Doctoral Dissertation Research: Cold War Convergence: The Making of a Chile-California Scientific Network

博士论文研究：冷战趋同：智利-加州科学网络的建立

• 批准号: 2240908
• 负责人: Paul Sutter
• 金额: $ 1.51万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-04-15 至 2024-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2240908&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Cold; War

Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs) represent two percent of terrestrial landmass but possess a plant diversity that is second only to that of the wet tropics. MTE regions—centered between thirty degrees and forty degrees north or south of the equator, and characterized by cool, wet winters and warm, sunny summers—demonstrate remarkable physical similarities, but efforts to study them collectively are relatively new. In 1971, biologists hailing from the world’s five MTE regions convened their first meeting. They collaboratively tested the evolutionary theory of convergence, the notion that like environments shape like life forms. In the process, they established a global scientific network based on common concern for these analogous landscapes. Now, this decentralized group of researchers represents a key body of expertise around urbanization, water scarcity, wildfires, and more. This project seeks to unpack and explain the connective success of a group of far-flung scientific individuals. Despite having no legal charter or institutional affiliation, the MTE network has endured—seemingly on the basis of strong personal and intellectual relationships. Findings from this project will offer insights into how science functions across national boundaries, and will be of interest to policy makers, scientists, and environmentalists of many stripes.Research focuses upon scientific contact between Chile and California, the two MTE regions often deemed most alike. The project draws upon archival research and new oral history content from interviews with key historical actors to address three related questions: What scientific and theoretical context influenced the working relationships of these scientists? Within the Cold War context, how did broad U.S. foreign policies designed to contain communism influence person-to-person relationships? And did these relationships translate into management decisions—did they influence conservation techniques, protected area boundaries, fire management policies, or in other ways shape the landscapes of California and Chile?This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

地中海型生态系统 (MTE) 占陆地面积的 2%，但其植物多样性仅次于潮湿的热带地区——集中在赤道以北或以南 30 度至 40 度之间，其特点是凉爽。潮湿的冬季和温暖、阳光明媚的夏季——表现出显着的物理相似性，但对它们进行集体研究的努力相对较新。1971 年，来自世界五个 MTE 地区的生物学家聚集在一起。他们合作测试了趋同进化理论，即相似的环境塑造了生命形式。在此过程中，他们建立了一个基于对这些相似景观的共同关注的全球科学网络。该项目旨在揭示和解释一群分布广泛的科学人士的相互联系的成功，尽管没有法律章程或机构隶属关系，但 MTE 网络拥有有关城市化、水资源短缺、野火等问题的关键专业知识。该项目的研究结果将提供关于科学如何跨越国界发挥作用的见解，并将引起各行各业的政策制定者、科学家和环保主义者的兴趣。研究重点是科学接触。在智利地区和加利福尼亚州之间，这两个 MTE 通常被认为最相似，该项目利用档案研究和对关键历史人物的采访中的新口述历史内容来解决三个相关问题：哪些科学和理论背景影响了这些科学家的工作关系？在冷战背景下，广泛的美国旨在遏制共产​​主义的外交政策影响了人与人之间的关系吗？这些关系是否转化为管理决策——它们是否影响了保护技术、保护区边界、火灾管理政策，或以其他方式塑造了加利福尼亚和智利的景观？该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。