NRT-HDR: CAMBIUM - Climate change Adaptation and Mitigation through Biodiversity Informatics edUcation and Mentoring

Climate change and biodiversity loss are among the most pressing challenges facing our planet, with over one million species at risk of extinction. These crises have far-reaching consequences for all life, given the interconnectedness of animal, plant, human, and environmental systems—an interdependence known as One Health. The CAMBIUM (Climate change Adaptation and Mitigation through Biodiversity Informatics edUcation and Mentoring) program at the University of Arizona addresses these challenges by training a new generation of scientists in biodiversity informatics.

CAMBIUM equips students with the skills to analyze, integrate, and utilize large-scale biodiversity data, what is often referred to as “big data”. This innovative program fills existing gaps in graduate education by combining biodiversity data science, policy training, and transdisciplinary team science. Over five years, CAMBIUM will engage 268 students, awarding fellowships to 18 and involving an additional 250 students, including 150 PhD and 100 MS candidates.

The CAMBIUM program advances three central hypotheses: predicting the impacts of extreme climate events, identifying changing infectious disease risks through forecasting non-human hosts and vector dynamics, and improving policymaker guidance with biodiversity-based model outputs. By fostering collaboration among academia, industry, and government, CAMBIUM aims to develop innovative solutions to these grand challenges while preparing students for diverse careers.

The program will enhance public engagement and transform graduate education at the University of Arizona by integrating data science, policy, and governance education, while providing students with formal team-science training and opportunities for collaboration with community partners. CAMBIUM will transform how we understand and address the intertwined issues of climate change and biodiversity loss.

By training scientists to leverage big data and work across disciplines, CAMBIUM aims to create a platform for biodiversity education that enables students to address the complex challenges of creating a sustainable future where ecosystems and human societies can thrive together.

The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas through comprehensive traineeship models that are innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs.

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.