AERC brings together U.S. research programs in universities and private, state and federal laboratories that conduct research, provide training and analyze policy at the ecosystem level of environmental science and natural resources management. These centers are located throughout the U.S. mainland, as well as Alaska and Puerto Rico. Their scientists, who number more than 500, conduct a major share of the ecosystem research in the United States.
The goal of the AERC is to promote the optimal use of limited scientific resources in the search for solutions to complex, large-scale environmental problems.
2025 - AERC and AIBS collaborate on a Training Opportunity for Ecosystem Scientists
The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) provided a virtual half-day communications and policy training on September 16, 2025 for members of AERC institutions. The workshop attracted 40 attendees and was specifically designed to empower scientists to effectively engage and inform decision-makers. During the program, participants learned about how to communicate science to non-technical audiences; how to identify and define the audience they need to reach; how to tell a resonant story that informs decision-makers; how the nation’s science policy is developed and implemented; how to prepare for and engage in a meeting with a decision-maker; and what decision-makers want to hear from a scientist. The program blended lecture with hands-on exercises for a practical learning experience. AIBS plans to offer the training again in the fall of 2026.
2024 Congressional Briefing - Open Science in Ecosystem Research
|
|
The 2024 AERC Congressional Briefing took place on September 18, 2024 and focused on Open Science as a principle of scientific research. The briefing examined Open Science as a tool in ecosystem research, which often must incorporate data from various areas of scientific study.
AERC would like to thank AIBS for their support with the annual congressional briefings. |
|
2023 Congressional Briefing & AERC Annual Meeting
The 2023 AERC congressional briefing and business meeting will take place on October 24-25 in person. Please explore our meeting pages to learn more about this year's congressional briefing and AERC business meeting.
|
|
|
Become A Member!
AERC has two types of memberships: Institutional Membership and Individual Membership. Any individual or institution actively engaged in ecosystem research or training is eligible for nomination and election to membership. INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP: AERC has historically been focused on Institutional Members, whose dues help defray costs of our annual business meeting, an annual congressional briefing, workshops and training for ecosystem scientists, and other benefits provided to our member organizations. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP: AERC also accepts Individual Memberships, who are intended to allow individuals interested in supporting ecosystem science with a mechanism to affiliate with AERC as a non-voting member and take advantage of certain AERC sponsored events. |
|