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.
2026 - AERC, NEON, & SREL Workshop
From Data to Decisions: Strategies for Translational Communication of Complex Data to Decision Makers
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), Association of Ecosystem Research Centers (AERC), and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) came together for a four day conference at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Conference Center in Aiken, South Carolina (Feb. 9-12, 2026). Increasingly, data collected across vast spatial and temporal scales is being used to garner insights into ecological processes in ways that have been unattainable previously. While scientists are pushing forward to develop new and better approaches to the collection and analysis of such vast and complex data, little progress has been made into how we then compile and communicate those data and findings into messages that have translational impact for decision-makers, mission-driven agencies, potential collaborators, and other stakeholders. Unfortunately, there are often missed opportunities to effectively demonstrate the value of the science that underpins these novel discoveries because of a lack of understanding by the scientific community on how to most effectively communicate the importance of these data to others outside of their disciplines. This workshop brought together ecosystem scientists, experts in translational science communication, and government relations professionals to explore the process of effective communication across barriers of discipline, mission, and value to enhance our ability to effectively communicate the importance of supporting ecosystem research to decision-makers.
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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
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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. |
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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. |
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