Simon Lhoest awarded a BAEF fellowship for a post-doctoral stay at Arizona State University
Simon Lhoest, researcher at the Forest Resources and Natural Environments Management Department (TERRA Research Unit/ Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech ) of ULiège, will continue his research at Arizona State University thanks to a BAEF (Belgian American Educational Foundation) grant. This research will focus on the design of a workable science for the management of protected areas.
Like climate change, biodiversity conservation is a major global challenge for our society today. We do not have much time left to act in favor of biodiversity: the clock is ticking and it is estimated that up to 150 species are disappearing every day...
In this context, scientific research is supposed to be actionable, providing evidence to guide policy makers. In practice, however, there is a real problem of communication and information sharing between scientists and practitioners to address biodiversity conservation in protected areas. Publishing results in scientific journals is not enough to integrate practical recommendations into field management. Actionable science must link knowledge to action and science to society through innovative approaches, which is the specialty of Leah Gerber's team at Arizona State University.
The goal of Simon Lhoest's postdoctoral project is to understand how science can inform management and conservation decisions in terrestrial and marine protected areas. Based on a better understanding of the path from knowledge to action, this project will produce concrete, high-impact results: in addition to improving communication between scientists and decision-makers in our case studies, we will publish guidelines and a practical framework for developing actionable science at any scale, in any region of the world.
Arizona State University
Leah Gerber of Arizona State University (ASU) is one of the world's most respected leaders in conservation. Her laboratory, the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes (CBO), is at the forefront of designing "actionable science" for biodiversity conservation. The CBO is recognized as a center of interdisciplinary academic excellence, based on the expertise of 150 affiliated faculty and dozens of partnerships with local, national, and international organizations in the academic, commercial, corporate, and NGO sectors. ASU is ranked first in the U.S. for innovation through "socially integrated" research and is one of the top universities for connecting knowledge to action and science to society.
ABOUT THE BAEF POST DOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP (RESTRICTED ACCESS)
