Below we list some on-going projects and initiatives of the CRC that are aimed at our core mission of facilitating the development and application of better science to Chesapeake Bay management. This includes work aimed at recruiting and training a more diverse and capable workforce, better connecting our partnering research scientists and faculty, facilitating and coordinating cooperative research and modeling efforts, and directly assisting the Chesapeake Bay Program partners with staffing, technical tool development, information exchange, and scientific advisement.
Chesapeake Student Recruitment, Early Advisement, and Mentoring (C-StREAM): The C-StREAM Program is a long-term mentoring and summer internship program for students from from racial, ethnic, cultural, or socio-economic groups that are currently under represented in environmental research and management. Applications are annually accepted between mid-December and March 1. These internships include exciting opportunities within the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Offices in Annapolis, MD, and Oxford, MD; at the USEPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office in Annapolis, MD; and as additional participants within several NSF Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) programs at CRC member institutions. Four C-StREAM Fellows were supported in summer of 2018 and in 2019 we were able to increase this number to eleven.
Through this program, we work with successful applicants to identify internships and mentors for summer internships for at least one summer (and multiple summers if possible), and we also strive to stay connected with the students and their home institution mentors during the following academic year in order to help the students find their own best track for success. An early-draft concept document defines the goals and current structure of the program, which we hope to continue to grow and develop over time. Potential partners are welcomed to contact us at CRC-Director@chesapeake.org.
Please note that recruitment for new C-StREAM Fellows and summer 2020 internships will begin in December. For details, see our C-StREAM web page. Here you can learn more about the program and how to apply. Information for student applicants, potential undergraduate faculty mentors, summer internship mentors and hosts, potential sponsoring partners, and undergraduate faculty mentors can all be found at that site.
NOAA Chesapeake Bay Summer Internships: In partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Chesapeake Bay Office (NCBO), CRC offers paid, twelve-week summer internships in a range of fields including fisheries management, habitat assessment, ecology, scientific field support, data analysis and modeling, and environmental policy development. The internships combine field-based experiences with administrative and technical support duties and offer a unique opportunity to contribute to large-scale, long-term ecological research critical to understanding Bay habitats and living resources. Internships are open to undergraduate students entering their sophomore, junior, or senior years of study. Select internship positions expand eligibility to recent graduates and graduate students. Descriptions of each opportunity along with eligibility requirements and application instructions can be found here.
Environmental Management Career Development Program (EMCDP): An EPA funded program that provides 3-year early career development for recently graduated students in areas of environmental management. This program places talented students in positions of responsibility within the Chesapeake Bay Program, where they work as staffers to various work groups and goal teams. The program is one of several that are fully described in the “Career Development” sections of this CRC website, under “What We Do”.
Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC): Funded through cooperative agreement with the US EPA under the Chesapeake Bay Program, the CRC works cooperatively with the Partnership to support science workshops, technical reviews, science synthesis and other activities that serve to promote good science-based management and enhance scientific communication and outreach. For further detail on some of the STAC programs, see the CRC-maintained STAC website or see the “Science Review” and “Science Workshops” sections of this CRC website, under “What We Do. ”
Chesapeake Community Modeling Program (CCMP): A NOAA-funded program designed to help coordinate improved collaborative environmental modeling efforts within the CRC and CBP communities and, equally importantly, to help with the planning, design, and implementation of a biennial research and modeling symposium encompassing our entire community. See their website.
Chesapeake Bay Expertise Database (CBED): An expertise database to help the CBP community find experts for research and education initiatives. View the database and enroll and register your own expertise and interests.
Recent CRC Community Publications (RCCP): A database of recently published journal articles and major reports from member-institution and partner scientists, searchable by topic, institution, and management relevance to the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership.We ask that you please read more about the concept at the RCCP web page and help us keep it up to date with publications from your own institution. Search through RCCP.
Optimization Tool Development (OTD): Under cooperative agreement with the US EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Office of the CBP Partnership, the CRC employs a Research Scientist who is working with the CBP Modeling Team to provide an optimization tool for development of more optimal Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) for partnering jurisdictions. As part of this agreement, the CRC also coordinates a six-member team of experts in systems analysis and optimization as an Advisory and Support Committee to review and advise the work.
Mathias Medal: The Chesapeake Research Consortium has been proud to work together since 1989 with the Maryland and Virginia Sea Grant programs since 1989 to sponsor the Mathias Medal, which we collectively award to outstanding environmental researchers who have provided outstanding scientific research that contributes to informed environmental policy in the Chesapeake Bay region. To see a list of recipients and learn more about this prestigious medal, click here.