RCN Workshop

1.) Identify outstanding questions in organismal biology.

We will do this by gathering biologists with diverse expertise and interests and soliciting what they think are the outstanding questions in organismal biology. Many participants may not characterize themselves as an “organismal biologist” and the point here is to have outside voices and views on this field. Breakout groups #1 on Day 1 will focus on this objective.

2.) Identify which of these outstanding questions in organismal biology that can be addressed by NEON.

Some participants will not have preexisting knowledge of NEON so a portion of this workshop will provide information from NEON staff and NEON staff will attend the workshop. Breakout groups #2 on day 1-2 will focus on this objective.

3.) Identify if/how network theory can be incorporated with NEON to be used to address outstanding questions in organismal biology.

We will have a more tailored discussion that outlines how network theory can be used to address how individual organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems respond to environmental change. Breakout groups #3 on days 2-3 will focus on this objective.

This Workshop is focused on:
1) Establishing the RCN

We want to establish the RCN within the scientific community, make new connections among participants, enable participants to learn about NEON and visit a NEON site. This is aligned with our ultimate goal of the RCN to have more organismal biologists doing research with/at NEON. We also want to encourage submissions for research exchanges (our RCN can fund these, especially for early career RCN members).

2) Synthesis Paper
Accomplishment of the above objectives will facilitate the production of synthesis paper. During the workshop, we will schedule in time to write portions of this synthesis paper with the goal of a pre-submission inquiry submitted to Trends in Ecology & Evolution by July 15 2022 and the manuscript submitted for publication by August 15.

The workshop will be held June 12 to June 15 2022. We will all be staying at the Mountain Research Station (http://www.colorado.edu/mrs/), which is in the mountains outside of Denver and is the home of a NEON field research site.

This will be an in-person meeting and we will follow COVID-19 safety protocols at this field station. We will cover all of your travel and lodging costs. There will be ~15-20 attendees plus 3-4 organizers. Participants will need to arrive in Denver airport by ~2 PM MST on June 12 and then would depart after 12 PM MST on June 15.

(https://www.colorado.edu/covid-19)

Sunday June 12

• Arrivals at Denver International Airport. Marty, Karen, and Ben will provide transportation in the form of minivans. Transportation to Mountain Research Station takes ~1.5 hours. Please see transportation information below.

• Early arrivals to MRS (<4 PM) can congregate in a common area at MRS (Marr Lab door code is 2-3-5) or go on a short hike (see interpretative trail maps around Marr Lab) before we check into the Lodge.

• 4 PM: Check into MRS/Lodge, room assignments

• 5:15 PM: Introduction to RCN with overview of next two days (15 min)

• 5:30-6 PM: First set of 5 min introduction talks

• 6-7 PM: Dinner provided by MRS

• 7-8:30 PM: Second set of 5 min introduction talks

• 8:30-9:30 PM: Free/social time

Monday June 13

• 6:45-7:45 AM: Breakfast provided by MRS

• 8-8:15 AM: Workshop organizers give overview of day (15 min)

• 8:15-10:00 AM: Split up into breakout groups #1 (each with one facilitator) to define organismal biology, discuss outstanding questions in organismal biology

• 10-10:30 AM: writing time

• 10:30-11 AM: Break

• 11 AM: Overview of NEON by Kelley McCahill (45 min) and Q & A (15 min)

• 12-1 PM – Lunch/break (MRS provides bag lunch)

• 1-2 PM: Breakout groups #2 transition to addressing which of these questions in organismal biology can be addressed by NEON

• 2-3:30 PM: Writing time on outstanding questions in organismal biology that can be addressed by NEON

• 3:30-4:30 PM: Break/socializing time with breakout groups

• 4:30-6 PM: Writing & peer review time on outstanding questions in organismal biology that can be addressed by NEON

• 6-7 PM: Dinner provided by MRS

• 7-7:30 PM: Reviewing/synthesizing first day of workshop (as a whole group)

• 730-9 PM: Socializing time

Tuesday June 14

• 6:45-7:45 AM: Breakfast provided by MRS

• 8-9 AM: Introduction to using network theory to understand how individuals, populations, communities, ecosystems respond to environmental change.

o 8-8:15 – Stephen Proulx – network theory

o 8:15-8:25 – Tonia Schwartz – molecular/gene networks

o 8:25-8:35 – Noa Pinter Wollman – behavioral/social networks

o 8:35-8:45 – Lauren Ponisio – plant-pollinator networks

• 9-10:30 AM: Breakout groups #3 (attendees put into new groups) to think about how network theory can be used to address this question about coping with environmental change

• 10:30-11 AM: Break

• 11-12:30: Breakout groups #3 (discussion/writing time)

• 12:30-1:30: Lunch

• 1:30-2:30 PM: Breakout groups #3 (discussion/writing time)

• 2:30-3:30 PM: Reunite with original breakout group members (1-2) to refine writing on outstanding questions in organismal biology to be addressed by NEON

• 3:30-4:30 PM: Break/socializing time

• 4:30-6 PM: Writing & peer review time

• 6-7 PM: Dinner

• 7-9 PM: Socializing

Wednesday June 15

• 6:45-745 AM: Breakfast

• 8 -9 AM: Synthesizing next steps and workshop outcomes

• 9-10 AM: Emerging issues and matters arising

• Three planned departures to Denver International Airport

o ~10:15 AM

o ~11:45 PM

o ~12:45 PM

There will be writing time during the workshop and we expect to produce a synthesis paper with all participants invited to contribute.
We also envision that this first workshop would set the stage for a group of people that could pursue other funding mechanisms that would allow us to continue these discussions (such as seeking NSF funding for a biology integration institute: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21619/nsf21619.htm).