PSU receives $3 million sustainability grant

The National Science Foundation recently awarded Portland State a $3 million grant, Ecosystem Services for Urbanizing Regions [ESUR], to fund a doctoral program on campus.

“Ecosystem Services for Urbanizing Regions will be used to create a novel Ph.D. program on ecosystem service-management challenges for fast growing urban regions, like the Portland area,” said David Ervin, professor of economics and environmental management.

According to Ervin, the program will create a “new type” of scientist that can integrate natural and social sciences with planning, business and engineering concepts to help solve pressing resource-management issues.

“In short, the grant will enable PSU to be an international leader in Ph.D. education, research and engagement in this topical area,” he said.

Ecosystem services are the conditions and processes provided by natural ecosystems that sustain human life, according to the program’s abstract. However, widespread urbanization has led to the degradation of ecosystem services, creating a demand for scientists who can address these problems. PSU’s new program will be one of the first in the nation to start studying these issues.

According to a press release, the grant is part of the NSF’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship [IGERT] program for the interdisciplinary education of Ph.D. scientists and engineers. The ESUR grant is the first IGERT awarded to PSU.

“Most of the funds will be used to support high quality Ph.D. students in the ESUR program,” Ervin said.

In addition, the IGERT stipends set by the NSF will attract “the most talented students” to PSU.

“We will make a special effort to attract students from groups who have been underrepresented in science and engineering fields, such as Native Americans and Hispanics,” he said. “A small amount of the funding will go to several PSU faculty to build the interdisciplinary IGERT curriculum.”

The students involved will be part of a 3-year doctoral program that studies sustainable ecosystems for urban regions, and will focus on cutting-edge methods of managing these regions, according to the program’s abstract.

In the coming year, the program will spend time building the IGERT curriculum, meeting with community partners to identify useful research topics for future IGERT students and “developing a top-notch recruiting program,” Ervin said.

The doctoral program will be housed in the Center for Sustainable Processes and Practices.