IAI Training Institutes 2005

In 2005, the IAI held two Training Institutes on Interdisciplinary Global Change Science in the Americas entitled

“Training Institute on Vulnerability Associated with Climate Variability and Climate Change in the Americas” from October 17-28, 2005 in Asunción, Paraguay, organized with the collaboration of the National University of Asunción;

and

“IAI Training Institute on Climate and Health in the Americas” from November 7-18, 2005 in Kingston, Jamaica, organized with the collaboration of the University of the West Indies.

These Training Institutes were designed to contribute to the development and strengthening of the local and regional human capacity to deal with global environmental change issues and their socioeconomic impacts in the Americas.

Forty four professionals from 18 countries of the Americas and the Caribbean participated in these training activities.

Description and Goals of the TISG Program

The IAI implemented a Training Institute Seed Grants (TISG) Program associated with the Training Institutes 2005 as an assessment activity. TISG was launched at the end of each Institute to further encourage network building and multinational and multidisciplinary collaboration. Participants were invited to submit proposals outlining concrete plans of how they planned to implement the knowledge and training gained at the Training Institutes (through further training courses, small research projects, engagement with policy and stakeholders, etc).

The following projects were selected to be funded under the TISG Program:

* To access the Executive Summaries of TISG projects click on the project title

* To access the Executive Summaries of TISG projects click on the project title

Eight grants were awarded at a total cost of around US$ 110K involving 44 researchers from many countries in the Americas and the Caribbean, including many from small nations, who participate in an IAI research activity for the first time. Awards are one time at a level of support of US$ 10-15K per grant for the period of February 2006 – February 2007.

Opportunity for networking

A TISG Principal Investigators’ meeting was held on August 21-22, 2006 back to back with the “IAI Training Institute on Climate, Land Use and Modeling”, organized with the collaboration of Brazil’s Center for Climate and Weather Forecast (CPTEC).

The Training Institute on Climate, Land Use and Modeling took place from August 13-18, 2006 at CPTEC, Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil, and had the participation of PIs and co-PIs of the Collaborative Research Network (CRN) Program I, CRN II, and TISG Paraguay and Jamaica.

The two meetings were planned close to each other in order to give PIs (or co-PIs) of the TISG Program the opportunity to improve their knowledge in the climate, land use and modeling areas and develop linkages between the TISG and other IAI research programs, such as the CRN II.

Sixteen PIs and co-PIs (two scientists per research team were invited) from 8 TISG grants representing 10 IAI member countries attended the TISG Principal Investigators’ meeting. PIs provided a brief project report which was followed by discussion about potential integration with CRN I, II or among TISG projects. Additional presentations and discussions were held on project management and administration of IAI research funds.