Our target audience consists of graduate students, post-docs, and pre-tenure faculty with primarily empirical backgrounds who are interested in better connecting their fieldwork to theory on the structure and dynamics of plant-pollinator networks.
Two primary reasons: we perceive there to be an education gap and burgeoning interest in bridging between empirical and theoretical work on the ecology of plant-pollinator networks, and we received NSF-funding to help address it.
Sufficient familiarity with the R programming language will be necessary (see Content for details), but training in statistics (e.g., likelihood methods) and/or mathematics (e.g., linear algebra) is not.
The workshop will be hosted by Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, a field station and research center in the Rocky Mountains located near Crested Butte, Colorado.
We have funding from the National Science Foundation to offer the workshop twice: once in summer 2024 and once in 2025. The dates for the 2025 workshop will be announced in late 2024.
Yes, they will be available on this website.
We are anticipating approximately 12-15 participants.
Yes, and not just with program participants but with the entire RMBL community.
Please see the Apply link in the menu at the top of the page.
The deadline to receive full consideration is February 1st, 2024.
Applications will be pre-processed by RMBL staff before being evaluated by the workshop’s lead instructors.
Our goal is to send out invitations by February 15th, 2024.
Please let us know as soon as you can (to open the slot to others) and no later than April 15th, 2024 that you accept and have your flights booked
We’ll invite applications to the 2025 workshop in late 2024 / early 2025 (November-January).
The cost of attending the workshop will consist of RMBL’s station fees and travel (plus incidentals). RMBL’s station fees will total $ 550 and will include room & board for 5 days (4 nights) as well as ground transport from the Denver International Airport to RMBL. Costs for return to the airport via commercial shuttle bus and light rail will total approximately \$ 60. Additional travel costs (i.e. flights) will vary.
We have funding from the National Science Foundation to provide tuition and travel support for a limited number of participants. To allow us to maximize participation, we ask that you make an effort to self-fund your participation if possible, be it from your PI’s grants, your home institution’s resources, or other funding sources (e.g., the American Society of Naturalist’s regional conference and workshop travel grants, Sigma Xi, etc.). We may prioritize a limited number of applicants who can cover all of their own expenses for the workshop. Still, we do have funding for some applicants, so do not let your ability to pay deter you from applying!
Yes. Please see Dining at RMBL.
In cabins maintained by RMBL in Gothic. RMBL is built from the remains of a late 1800’s silver-mining town. Most participants will be staying in renovated but rustic cabins built in the 1960’s through 1990’s. See here for more information.
The Rocky Mountain Biological Lab (RMBL) is located in the town of Gothic which is about 30 minutes from Crested Butte and a ~5 hour drive from the Denver airport. For getting to RMBL, book your flights to arrive at the Denver airport before noon; our vans will be leaving shortly thereafter. To leave RMBL, we’ll get you to the Bustang shuttle bus in the early morning. The shuttle will take you to Union station where you’ll hop on the ~1 hour Light Rail to the Denver airport. The earliest you could arrive at the airport is approximately 1pm; we suggest booking your departing flights in the late afternoon or early evening to prevent any issues.
Yes, participants may also plan their own independent travel to and/or from the workshop.
Please see RMBL’s packing list. (And don’t forget your laptop and a sleeping bag!)
Late summer weather at RMBL is cool and variable with a mix of sun and afternoon thunderstorms. Daily high temperatures are typically in the 60s to mid-70s F and overnight lows are in the 40s. High-elevation conditions make sun protection a necessity. For more, check out https://www.gothicwx.org.
RMBL has modern conference facilities with high speed internet and campus WiFi, but much of the lodging is rustic, with dozens of cabins scattered throughout the campus. Some cabins have indoor plumbing and heat, but most do not and thus make use of outhouses and central shower facilities. Gothic Town Map
There is no cell phone service in Gothic. RMBL has an open wireless internet system available throughout town. Excellent wireless access is also available in the Community Center.
If you desire more comfort and would like to be off-site and stay in a hotel or bed & breakfast, please arrange your own housing. Participants with cars are required to have a permit to park in specifically designated RMBL parking lots.
Workshop participants will be expected to adhere to RMBL’s community-based policies on diversity and behavior.
Please see RMBL’s Health & Safety resources.
Please use the Contact page to send us a message if your questions haven’t been answered by this FAQ or are of a personal nature.