coursework in environemntal policy, environmental economics, environemntal chemistry and then pass an in-depth written and oral exam in each of these areas. Upon graduation, my focus was environmental biology with specializations in ecotoxicology and conservation ecology. However, I have a signficant background in risk assessment and environemntal impact assessment. Because of my multidisciplinary education, I am able to tie things together that otherwise I might not be skilled enough to do. The biggest problem with environmental sciences as with any other interdisciplinary field, is that many employers will not be trained in a fashion that they can understand your education crosses fields. I had one co-worker who could not figure out that his PHD in fish and wildlife was not the same as my PHD in environmental science. Thus, he could not understand how I could teach courses in political science (environmental policy), geography (GIS in particular), and chemistry (environmental chemistry and environmental instrumentation). To him, he saw an old-fashion wildlife biologist, and did not have either the training nor the understanding to see a modern education in environemntal science. In the old days, it was usually a "poor-man's chemistry degree!" Another problem is that a traditional education is focused in a specific area of a specific science, whereas the interdisciplinary field of environmental science/biology is enducated in the overlap areas. This can sometimes give the impression of lack of focus, which is another challenge that environemntal scientists face. We are, however, very focused in an area that is interdisicplinary, so it is not always clear to people who lack that training what in the world we are doing! :) Maybe a little more than you asked for, but there it is. Malcolm McCallum Ph.D. Environmental Sciences. On Mon, Dec 24, 2012 at 3:59 PM, Wayne Tyson <[email protected]> wrote: > Ecolog: > > Very interesting; thanks, David, for the lead. > > Would anyone care to comment on what they think "environmental biology" > means--for example, as distinguished from biology and its other subsets? > Can anyone tell me about the origin of the term and why it is apparently a > distinct discipline unto itself? I have looked at Wikipedia. It gives me > "Environmental Science," which is apparently a kind of "umbrella" science > that covers everything. This academic discipline sounds good, but I have > encountered a number of people with ES degrees that have stricken me as > being miles wide and fractions of inches deep. I'm certain that my sample > size is way too small to reach any such conclusion that would fit all > "samples" that I have encountered, so I would like to be educated on just > how these disciplines fit in and merge with, say, ecology. > > And, I must add that I, also, am fairly wide and not very deep (I try to > know what I don't know and engage those who do on a case basis), so I'm > wondering how all these disciplines and sub-disciplines and sub-sub > disciplines fit together, and whether those of us with little bits of > knowledge and understanding can best serve science, humanity, and the earth > without causing damage and maybe contributing something useful. I have > encountered ES graduates who know everything and some who know that they > don't. I fit best with the latter, but should perhaps appreciate the former > more . . . > > WT > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Inouye" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, December 24, 2012 11:08 AM > Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Fwd: DEB Communications and Program Information Update > > > Some of you who are not on the NSF listserv list > for the Division of Environmental Biology may be > interested in this information. See below for how > to subscribe to that list (which has very few messages per year). > > David Inouye > > > > Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2012 11:46:47 -0500 >> Reply-To: BIO-DEB-PIS <[email protected]> >> Sender: BIO-DEB-PIS <[email protected]> >> From: The NSF Division of Environmental Biology <[email protected]> >> Subject: DEB Communications and Program Information Update >> To: <[email protected]> >> List-Help: >> <http://listserv.nsf.gov/**scripts/wa.exe?LIST=BIO-DEB-**PIS<http://listserv.nsf.gov/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=BIO-DEB-PIS> >> >, >> <mailto:[email protected].**GOV<[email protected]> >> ?body=INFO%20BIO-DEB-PIS> >> List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:BIO-DEB-PIS-**unsubscribe-request@LISTSERV.** >> NSF.GOV <[email protected]>> >> List-Subscribe: >> <mailto:BIO-DEB-PIS-subscribe-**[email protected]<[email protected]> >> > >> List-Owner: >> <mailto:BIO-DEB-PIS-request@**LISTSERV.NSF.GOV<[email protected]> >> > >> List-Archive: <http://listserv.nsf.gov/**scripts/wa.exe?LIST=BIO-DEB-** >> PIS <http://listserv.nsf.gov/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=BIO-DEB-PIS>> >> >> Dear DEB Community of Scientists: >> >> In 2011 the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) made significant >> changes to the core program review process for the 2012 funding year. These >> changes (including the new pre-proposal requirement, a switch to an annual >> deadline, and a cap on the number of proposals PIs can submit per cycle) >> were made to protect the integrity of our merit review system, which was >> increasingly compromised by steep increases in proposal pressure, >> diminished participation of the community in the proposal review system, >> and flat budgets. Sinking success rates and the constant churn of excellent >> proposals were symptoms of a complex, system-wide problem that hit early >> career investigators particularly hard. >> >> We've since received considerable feedback from the community on those >> changes -- including discussions with program officers and panel members at >> NSF, discussions with many of you at professional meetings, and via >> letters, phone calls and emails to various members of DEB and/or the BIO >> directorate. >> >> At NSF, we've collected multiple forms of data on these changes during >> the past year, including formal surveys distributed to all DEB core program >> panelists and statistics on invitation rates and funding rates across >> various groups.The purpose of this email is to: A) provide you with >> information on the results of our first complete cycle of the new system in >> DEB; B) provide you with summarized information on community feedback so >> far; and C) inform you of what the next steps will be for the DEB community. >> >> A) Division-wide Data >> >> Preproposal Panels - Spring 2012: >> >> >> Preliminary Proposals submitted: 1624 across 4 >> clusters >> >> Panel recommendation for invitation: 395 >> >> Preliminary proposals invited: 3801 >> >> Overall Invitation rate: 23.4% >> >> >> >> 1invited proposals included some that panels did not recommend, in order >> to balance our invitation portfolios >> >> >> >> Groups of concern: >> >> Early Career Investigators >> >> Preliminary proposals submitted: 401 >> >> Preliminary proposals invited: 82 >> >> Invitation rate: 20.4 % >> >> >> >> Primarily Undergraduate Institutions >> >> Preliminary proposals submitted: 287 >> >> Preliminary proposals invited: 47 >> >> Invitation rate: 16.4% >> >> >> >> Full Proposal Panels - Fall 2012: >> >> >> >> Full Proposals submitted: 380 >> >> Panel Recommended for Funding2: 259 >> >> Panel Recommendation Rate2: 68% >> >> Anticipated Overall Funding Rate3: 22% >> >> >> >> 2across three categories, High Priority, Medium Priority, and Low >> Priority for Funding >> >> 3 based on our currently available budgets, which are 80% of 2012 >> budgets. Proposals funded from Fall 2012 panels include Full Proposals that >> followed from Preliminary Proposals, CAREER proposals, OPUS proposals, RCN >> proposals, and proposals co-reviewed with other programs. >> >> >> >> Groups of Concern: >> >> >> >> Early Career Investigators >> >> Full Proposals Submitted: 82 >> >> Recommended for funding: 29 >> >> Success Rate: 35% >> >> >> >> Statistics for Early Career Investigators over past 5 years: >> >> Fiscal Year >> >> Success Rate >> >> # proposals >> >> % total submissions >> > This table didn't format correctly in the > forwarded message. You should be able to see it > at the list archive > <http://listserv.nsf.gov/**scripts/wa.exe?LIST=BIO-DEB-**PIS<http://listserv.nsf.gov/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=BIO-DEB-PIS> > > > (which doesn't seem to be available this afternoon). > > > Primarily Undergraduate Institutions >> >> Full Proposals submitted: 47 >> >> Recommended for funding: 18 >> >> Success Rate: 38.3% >> >> >> >> Statistics for PUIs Over the past 5 years: >> >> Fiscal Year >> >> Success Rate >> >> # proposals >> >> % total submissions >> > This table didn't format correctly in the > forwarded message. You should be able to see it > at the list archive <http://listserv.nsf.gov/** > scripts/wa.exe?LIST=BIO-DEB-**PIS<http://listserv.nsf.gov/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=BIO-DEB-PIS> > > > > > > B) Community Feedback: >> >> Having completed one cycle, a few common themes have emerged from >> community feedback received thus far. The following qualitative conclusions >> come from panelist surveys. DEB will be disseminating more comprehensive, >> quantitative results of these surveys in early 2013. >> >> >> >> General Feedback on the New System: >> >> · Feedback both in favor of and against the new review system. >> >> · Support, although not uniform, from early career PIs - helps >> them rrespond to administrative pressures re: grant-writing and better >> manage their time. >> >> · Mixed feedback for PI cap/limit; in panelist surveys, the >> majority was in favor. >> >> · Suggestions for skipping pre-proposal stage for highly ranked >> but unfunded full proposals. >> >> · Concerns regarding change to annual cycle and/or timing of >> deadlines. >> >> >> >> Feedback on Pre-Proposal Review: >> >> · Broad support for the use of a shortened pre-proposal format >> (four pages â?~adequateâ?T). >> >> · PIs need better guidance on structure and content of >> pre-proposals. >> >> · Reviewers need better guidance on review criteria unique to >> pre-proposals. >> >> · Concerns about adequacy of panel review only >> >> >> >> Feedback on Full Proposal Review: >> >> · Less time wasted by reviewers and PIs on non-competitive >> proposals. >> >> · More external reviews received allowed better evaluation of >> full proposals at panel. >> >> >> >> Input from individuals via letters and telephone calls has been mixed on >> each of the points above. >> >> >> >> C) Next Steps >> >> It is our responsibility to communicate with our community more >> effectively, to explain the drivers and constraints that DEB was responding >> to with the new system, to correct misconceptions, and to listen to >> community concerns and ideas for the future. As such, we are planning a >> number of ways to continue to share information and solicit your opinions >> over the next few months. >> >> First, we wish to hear from as much of the DEB community as possible, so >> that we have a thorough view of common themes that emerge across all >> sectors of DEB science. To that end: >> >> · We will continue to seek input from panelists at each panel. >> >> · A quantitative survey addressing satisfaction and concerns will >> be distributed to the DEB PI community in early 2013. >> >> · We will schedule a number of virtual "town halls.â? >> · We have received approval from NSF leadership to pilot a DEB >> blog, on which we can quickly share information and relevant data on the >> new review process, and provide a venue for public feedback and >> cross-community interactions. >> >> · We will hold sessions at major professional meetings. >> >> · As always, we welcome any other forms of input, ranging from >> emails to phone calls to letters, and we are open to any additional ideas >> you have about how we could engage the community in a meaningful dialogue. >> >> Second, we will be writing and disseminating - in early 2013 �â?" a more >> substantive analysis and quantitative evaluation of the first cycle of the >> new system. Our sense (from some published articles, letters, and emails) >> is that significant gaps in understanding remain about why changes were >> implemented at NSF, and what the various consequences of these changes >> might be. This analysis will provide a more comprehensive discussion on >> these topics, as well as deeper analyses of the potential effects on PIs >> and on DEB science in general. >> >> Time is of the essence in terms of receiving community feedback and >> making any changes to the new system. We will need to begin revisions to >> the new solicitation for the 2014 cycle beginning in June 2013. This is >> because NSF requires new solicitations to be published at least 90 days >> before deadlines, because it takes several weeks for solicitations to be >> approved at all levels within NSF, and because any changes considered must >> be discussed within DEB and with the Biological Sciences Directorate. >> >> We welcome your feedback and input. Please be on the lookout for further >> announcements concerning upcoming opportunities to join the discussion. As >> always, individual Program Officer contact information can be found < >> http://www.nsf.gov/staff/**staff_list.jsp?org=DEB&from_**org=DEB<http://www.nsf.gov/staff/staff_list.jsp?org=DEB&from_org=DEB>>on >> the DEB website and general inquiries may be sent to <mailto: >> [email protected]>D**[email protected] <[email protected]>. >> >> Sincerely, >> >> The Division of Environmental Biology >> >> N.B.- This message was sent via a Listserv that cannot receive replies. >> Please use the contact information above to communicate directly with DEB. >> > > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 10.0.1430 / Virus Database: 2637/5483 - Release Date: 12/24/12 > -- Malcolm L. McCallum Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry School of Biological Sciences University of Missouri at Kansas City Managing Editor, Herpetological Conservation and Biology "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - Allan Nation 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution. 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction MAY help restore populations. 2022: Soylent Green is People! The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) Wealth w/o work Pleasure w/o conscience Knowledge w/o character Commerce w/o morality Science w/o humanity Worship w/o sacrifice Politics w/o principle Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. 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