Organization for Tropical Studies/Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana/Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research
Country:
Peru
Award Date:
1998
Award Amount:
$100,000.00
Cost Share:
$181,505.00
Other Partners:
Explorama Tours; Universidad de San Antonio de Abad del Cusco
The partners collaborated to develop the Amazon region’s scientific infrastructure for protection of endangered biodiversity and natural resources. During the first three summers of the collaboration, the partners selected a total of 66 graduate students and natural resource managers (from 263 total applications) representing 12 Latin American countries for an intensive field course on the ecology of Amazonian ecosystems. Thirty-nine students participated in one-week practical training courses in geographic information systems, and 43 students earned post-course research fellowships to conduct further projects in their home countries. In follow-up surveys of the alumni, more than 70 percent reported that their experience helped them gain admission into graduate programs, receive fellowships, or obtain employment. As a result of this collaboration, the Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana and the Universidad de San Antonio de Abad del Cusco were admitted into the Organization for Tropical Studies consortium of universities and research institutions.