Mountain Studies Institute Strategic Plan 2021-2023

7
Mountain Studies Institute
ADVANCE MOUNTAIN SCIENCE
ISSUE STATEMENT:
The rapid environmental and societal changes that are taking place locally
and globally pose considerable challenges to the fabric of natural and social
systems. Coping with the challenges will require new discoveries, improved
knowledge, robust and relevant information, and the ability to use these
advances appropriately. While scientific advances and discoveries are
constantly being made, there is often a significant disconnect between the
scientists generating the information and the policy makers and managers
who are trying to use that information.
Priorities for Action
• Mountain conditions are constantly changing. Research—and the policy and
programming it should inform—also needs to be ongoing and adaptive.
• We need to learn—and then apply that learning—at the same pace and with
agility, unafraid of changing course or shifting our focus.
• MSI will use a process to prioritize which research questions and initiatives we are
addressing to ensure we are asking the right questions.
• Collaboration across communities, expertise, and perspectives is key to breaking
down barriers and realizing relevancy. We will intentionally include diverse voices,
perspectives, and experiences in the process of identifying, conducting, and
applying mountain science.
• To overcome the disconnect between the scientists
generating the information and the decision
makers who need to use this information, we
seek new pathways for mountain research
to inform decision-making on policies,
regulatory frameworks, and programming.