Convergence, continuity, and community: a framework for enabling emerging leaders to build climate solutions in agricult
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Convergence, continuity, and community: a framework for enabling emerging leaders to build climate solutions in agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture S. K. Birthisel, et al. [full author details at the end of the article] Received: 1 October 2019 / Accepted: 25 August 2020/ # Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract
Many early career researchers (ECRs) have the capacity and drive to contribute to climate adaptation and mitigation solutions. Strategic investments in training and support, especially in broad-based efforts that span traditional disciplinary boundaries, can help ECRs meet this potential and become emerging leaders equipped to address pressing climate-related challenges throughout their careers. In 2018, the inaugural USDA Northeast Climate Hub’s Graduate Climate Adaptation Partners (GradCAP) Program was launched to provide professional development opportunities and a platform for collaboration to graduate students studying climate resilience in agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture. This essay represents the unified voice of this consortium of emerging leaders. Here we offer perspectives, experiences, and recommendations for building capacity among ECRs, specifically with regard to interdisciplinary research, long-term research, and community engagement. We discuss these three tenants, which we term Convergence, Continuity, and Community, as essential elements in the development of successful leaders prepared for the complex challenges ahead. We encourage institutions, particularly universities and government agencies, to commit resources and pursue structural changes to provide support for mentorship and training that span these focal areas. As a result, more ECRs will have the capacity to engage in meaningful solution-oriented research and make lasting societal contributions toward the sustainable production of food and other natural resources in a changing climate. Keywords Climate change . Interdisciplinary . Early career researchers . Adaptation . Mitigation . GradCAP
1 Introduction In order to supply food and other renewable natural resources in the face of climate change, there is urgent need to implement ambitious mitigation efforts while simultaneously adapting to the impacts already occurring (Tilman et al. 2011; Romero-Lankao et al. 2014; Hoegh-Guldberg et al. 2018). As with all sectors affected by climate change, the scale of the challenge faced in Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-02002844-w) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Climatic Change
sustainable food and natural resource production requires an exceptionally broad range of disciplines, skill sets, and stakeholders to be brought to bear (Shaman et al. 2013). Early career researchers (ECRs), including graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, are uniquely positioned to help fill these needs since they are actively forging their research trajectories and networks, tend to mobilize change when actively involved in decision-m
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