The National Science Foundation Office of International Science and Engineering awarded the University of Hawaii at Manoa a $298,926 Project Grant under the Office of International Science and Engineering federal grant program (CFDA 47.079).
The grant funds an immersive undergraduate research program on island invasion biology at the Charles Darwin Foundation in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026. At least six University of Hawaii at Manoa students per year will take an accredited invasion biology course, develop individual summer research projects, and spend eight weeks conducting field research in Galapagos under the oversight of foreign collaborators from the Charles Darwin Foundation. Upon returning to Hawaii, students will continue working with University of Hawaii and Foundation mentors to publish results and present to the scientific community. The program aims to foster new collaborations between the University and Foundation in the critically important field of invasive species impact and mitigation on tropical islands.