Join NEON
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) invites qualified institutions to apply for Institutional Membership in NEON, Inc. Qualified institutions include colleges, universities, museums, scientific associations, and ecological or environmental non-profit institutions interested in promoting the purposes and activities of NEON.
Dues
The Institutional Member dues for 2008 are $1,000 per year, with first renewal due on January 1, 2009. The NEON, Inc. Board reserves the right to adjust the $1,000 annual membership after 2010.
Governance
The 43 Founding Members will be recognized throughout the estimated 30-year operational life of NEON as supporters of an observational network designed to transform the way ecological research is conducted in the United States. The voting representative and chief research officer for Founding Members and Institutional Members are both eligible to attend the annual meeting of NEON, Inc. In addition, through their voting representative, a Founding or Institutional Member may elect members from a slate of representatives put forward by the Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board to serve on the Board of Directors pursuant to the Bylaws.
Ecological Science
NEON, Inc. represents the National Science Foundation’s first major capital support on a national level for the ecological sciences. The Observatory network and its cyberinfrastructure distributed throughout the United States will enable transformative ecological research and education by scientists and institutions across the country. It is especially timely as its focus is on detecting changes in ecosystems generated by the human-caused drivers of climate change and land- use change, and by invasive species. We currently have little understanding at the national scale of the effects of these changes on the ecosystems that supply services and underpin the quality of life of the human community. Membership in NEON will permit participation and guidance in this grand effort to enhance ecological science in much the same way as the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has enhanced the atmospheric sciences across the country.
Please fax the attached NEON Membership application to: 1-202-628-1509, Attn: Dan Johnson. NEON, Inc. will then invoice your institution. For further information, call 202/628-1500 x215.
NEON Project Office/Attn: Membership
c/o AIBS
1444 Eye Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005