The University of Idaho (UI) in collaboration with the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE),
in Costa Rica has established an interdisciplinary, multi-institution graduate research and education program in conservation biology and sustainability of agricultural and forest systems funded by the National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program. This effort recognizes the urgent need for better disciplinary integration to achieve biodiversity conservation and sustainable production in anthropogenically fragmented landscapes.

Doctoral students work in interdisciplinary teams conducting studies in distinct geographic regions in Northern Idaho and Costa Rica. They conduct research in four major research areas:

  • Conservation Biology and Ecological Genetics
  • Agricultural and Forest Ecology, and Agroforestry
  • Soil and Watershed Sciences
  • Sociology and Environmental Economics  

This unique graduate education program provides students:

  • Broad-based interdisciplinary education
  • International perspective
  • Broad geographic and ecological exposure
  • Participation in integrated interdisciplinary research teams
  • Cross-cultural experience