1. Objectives 1.Develop collaborative research projects among (PUIs) at regional to continental scales with special attention to the challenges faced by PUI faculty, 2.Design projects to engage undergraduates in authentic science while generating publication quality, transformative data, 3.Create an online database from the network of PUIs. EREN Mission To create a model for collaborative ecological research that generates high-quality, publishable data involving undergraduate students and faculty at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUI). Research Challenges at PUIs Small research budgets Limited time for research, intermittent Undergraduate research assistants instead of graduate students Finding colleagues for collaboration Characteristics of Successful Projects Principal investigators develop clear, step-by-step protocols for data collection and detailed metadata so that data from different locations can be synthesized. Projects focus on testable hypotheses and are designed with the ultimate goal of producing publication quality data. Projects are designed for undergraduates and can be carried out during traditional laboratory time or as part of small group or individual student research activities. Projects are low cost and not time-intensive Visit the EREN website erenweb.org EREN is funded by the NSF RCN-UBE Program (NSF Research Coordination Network-Undergraduate Biology Education Program) Poster presented at the national Council for Undergraduate Research Annual Conference, 30 June 2014, Washington, DC The Ecological Research as Education Network Collaborative ecological research that advances science and engages students Student Learning in the Stream Temperature Project A pre-/post-test was developed for the Stream Temperature project and administered to 32 students at four different institutions before and after conducting the lab activity. Student scores increased by 24% from pre- to post- test. Understanding of heat budgets improved. Ability to use formulas in spreadsheets improved. Thinking across spatial scales improved. Outcomes 1.Ten collaborative projects that meet EREN standards have been established by 16 ecologists. 2.One manuscript, nine oral presentations, four poster presentations, and 3 workshops have been produced. 3.A public database has been created for the Permanent Forest Plot Project. 4.Data compilations have been posted on the EREN website. 5.Lab activities and curricular modules have been developed for three projects Sample Project Effects of Riparian Vegetation on Stream Temperature PI: Jeffrey Simmons How does a forested riparian zone affect the stream temperature regime compared to a non-forested riparian zone? What components of the heat budget are responsible for the observed differences? Stream temperature was measured for 19 months at 12 sites by faculty and undergraduates using automated dataloggers. Temperature data were made available on the EREN website. A publication has been written and two lab exercises are available at www.erenweb.org. Some Other Projects Permanent Forest Plot Project (PFPP) Co-PIs: Karen Kuers and Erin Lindquist Emerald Ash Borer Impacts Co-PIs: Ben Dolan and Jason Kilgore Distribution of North American Earthworms Co-PIs: Tim McCay and Kristen Hopfensperger Decomposition of Aquatic and Terrestrial Leaves Co-PIs: Tracy Gartner and Carolyn Thomas Sex Ratios of Turtles Across an Urbanization Gradient PI: David Bowne EREN Leadership Team Laurie Anderson, EREN Coordinator Ohio Wesleyan University, OH David Bowne Elizabethtown College, PA Jerald Dosch Dan Hornbach Macalester College, MN Amy Downing David Johnson Ohio Wesleyan University, OH Tracy Gartner Carthage College, WI Martha Hoopes Mount Holyoke College, MA Karen Kuers Sewanee: The University of the South, TN Erin Lindquist Meredith College, NC Kathleen LoGiudice Union College, NY Jose-Luis Machado, Swarthmore College, PA Tim McCay Colgate University, NY Bob Pohlad Carolyn Thomas Ferrum College, VA Kathy Shea St. Olaf College, MN Jeff Simmons Mount St. Mary’s University, MD Location of EREN member institutions