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mission statement
At the management & coordination office MCO we engage in research management and research coordination. Over the years the primary focus on biodiversity research has been broadened and now also involves plant sciences in general. Two part-time science coordinators actively support researchers by organizing graduate courses, symposia and meetings, as well as by publishing newsletters. All activities ultimately aim at raising the visibility of ongoing research projects among the scientific community, funding agencies, federal administration, and the general public.
For additional information concerning our specific thematic areas click here.
For additional information on the history of MCO click here.
staff
Prof. Dr. Thomas Boller, chair
Sylvia Martínez, biologist
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Dr. Corinne Klaus, biologist
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history
Soon after the World Summit on Environment and Development in Rio 1992 the Swiss Parliament allocated money to fund a large research programme called Swiss Priority Programme Environment . This swift effort aimed at contributing to the follow-up process of the Earth Summit by engaging in longterm, mutlidisciplinary research in various fields regarded as national priorities in Switzerland. The programme included several thematic areas (modules), among them the Integrated Project Biodiversity.
Its first research period lasted from 1992–1995. It consisted of 20 projects with about 80 scientists and a budget of approximately 8 Mio. Swiss francs (5.5 Mio. US$). The second research period lasted from 1996–1999 and included 17 projects with about 60 scientists. Its budget amounted approximately 6 Mio. Swiss francs. The Integrated Project Biodiversity investigated the ecological basis of biological diversity by using experimental and survey techniques. Thus contributing to the understanding of the processes that generate and maintain biodiversity, the role of biodiversity in ecosystem stability and the effects of anthropogenic influences like habitat fragmentation and increased atmospheric CO2 on biodiversity.
The Management & Coordination Office was set up in 1994 in order to assist the Integrated Project Biodiversity through its coordination skills. By acting as an information platform to all researchers involved as well as the general public it helped increase the visibility of the research effort and results. Towards the end of the Integrated Project Biodiversity the consortium succeeded in launching the «Swiss Biodiversity Forum». This spin-off organisation, located at the Swiss Academy of Science brings together all the existing expertise of Swiss biodiversity research experts from the natural sciences, social sciences and economy.
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