The Colorado Museum Of Natural History

EFFICACY STUDY OF METROPOLITAN DENVER'S URBAN ADVANTAGE PROGRAM: A PROJECT TO IMPROVE SCIENTIFIC LITERACY AMONG URBAN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

TAS::89 0331::TAS RECOVERY RECOVERY ACT: EDUCATION AND COLLECTION FACILITY GROUND HEAT PUMP DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: HOW DID TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS REBUILD FOLLOWING THE CRETACEOUS/PALEOGENE MASS EXTINCTION? -DURING THE CRETACEOUS/PALEOGENE (K/PG) MASS EXTINCTION (CA. 66 MILLION YEARS AGO), ~75% OF ALL SPECIES ON EARTH WENT EXTINCT, NOTABLY INCLUDING ALL NON-AVIAN DINOSAURS. THIS EVENT COMPLETELY CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF THE EVOLUTIONARY TREE OF LIFE, LEADING ULTIMATELY TO THE FORMATION OF TODAY?S MAMMAL-DOMINATED COMMUNITIES. THE AFTERMATH OF THE K/PG MASS EXTINCTION REPRESENTS A NATURAL LABORATORY IN WHICH ECOSYSTEM REORGANIZATION CAN BE STUDIED WITH HIGH GEOLOGIC RESOLUTION. SOME STUDIES HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN TO EXAMINE HOW MARINE ECOSYSTEMS WERE REBUILT, BUT THE RESPONSE OF TERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS IS POORLY DOCUMENTED. THIS PROJECT WILL EXAMINE ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES THAT OCCURRED ON LAND ACROSS THE K/PG BOUNDARY IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. THE RESEARCH WILL INVOLVE EXTENSIVE PALEONTOLOGICAL AND GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSES OF EXISTING FOSSIL COLLECTIONS AND INTRODUCE NOVEL DATA THAT WILL REVEAL THE VARIABILITY IN THE TIMING AND PATTERN OF TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM REBUILDING AFTER THE MASS EXTINCTION. THIS PROJECT WILL EXPAND KNOWLEDGE OF A MAJOR TURNING POINT IN THE HISTORY OF LIFE ON EARTH THAT WILL HELP DETERMINE HOW THE BIODIVERSITY OF ECOSYSTEMS RECOVER AT THE CONTINENTAL SCALE AND HOW MODERN TERRESTRIAL BIOTA EVOLVED. THE RESULTS MAY ALSO PROVIDE DATA FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGISTS TO PREDICT THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF CURRENT RAPID CHANGES IN BIODIVERSITY AND HELP INFORM CONSERVATION PRIORITIES TO ALLEVIATE ECOSYSTEM DISRUPTIONS. THE PROJECT WILL USE ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS IN CLASSROOMS, MUSEUM EXHIBITS, AND OUTREACH AT THE PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS TO REACH AUDIENCES OF MULTIPLE AGES AND BACKGROUNDS. THE K/PG MASS EXTINCTION COMPLETELY CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF THE EVOLUTIONARY TREE OF LIFE AND MOST RESEARCH HAS FOCUSED ON MARINE SYSTEMS. POST-EXTINCTION PATTERNS OF ECOSYSTEM RESTRUCTURING ON LAND, FUNDAMENTAL TO UNDERSTANDING THE EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN TAXA OF MAMMALS AND PLANTS, HAVE RECEIVED LITTLE ATTENTION BECAUSE FOSSIL COLLECTIONS, DATA, AND HIGH-RESOLUTION CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC SECTIONS ARE RELATIVELY RARE. THIS PROJECT WILL BUILD ON EXTENSIVE FOSSIL COLLECTIONS FROM THREE PRIMARY STUDY AREAS IN THE WESTERN INTERIOR OF NORTH AMERICA, INVOLVE NEW FIELDWORK DESIGNED TO AUGMENT COLLECTIONS AND DATA FROM CRITICAL INTERVALS, AND DEVELOP DIVERSE INORGANIC AND ORGANIC GEOCHEMICAL RECORDS TO CHARACTERIZE AND IDENTIFY BIOTIC PATTERNS, LOCAL ENVIRONMENTS, AND FACTORS INVOLVED IN TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM RESTRUCTURING FOLLOWING THE K/PG EXTINCTION. TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS, THE RESEARCH TEAM WILL: COLLECT AND INTERPRET MEGAFLORAL, PALYNOLOGICAL, INVERTEBRATE, AND VERTEBRATE FOSSILS AND ASSOCIATED CONTEXTUAL DATA FROM THREE WELL-STUDIED STRATIGRAPHIC SECTIONS; USE FOSSIL LEAF PHYSIOGNOMIC TRAITS AND GEOCHEMICAL DATA FROM ORGANIC COMPOUNDS TO CONSTRUCT RECORDS OF TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND FIRE FREQUENCY; INTEGRATE ECOLOGICAL PROXIES OF COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OVER TIME AND SPACE AS THEY RELATE TO THE THREE STUDY AREAS, TO DETERMINE IF THERE ARE ANY CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS, OR TROPHIC INTERACTIONS THAT ENHANCE OR IMPEDE ECOSYSTEM RESTRUCTURING AFTER THE K/PG EXTINCTION. IN ADDITION, GEOCHEMICAL PROXIES FOR VOLCANIC ACTIVITY WILL BE EXAMINED TO RESOLVE THE INFLUENCE OF THE EXTENSIVE BASALT ERUPTIONS OF THE DECCAN TRAPS ON THE BIOTA WITHIN THE STUDY AREAS. 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.

COLLABORATIVE PROPOSAL: WORLDVIEW NETWORK: ECOLOGICAL LITERACY PROGRAMMING FOR DIGITAL PLANETARIUMS AND BEYOND

PI: KIRK JOHNSON/COLORADO MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, THEMETHODS OF INCREASING AWARENESS OF COMPARATIVE PLANETOLOGY AND CLIMATE SCIENCE WITH SCIENCE

GENETICS OF TASTE: A FLAVOR FOR HEALTH -- COMMUNITY LAB AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: ARTS: NORTH AMERICAN CAMEL SPIDERS (ARACHNIDA, SOLIFUGAE, EREMOBATIDAE): SYSTEMIC REVISION AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF AN UNDERSTUDIED TAXON

MORE THAN JUST A TASTE OF CITIZEN SCIENCE

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: CURATING, DIGITIZING AND DISSEMINATING RESULTS FROM AN UNPARALLELED COLLECTION OF FOSSIL VERTEBRATES FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS OF MADAGASCAR -THE GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO CONSERVE ONE OF THE MOST SCIENTIFICALLY SIGNIFICANT COLLECTIONS OF FOSSIL VERTEBRATE ANIMALS FROM THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, TO MAKE IT MORE BROADLY ACCESSIBLE TO RESEARCHERS WORLDWIDE, AND TO ENHANCE ITS ALREADY HIGH VALUE FOR EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH. THE COLLECTION, CURRENTLY HOUSED AT THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE, WAS RECOVERED OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES FROM UPPER CRETACEOUS (APPROXIMATELY 67 MILLION YEARS OLD) STRATA OF MADAGASCAR THROUGH COLLABORATION AMONG SEVERAL AMERICAN AND MALAGASY INSTITUTIONS. THE COLLECTION INCLUDES ABOUT 25,000 SPECIMENS OF FISHES, FROGS, TURTLES, LIZARDS, SNAKES, CROCODILES, DINOSAURS, BIRDS, AND MAMMALS. SO FAR, 21 NEW SPECIES HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED, MOST OF THEM REPRESENTED BY SKELETONS THAT ARE THE MOST COMPLETE AND BEST PRESERVED FOR ENTIRE LARGE GROUPS OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS. THESE SPECIMENS HAVE PROVIDED FUNDAMENTAL INSIGHTS INTO AN IMPORTANT INTERVAL OF EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY AND HAVE BEEN USED TO TEST HYPOTHESES ABOUT HOW AND WHEN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE BROKE APART INTO THE LANDMASSES WE KNOW TODAY. SPECIMENS FROM THE COLLECTION HAVE BEEN ON DISPLAY IN 36 MUSEUMS IN NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, ASIA, AND MADAGASCAR, REPORTED IN COUNTLESS MEDIA OUTLETS, AND USED AS A FRUITFUL TRAINING GROUND FOR HIGH SCHOOL, UNDERGRADUATE, AND GRADUATE STUDENTS, AS WELL AS LIFELONG-LEARNING MUSEUM VOLUNTEERS. THE SPECIMENS IN THIS IMPORTANT COLLECTION WILL BE PREPARED, REHOUSED, CATALOGED, AND DIGITIZED TO MODERN STANDARDS SO THAT THE LATE CRETACEOUS VERTEBRATE FOSSIL RECORD OF MADAGASCAR CAN CONTINUE TO BE DOCUMENTED AND CONSERVED IN PERPETUITY. THIS WILL INCLUDE FINAL PREPARATION OF ALL SPECIMENS OUT OF THEIR ENTOMBING ROCK MATRIX AND CONSTRUCTION OF ARCHIVAL SUPPORT STRUCTURES FOR THE LARGEST SPECIMENS. BY FORMAL AGREEMENT WITH GOVERNMENT AND UNIVERSITY PARTNERS IN MADAGASCAR, ONE-HALF OF THE REMAINING SPECIMENS MUST BE RETURNED TO MADAGASCAR UPON COMPLETION OF STUDY. AS SUCH, EXACT REPLICAS (CASTS AND 3D PRINTS) WILL BE MADE FOR IMPORTANT SPECIMENS SLATED FOR PERMANENT RETURN TO MADAGASCAR; DIGITAL DATASETS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE VIA THE NSF-SUPPORTED REPOSITORY MORPHOSOURCE FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE RESEARCHERS AND EDUCATORS. ULTIMATELY, ALL SPECIMEN RECORDS WILL BE EXPORTED TO THE NSF-FUNDED DATA AGGREGATOR INTEGRATED DIGITIZED BIOCOLLECTIONS (IDIGBIO) IN ORDER TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO OTHER RESEARCHERS. THIS PROJECT, AND CONTINUED RESEARCH ON SPECIMENS MADE ACCESSIBLE THROUGH THIS AWARD, WILL FURTHER EXPAND EDUCATIONAL AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS. 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.

MORE THAN JUST A TASTE OF CITIZEN SCIENCE

UNCROWDING, REHOUSING, AND ELECTRONIC MIGRATION OF THE MAMMAL COLLECTION AT THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE

CSBR: NATURAL HISTORY: UNCROWDING, REHOUSING, AND DIGITIZATION OF THE NON-FEDERAL FOSSIL VERTEBRATE COLLECTION AT THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIEN

PROTECTING HUMANITIES STAFF AND DIGITAL ASSETS THROUGH DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION [THROUGH THIS PROPOSAL, THE MUSEUM WILL ADDRESS AN INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITY TO PLAN AND BEGIN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION OF OUR NEARLY 400,000 DIGITAL HUMANITIES ASSETS, APPLYING TO DIGITAL ASSETS THE SAME LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE THAT IT HAS DEVELOPED FOR ITS PHYSICAL COLLECTIONS. THIS PROJECT WILL ASSIST POST-PANDEMIC RECOVERY OF THE MUSEUM AND THE HUMANITIES SECTOR BY SUPPORTING THE RETENTION OF CURRENT HUMANITIES STAFF, HIRING A TERM HUMANITIES STAFF POSITION, ENGAGING A CONSULTING FIRM EXPERIENCED IN HUMANITIES DIGITAL MANAGEMENT, AND PURCHASING A DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DAMS). BY PLANNING FOR PROPER MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION OF OUR DIGITAL ASSETS, DMNS MAKES THESE COLLECTIONS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO MUSEUM STAFF, SOURCE COMMUNITIES, RESEARCHERS AND STUDENTS, AND THE PUBLIC.] [PURPOSE:  THE PURPOSE OF THIS GRANT IS TO RETAIN NINE EXISTING STAFF POSITIONS?INCLUDING THE DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATIVE COLLECTIONS,  AN ARCHIVIST, REGISTRAR, CURATOR OF ARCHAEOLOGY, AND DIRECTOR OF ANTHROPOLOGY?AND TO HIRE A PROJECT ASSISTANT ARCHIVIST TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT A DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE.  ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED:  THE MUSEUM WILL INVESTIGATE USER NEEDS AND DEVELOP A PLAN TO SELECT AND INSTALL A DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.  ONCE INSTALLED, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL IDENTIFY A PILOT COLLECTION OF HUMANITIES ASSETS TO TEST AND ADJUST THE SYSTEM AS WELL AS DEVELOP WORKFLOWS, PERMISSIONS, AND ACCESS PROCEDURES FOR THE LONG-TERM PRESERVATION OF THE MUSEUM?S DIGITAL COLLECTIONS.  EXPECTED OUTCOMES:  THE RETENTION OF KEY STAFF POSITIONS AND THE INSTALLATION OF THE NEW DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WILL BENEFIT THE PRESERVATION OF, AND ACCESS TO THE MUSEUM?S 400,000 ARCHIVAL, ARCHAEOLOGICAL, AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL DIGITAL ASSETS.  THE NEW SYSTEM WILL?ADDRESS THE MUSEUM?S PRIORITY TO?MANAGE AND MAKE MORE ACCESSIBLE DIGITAL COLLECTIONS?IN NORTH AMERICAN, OCEANIC, AND ASIAN ETHNOLOGY;?ARCHAEOLOGY; AND?THE?HUMANITIES IMAGE ARCHIVES, WHICH CONTAINS, FOR EXAMPLE, EARLY PHOTOGRAPHS OF NATIVE AMERICANS TAKEN BY?JESSE H. BRATLEY AND ROLAND REED,?EXHIBITION PROGRAMS, AND?FIELD?RESEARCH?MATERIALS.  INTENDED BENEFICIARIES:  THE AUDIENCES THAT WILL BENEFIT FROM IMPROVED ACCESS TO THE MUSEUM?S DIGITAL COLLECTIONS WILL BE THE THOUSANDS OF ANNUAL VISITORS TO THE MUSEUM?S EXHIBITS; SCHOLARS STUDYING DIVERSE TOPICS IN ANTHROPOLOGY AND ARCHAEOLOGY; PARTICIPANTS OF VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING SUCH AS A PLANNED ?SCIENCE DIVISION LIVE? ONLINE PRESENTATION; AND STUDENTS AND THE PUBLIC.  SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT PLANS TO SUBAWARD FUNDS TO A CONSULTING FIRM EXPERIENCED IN HUMANITIES DIGITAL MANAGEMENT TO ASSIST IN THE PLANNING AND SELECTION OF A DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. ]

CSBR: NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS: UNCROWDING, REHOUSING, AND DIGITIZATION OF THE INSECT COLLECTION AT THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: GLOBAL SURVEY AND INVENTORY OF SOLIFUGAE

SAVE AMERICA'S TREASURES

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: BOCP-IMPLEMENTATION: US-SOUTH AFRICA: SURVIVING A SUPER GREENHOUSE: TERRESTRIAL BIODIVERSITY DYNAMICS DURING THE CRETACEOUS THERMAL MAXIMUM. -ACCURATELY PREDICTING THE ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF A WARMING PLANET IS ESSENTIAL FOR LESSENING ONGOING ECONOMIC AND SOCIETAL HARM. HOWEVER, THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF GLOBAL TEMPERATURE RISE PREDICTED FOR EARTH BY THE END OF THE 21ST CENTURY CANNOT BE STUDIED ON THE SCALE OF HUMAN HISTORY ALONE. FORTUNATELY, ESSENTIAL REAL-WORLD DATA ON THE OUTCOME OF RAPID AND EXTREME WARMING IS PRESERVED IN OUR PLANET?S DEEP-TIME ROCK RECORD. APPROXIMATELY 95 MILLION YEARS AGO, EARTH TRANSITIONED THROUGH AN INTERVAL OF GLOBAL CHANGE KNOWN AS THE CRETACEOUS THERMAL MAXIMUM (KTM) WITH PROFOUND REPERCUSSIONS. GLOBAL TEMPERATURE INCREASE DURING THE KTM MATCHES PREDICTIONS FOR EARTH'S NEAR TERM, MAKING THE EVENT A CRITICAL CASE STUDY FOR OUR PLANET?S IMMINENT FUTURE. RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THAT DURING THE KTM, 80% OF MARINE LIFE WENT EXTINCT DUE TO INCREASED OCEAN TEMPERATURES AND OXYGEN STARVATION. HOWEVER, SCIENTISTS DO NOT YET UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF WARMING ON LAND. OUR TEAM OF EARTH AND LIFE SCIENTISTS WILL ADDRESS FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE KTM, PRODUCING RESULTS DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO SOCIETY'S HEALTH AND ECONOMIC WELL-BEING. THE PROJECT WILL GENERATE FREELY ACCESSIBLE DATABASES OF TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION RECORDS, SPECIES DIETS, MIGRATION AND RANGE PATTERNS, PLANT COMMUNITY COMPOSITIONS, AND LANDSCAPE CHANGES. A SUSTAINABLE NETWORK OF LABS WILL USE THESE DATABASES TO CALCULATE THE DURATION, RATE, AND MAGNITUDE OF EXTINCTION AND RECOVERY AND IDENTIFY FACTORS AFFECTING ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE, SUCH AS SHIFTING HABITATS AND DESTABILIZING FOOD WEBS. A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH EXCHANGE PROGRAM WILL ARM THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS WITH THE BROAD SKILL SETS NECESSARY TO TACKLE SOME OF HUMANITY'S FORTHCOMING GRAND CHALLENGES. FINALLY, THE PROJECT WILL INCREASE STEM OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH VIA CO-CREATED TEACHER RESOURCES AND A PUBLIC SCIENCE PROJECT THAT EMPOWERS SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS TO CONTRIBUTE DIRECTLY TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. APPROXIMATELY 95 MILLION YEARS AGO, ECOSYSTEMS TRANSITIONED THROUGH AN UNDERSTUDIED HYPERTHERMAL EVENT, THE CRETACEOUS THERMAL MAXIMUM (KTM), DRIVEN BY INCREASING ATMOSPHERIC CO2. GLOBAL TEMPERATURE RISE DURING THE KTM WAS TRIPLE PROJECTIONS FOR EARTH BY THE END OF THE 21ST CENTURY?MAKING THE EVENT A CRITICAL CASE STUDY FOR PREDICTING TIPPING POINTS OF FUNCTIONAL ECOSYSTEM DECLINE (ECONOMIC RISK) IN AS-OF-YET UNREALIZED PLANETARY STATES. PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE DOCUMENTED KTM'S MARINE IMPACTS, INCLUDING GLOBAL OCEAN DEOXYGENATION AND CASCADING EXTINCTIONS; HOWEVER, SCIENTISTS CURRENTLY LACK ESSENTIAL DATA ON TERRESTRIAL OUTCOMES. THIS PROJECT WILL FORMULATE COMPREHENSIVE, OPEN-ACCESS DATABASES THAT ENABLE CROSS-DISCIPLINARY STUDY OF THE KTM AFTERMATH. RESEARCH WILL FOCUS ON MONGOLIA'S GOBI BASIN AND NORTH AMERICA?S WESTERN INTERIOR BASIN, WHICH TOGETHER PRESERVE THE WORLD'S RICHEST RECORDS OF CRETACEOUS TERRESTRIAL LIFE. DATA GENERATED WILL INCLUDE FLORAL AND FAUNAL BIODIVERSITY AND SPATIOTEMPORAL RECORDS, AS WELL AS BIOFUNCTIONAL TRAITS SUCH AS NICHE GUILD, MIGRATION AND RANGE POTENTIAL, HABITAT REQUIREMENTS DERIVED FROM GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSES, TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION PROXIES, CONSTRAINED BY RADIOISOTOPIC AGES DETERMINED USING C-ISOTOPE CHEMOSTRATIGRAPHY, EGGSHELL AND PEDOGENIC CARBONATE, AND ZIRCON. BY INTEGRATING ACROSS EARTH-LIFE SYSTEMS, THE PROJECT WILL TACKLE A SERIES OF HIERARCHICAL OBJECTIVES, INCLUDING ESTABLISHING A REFINED CHRONOLOGY OF ECOSYSTEM CHANGE, CALCULATING THE RATE AND DURATION OF DESTABILIZATION AND RECOVERY, ASSESSING TRENDS AND DRIVERS OF HABITAT EVOLUTION, AND EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF EXTREME WARMING ON ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE, FUNCTIONAL BIODIVERSITY, AND SPECIES THREAT. BEYOND PROPELLING COMPARATIVE RESEARCH ON ANCIENT HYPERTHERMALS, THE COLLABORATION WILL ENABLE A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH EXCHANGE PROGRAM TO ARM THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS WITH THE MULTIFACETED SKILL SETS NECESSARY TO TACKLE GRAND CHALLENGES. FINALLY, BROADER ENGAGEMENT OBJECTIVES WILL INCREASE SCIENTIFIC LITERACY AND INSPIRE YOUTH TO PURSUE STEM CAREERS VIA A PUBLIC SCIENCE PROGRAM THAT ENABLES SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS TO DISCOVER NEW BIODIVERSITY RECORDS, CONTRIBUTING DIRECTLY TO DATA COLLECTION AND THROUGH CO-CREATED TEACHER RESOURCES. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE BIO/DEB BIODIVERSITY OF A CHANGING PLANET (BOCP) PROGRAM, THE DIVISION OF EARTH SCIENCES (EAR) AND THE GEO/EAR LIFE AND ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH TIME (LET) PROGRAM. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

SUSTAINABLY REHOUSING THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY COLLECTION

SUSTAINABLE PRESERVATION OF THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE ARCHAEOLOGY COLLECTION

WS RANCH ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT COLLECTION: PROCESSING TO SUSTAIN CULTURAL HERITAGE [THE WS RANCH ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT (WSRAP) COLLECTION IS AN IMPORTANT AND IRREPLACEABLE ASSEMBLAGE OF APPROXIMATELY 500,000 ARTIFACTS OF LATE PITHOUSE, CLASSIC MIMBRES, AND TULAROSA PHASE MATERIAL CULTURES. EXCAVATED DECADES AGO NEAR ALMA, WEST CENTRAL NEW MEXICO, BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, THE UNPROCESSED, UNCATALOGED COLLECTION HAS NEVER BEEN FULLY ACCESSIBLE TO RESEARCHERS AND TRIBAL REPRESENTATIVES. RECENTLY ACQUIRED BY DMNS, THE WSRAP COLLECTION IS BEING MOVED FROM SUBSTANDARD COLLECTIONS STORAGE CONDITIONS IN TEXAS TO DENVER PRIOR TO THE PROJECT PERIOD. NEH FUNDS WILL ENABLE PROJECT STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND INTERNS TO SUSTAINABLY PRESERVE AND INSTALL THE WSRAP COLLECTION IN THE MUSEUM?S STATE-OF-THE-ART COLLECTIONS FACILITY. DISSEMINATION STRATEGIES WILL MAKE THE COLLECTION ACCESSIBLE TO PROFESSIONALS AND A VARIETY OF MUSEUM AUDIENCES, INCLUDING TRIBES.]

THE LONGEVITY OF OCEANS ON TERRESTRIAL PLANETS

ENHANCING ACCESS TO THE HUMANITIES IMAGE ARCHIVE: PROCESSING, RE-HOUSING, AND DIGITIZING

CRETACEOUS VERTEBRATES FROM MADAGASCAR: A WINDOW INTO THE BIOGEOGRAPHIC AND PLATE TECTONIC HISTORY OF GONDWANA

BUILDING ON MORE THAN FIVE YEARS OF COMMUNITY RESEARCH, THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE WILL REDESIGN AND EXPAND ITS SPACE ODYSSEY EXHIBITION WITH A RENEWED FOCUS ON INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE INFORMAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. THE MUSEUM WILL CONTRACT WITH AN EXTERNAL DESIGN FIRM TO PRODUCE AND INSTALL NEW EXHIBITS, SOFTWARE, AND MEDIA. THE MUSEUM WILL ALSO TRAIN STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS. THE MUSEUM'S AUDIENCE RESEARCH AND EVALUATION TEAM WILL EVALUATE THE EXHIBIT AFTER LAUNCH BY INVOLVING THE SAME STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE COMMUNITY RESEARCH PHASE. THIS EVALUATION WILL GAUGE THE EXHIBITION?S SUCCESS IN INCORPORATING THEIR NEEDS AND VALUES. A HIGHLY QUALITATIVE PRODUCT EVALUATION WILL BE CONDUCTED SIX MONTHS AFTER THE OPENING TO MEASURE THE EXHIBITION?S SUCCESS IN MEETING ITS PERFORMANCE AND EXPERIENCE GOALS.

THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE WILL CREATE TWO MOBILE MUSEUM EXPERIENCES TO ENGAGE UNDERREPRESENTED AUDIENCES IN NATURE AND SCIENCE BY GOING OUTSIDE THE MUSEUM'S PHYSICAL LOCATION. THE MUSEUM WILL FABRICATE AN EXPANDABLE VEHICLE SIMILAR TO AN RV AND A SMALLER, POP-UP TRUCK. THE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY VEHICLES WILL INCLUDE EXHIBITRY AND PROGRAMMING DESIGNED TO ENGAGE AUDIENCES IN ACTIVE, INTEGRATED NATURE AND SCIENCE EXPERIENCES. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL ALSO INCLUDE DEVELOPING A MARKETING STRATEGY TO ENGAGE AND FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT VISIT THE MUSEUM BECAUSE OF BARRIERS INCLUDING GEOGRAPHIC DISTANCE, PERCEPTIONS OF A MUSEUM EXPERIENCE, AWARENESS OF THE MUSEUM, COST, TRANSPORTATION, AND TIME. AN EXTERNAL EVALUATOR WILL CONDUCT A SUMMATIVE EVALUATION AND THE MUSEUM WILL DISSEMINATE RESULTS TO THE COMMUNITY AND OTHER CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS.

21ST CENTURY MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS PROGRAM

THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE WILL ADVANCE STEWARDSHIP AND PUBLIC ACCESS FOR 718 OBJECTS IN ITS NORTHWEST COAST COLLECTION THROUGH COLLABORATIVE CONSERVATION THAT INVOLVES KWAKWAKA'WAKW, MAKAH, NUU-CHAH-NULTH, AND TLINGIT AND HAIDA TRIBES. AN OBJECTS CONSERVATOR WILL CONDUCT A DETAILED CONSERVATION SURVEY, WITH SHARED EXAMINATION AND DECISION-MAKING. THE SURVEY?S END PRODUCT IS INTENDED TO IDENTIFY THE CONDITION OF EACH OBJECT, ITS PRESERVATION PRIORITY, AND THE COST AND METHODS FOR PRESERVATION GOING FORWARD. IN ADDITION TO MAKING THE COLLECTION ACCESSIBLE TO THE TRIBES, THE MUSEUM WILL DEFER TO THE TRIBES AROUND ANY BROADER PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE COLLECTION. THE MUSEUM STRIVES TO STRENGTHEN COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS TOWARD ONGOING SHARING OF KNOWLEDGE, EXPERTISE, NETWORKS, AND BEST PRACTICES.

THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE WILL CONDUCT A THREE-YEAR PROJECT TO ADVANCE COLLECTIONS STEWARDSHIP FOR LOGISTICALLY CHALLENGING LARGE BONES OF DINOSAURS IN THE MORRISON FORMATION FOSSIL COLLECTION. THE PROJECT WILL INCREASE ACCESS TO THESE SCIENTIFICALLY SIGNIFICANT SPECIMENS—INCLUDING HOLOTYPE SPECIMENS—FOR SCHOLARS AND THE PUBLIC. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE REPAIRING, PREPARING, REHOUSING, ARCHIVAL CRADLING, AND 3D SCANNING THE SPECIMENS. IT ALSO WILL SUPPORT PURCHASING 3D SCANNING EQUIPMENT FOR LARGE SPECIMENS. THE PROJECT WILL OFFER NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR EARLY-CAREER PALEONTOLOGISTS THROUGH A TERM PREPARATOR POSITION AND THREE PAID INTERNSHIPS THAT WILL MAKE SIGNIFICANT SPECIMENS AVAILABLE FOR STUDY FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN IMPROVED CARE OF THIS COLLECTION, ENHANCED COLLECTIONS ACCESS, AND A WIDER DISSEMINATION OF THE COLLECTION AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR MUSEUM VISITORS, THE GENERAL PUBLIC, RESEARCHERS, AND COMMUNITIES WHERE THE FOSSILS ORIGINATED.

THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE WILL DEVELOP A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR EMERGING LEADERS IN THE MUSEUM. SIX COHORTS OF 12 STAFF MEMBERS WILL PARTICIPATE IN A 12-WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM LED BY A NEWLY HIRED TRAINING SPECIALIST TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS. THE CURRICULUM WILL HELP PARTICIPANTS LEARN ABOUT THEMSELVES, THEIR WORK STYLES AND STRENGTHS, AND MUSEUM OPERATIONS AND INITIATIVES; THE GOAL IS TO PREPARE EMPLOYEES FOR ADVANCEMENT WITHIN THE MUSEUM, THE COMMUNITY, AND THE MUSEUM FIELD. LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF THE LEADERSHIP TRAINING INCLUDE STRENGTHENED LEADERSHIP CAPACITY; INCREASED EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT; AND PROGRESS IN SUCCESSION PLANNING THROUGH GROWING DIVERSE FUTURE LEADERS. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A TESTED LEADERSHIP TRAINING MODEL FOR MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS AND STRENGTHEN THE MUSEUM’S ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES TO THE TURTLE BODY PLAN: EVOLUTIONARY ORIGINS OF STRUCTURAL COMPLEXITY IN AN ENIGMATIC LINEAGE

THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE WILL INVENTORY, PROCESS, AND CATALOG THE JONES-MILLER SITE, A PALEOINDIAN HELL GAP PERIOD (CA. 10,500-11,500 YEARS AGO) BISON KILL SITE. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL PRESERVE THE JONES-MILLER COLLECTION IN OPTIMAL STORAGE CONDITIONS TO MITIGATE PHYSICAL RISKS AND FULLY INVENTORY ITS CONTENTS. THE MUSEUM WILL ESTABLISH INTELLECTUAL CONTROL OF THE COLLECTION BY RE-ESTABLISHING PROVENIENCE CONTEXTS AND THROUGH CONSULTATION WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND TRIBAL LIAISONS AS NEEDED. THE REVIEW AND EDITING OF EXISTING WRITTEN MATERIALS WILL BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR THE PUBLICATION OF A NEW MANUSCRIPT ABOUT THIS COLLECTION SO THAT IT CAN BE ACCESSED BY RESEARCHERS AND ITS STORY SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC.

EVALUATING ASTRONOMY LEARNING IN IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS

AFTER BEING LEFT UNATTENDED FOR MORE THAN A DECADE VENUS WILL SOON BE AGAIN THE FOCUS FOR DETAILED S

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

SUSTAINABLE CURATION OF THE DMNS AFRICAN AND SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIONS

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

CONSERVATION PROGRAM

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

CONSERVATION PROGRAM

THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE WILL IMPLEMENT A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR ITS CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL DATA TEAM TO LEVERAGE INSIGHTS FROM EXISTING DATA SETS AND IDENTIFY NEW DATA SOURCES TO SUPPORT ITS MISSION, INCREASE RELEVANCE, AND BETTER SERVE ITS COMMUNITY. THE DATA TEAM WILL ENGAGE IN A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ACTIVITIES INCLUDING REGULAR OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION; FORMAL TRAINING ON BUSINESS ANALYTICS TOOLS AND DATA WAREHOUSE CONCEPTS; INSIGHTS GATHERED FROM WORKING CLOSELY WITH A CONSULTING DATA SCIENTIST; AND EXPOSURE TO CURRENT TECHNOLOGY TOOLS AND TRENDS THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN CONFERENCES, TRADE SHOWS, AND RESEARCH. IN ADDITION TO ENHANCING THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF THE DATA TEAM, PROJECT GOALS WILL INCLUDE DEVELOPING A DATA STRATEGY; IDENTIFYING NEW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS BUSINESS ANALYTICS AND MACHINE LEARNING THAT WILL ENHANCE THE QUALITY, QUANTITY, AND TYPES OF DATA THE MUSEUM IS ABLE TO CAPTURE ABOUT GUEST BEHAVIOR; AND ULTIMATELY USING DATA TO MAKE BETTER INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS AND DEVELOP PERSONALIZED APPROACHES FOR ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY.

CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHO COLLECTIONS NAGPRA CONSULTATION

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: CONSTRAINING THE TEMPO AND DYNAMICS OF CAMBRIAN EARTH SYSTEMS IN WESTERN LAURENTIA

THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE WILL PARTNER WITH A RESEARCHER TO DEVELOP AN EVALUATION TOOL THAT MEASURES THE MEANINGFULNESS OF THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE. PROJECT ACTIVITIES FOCUS ON DEVELOPING, TESTING, AND DISSEMINATING A TOOL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES VISITORS CHOOSE A MUSEUM, HOW THAT EXPERIENCE IS REMEMBERED AND SHARED, AND HOW TO CREATE EXPERIENCES TO WHICH VISITORS WILL WANT TO RETURN. THE PROJECT WILL INVOLVE WORKING WITH A RESEARCHER AND TWO GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER, WHO ALSO WILL LEAD IN-DEPTH TRAINING FOR THE MUSEUM'S EVALUATION STAFF AND WORKSHOPS FOR THE MUSEUM'S STAFF, LEADERSHIP, AND GOVERNING BOARD. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL RESULT IN INCREASED EVALUATION CAPACITY AMONG ALL MUSEUM STAFF AND LEADERSHIP ALONG WITH A TOOL TO MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF THE MUSEUM'S IMPLEMENTATION OF ITS STRATEGIC PLAN.

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

THE OVERALL GOAL IS TO PRODUCE IMPROVED EVOLUTIONARY MODELS OF VENUS BY APPLYING NEW CONSTRAINTS FROM MULTIPLE VEX INSTRUMENTS, THUS REMOVING MULTIPL

DIGITIZATION TCN: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: SOUTHWEST COLLECTIONS OF ARTHROPODS NETWORK (SCAN): A MODEL FOR COLLECTIONS DIGITIZATION TO PROMOTE TAXONO

CONSERVATION PROGRAM

TECTONIC AND GEOCHEMICAL MANIFESTIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON VENUS

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

GSENM KAIPAROWITS CRITICAL FOSSIL INVENTORY & PROJECTION PROJECT

FY15 NAGPRA CONSULTATION AWARD

WS RANCH PROJECT NAGPRA CONSULTATION

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: HIGH-RESOLUTION CALIBRATION OF THE MAASTRICHTIAN TO PALEOCENE OF THE WESTERN U. S.: INTEGRATION OF GEOCHRONOLOGY, MAGNE

BLM UTAH PRESERVATION OF PALEONTOLOGICAL HERITAGE RESOURCES FROM BLM UTAH LANDS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: BIGHORN BASIN CORING PROJECT (BBCP) - TARGETED CONTINENTAL DRILLING OF PALEOGENE HYPERTHERMALS

DIGITIZATION TCN: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: LEPIDOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA NETWORK: DOCUMENTING DIVERSITY IN THE LARGEST CLADE OF HERBIVORES

NV CONSERVING AN UNSUNG AMERICAN TREASURE: CURATION AND PREPARATION OF THE HOLLINGSWORTH FOSSIL COLLECTION AT DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCES

WE PROPOSE A ONE-YEAR COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE NEW MEXICO BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM) AND DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE SCIENCE (DMNS) TO PREPARE, STABILIZE, HOUSE, CATALOG, AND DATABASE VERTEBRATE FOSSILS FROM THE FRUITLAND AND KIRTLAND FORMATIONS IN NORTHWESTERN NEW MEXICO. SINCE 2014, DMNS HAS CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE FIELD RESEARCH IN THESE FORMATIONS, COLLECTING VERTEBRATE FOSSILS TO UNDERSTAND LATE CRETACEOUS ECOSYSTEMS. THE DMNS TEAM HAS IDENTIFIED FOSSIL-RICH SITES, PRODUCING DIVERSE ASSEMBLAGES FROM 76-73 MILLION YEARS AGO, ENHANCING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF DINOSAUR EVOLUTION.TO MAKE THESE FOSSILS ACCESSIBLE FOR RESEARCH, THEY NEED TO BE CLEANED, PREPARED, STABILIZED, AND HOUSED IN ARCHIVAL MATERIALS. THE PRIMARY GOAL IS TO STABILIZE AND RE-HOUSE FOSSILS FROM NEW MEXICO BLM LANDS, COMPLETE THEIR CURATION, AND SHARE SPECIMEN INFORMATION ON OPEN-ACCESS DATABASES FOR GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC USE. THIS PROJECT WILL PRESERVE THE NATURAL HERITAGE OF THE SOUTHWEST AND MAKE THESE SPECIMENS ACCESSIBLE FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE PALEONTOLOGISTS.ADDITIONALLY, WE AIM TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS BY OFFERING TWO INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. INTERNS WILL WORK WITH EARTH SCIENCES STAFF, LEARNING FOSSIL PREPARATION AND COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT. THE DMNS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM HAS A HISTORY OF SUCCESS, WITH MANY INTERNS ADVANCING TO GRADUATE PROGRAMS AND CAREERS IN RELATED FIELDS. WE REQUEST SUPPORT FOR TWO 20-WEEK INTERNS AND NECESSARY SUPPLIES FOR FOSSIL PREPARATION AND CURATION.THIS PROJECT WILL ENGAGE THE PUBLIC THROUGH ON-SITE ACTIVITIES AT DMNS, SUCH AS LAB WINDOW DISPLAYS AND SPECIAL EVENTS. SELECT FOSSILS WILL BE 3D SCANNED AND MADE AVAILABLE ON MORPHOSOURCE AND THE DMNS ONLINE DATABASE. THE PROJECT BENEFITS BLM BY IMPROVING ACCESS TO PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES AND ENHANCING COLLABORATION WITH DMNS TO HIGHLIGHT THE EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, CULTURAL, AND RECREATIONAL VALUE OF THESE FOSSILS. IT WILL ALSO HELP THE MANAGEMENT STUDIES SUPPORT PROGRAM MEET RESOURCE MANAGEMENT GOALS BY PROVIDING DETAILED LOCALITY INFORMATION AND ASSISTING IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE DATA. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT WILL TRAIN FUTURE CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGERS AND PALEONTOLOGISTS THROUGH PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCH PROMOTION.

BLM UTAH GSENM INVENTORY AND SALVAGE OF CRITICAL CRETACEOUS PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: RANGES: BUILDING CAPACITY TO EXTEND MAMMAL SPECIMENS FROM WESTERN NORTH AMERICA -THE SPECIMENS CONTAINED IN NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS CONTRIBUTE TO SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS AND SOCIAL WELLBEING. THEIR UNIQUE VALUE COMES FROM THE HIGH-QUALITY INFORMATION THEY CONTAIN AND THE DOCUMENTATION INDICATING HOW THEY WERE COLLECTED. OF PARTICULAR VALUE ARE TRAIT MEASUREMENTS THAT DOCUMENT HOW SPECIES INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER AND HOW THEY VARY THOUGH TIME, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN RESPONDING TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES. UNFORTUNATELY, TRAITS FOR MUSEUM SPECIMENS ARE OFTEN ONLY AVAILABLE IN NON-DIGITAL AND NON-STANDARD FORMATS. THIS LIMITS THE ABILITY OF RESEARCHERS TO FIND AND USE THEM TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. THIS AWARD WILL ESTABLISH THE RANGES DIGITIZATION NETWORK (?RANGES?). THE GOAL OF THE NETWORK IS TO DIGITIZE TRAITS FROM OVER ONE MILLION MAMMAL SPECIMENS IN 19 U.S. NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS. THE NETWORK WILL PRODUCE DATASETS THAT ARE IN STANDARD FORMAT AND EASY TO FIND IN ONLINE BIODIVERSITY PLATFORMS, SUCH AS IDIGBIO. THIS WILL ALLOW RESEARCHERS TO BUILD BETTER BASELINES FOR BIODIVERSITY AND IMPROVE PREDICTIONS OF HOW MAMMALS RESPOND TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENTS. RANGES WILL ALSO SPARK COLLABORATION AMONG THE MUSEUM COMMUNITY AND DATA SCIENTISTS, CREATING SOLUTIONS USABLE BROADLY. THE NETWORK WILL EMPLOY A DIVERSE HUMAN WORKFORCE IN DIGITIZATION AND RESEARCH TASKS, AND IT WILL ENGAGE THE PUBLIC THROUGH CITIZEN SCIENCE ACTIVITIES AND MUSEUM EXHIBITS. THIS WILL ADDRESS A MAJOR REMAINING DIGITIZATION CHALLENGE FOR U.S. MUSEUMS, TO EXPAND UTILITY OF SPECIMENS AND USE THEM TO CREATE NEW SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE. DIGITIZATION OF U.S. NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES HAS IMPROVED DATA SHARING AND RESEARCH CAPACITY IN THE LIFE SCIENCES. AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT DATA ASSOCIATED WITH MUSEUM SPECIMENS ARE THE MORPHOLOGICAL AND REPRODUCTIVE TRAITS OF INDIVIDUALS. THESE TRAITS ARE INFORMATIVE ABOUT ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND RESPONSES OF ORGANISMS TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE. UNFORTUNATELY, TRAITS FROM SPECIMENS REMAIN INCOMPLETELY DIGITIZED ACROSS MUSEUMS AND HARD TO LOCATE ON THE INTERNET. THIS INHIBITS THEIR DISCOVERY AND USE AT A TIME OF PRESSING GLOBAL CHANGE. RANGES WILL DIGITIZE AND PUBLISH TRAITS FROM APPROXIMATELY 1.2 MILLION NON-MARINE MAMMAL SPECIMENS FROM WESTERN NORTH AMERICA. THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON THIS REGION DUE TO ITS COMPLEX TOPOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE, AND BECAUSE IT IS A CENTER OF MAMMALIAN BIODIVERSITY. THE SPECIFIC GOALS OF THE NETWORK ARE TO EXTEND EXISTING SOFTWARE TOOLS, DEVELOP NEW STANDARDS FOR MAMMAL TRAIT DATA, AND COORDINATE DIGITIZATION ACROSS MUSEUM PARTNERS. NEW, DIGITAL TRAIT DATA ON BIODIVERSITY DATA PLATFORMS SUCH AS IDIGBIO WILL TRANSFORM DATA ACCESSIBILITY AND FOSTER NEW EVOLUTIONARY, ECOLOGICAL, AND BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. RANGES WILL ALSO COLLABORATE WITH THE NATIONAL ECOLOGICAL OBSERVATORY NETWORK (NEON) TO ENSURE COMPATIBILITY WITH TRAIT DATA COLLECTED THROUGHOUT THE LIFETIME OF THAT NETWORK. USING THE ABOVE APPROACHES, RANGES WILL LAY A FOUNDATION FOR BUILDING AN EXTENDED SPECIMEN NETWORK FOR MAMMALS. 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.

BLM UTAH PARTNERSHIP FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES

RAPID: THE SNOWMASTODON PROJECT

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: A NEW VERTEBRATE FAUNA FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS (CAMPANIAN) OF UTAH: ECOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY IMPLICATIONS

BLM-UT PALEOBOTANICAL INVENTORY/RESEARCH -KAIPAROWITS PROJECT

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: STANDARD GRANT: THE ETHICS OF STUDYING INDIGENOUS NORTH AMERICAN ANCIENT DNA: MOVING FROM THEORIES TO PRACTICES

FY 2011 NAGPRA REPATRIATION GRANT

FY 2011 NAGPRA REPATRIATION GRANT