Climate Adaptation Science

We prepare graduate researchers for careers that integrate science with management and policy while advancing Climate Adaptation Science for the threatened landscape of the Interior West.

Skills emphasized in the Climate Adaptation Science (CAS) program align with many of the attributes of an “ideal, student-centered STEM graduate education system,” as described in the Consensus Study Report, “Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century.” The report was produced in 2018 by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Key attributes of revitalized graduate STEM education include the potential for students to: acquire broad technical literacy, encounter a variety of points of view about science, have opportunities to communicate their results to diverse audiences, think about broader impacts, work on projects in teams, and explore diverse career options in a context where nonacademic careers are not stigmatized.

Unique internship-research cycle:

The Climate Adaptation Science program provides trainees with direct experience in actionable science through an internship-research cycle. Each trainee will complete an internship with a government agency, NGO, or industry partner. Internship experiences precede a year-long research studio course, with the option of a second internship the following summer. Through the internships, and a series of Science-Management-Policy Exchange meetings, trainees learn the cultures, opportunities and constraints, and science needs of the many workplaces in which climate adaptation science is created and used.

Skills trainees acquire:

Facility with Data and Modeling
Facility in Communication with Scientist and Non-scientist Audiences
Ability to Collaborate Across Disciplinary and Workplace Boundaries
Ability to Work in Diverse Teams, as a Leader or Follower, and to Manage Projects
Understanding Risk and Decision-making
Ability to Think Comprehensively about climate, geo-hydrology, biology, social sciences and the models, concepts, and analyses that integrate these.

Innovative course formats:

Trainees will have a research-based and experiential curriculum supported with elective short-courses (0.25 to 1 credit) that are flexible in length, timing, and format. These short, focused, content-rich courses respond to interests and needs of students, promote cross-participation of faculty, and deliver emerging tools and perspectives.

Details are given in Program Timetable

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