The First Ten Years of IAI: Observing, Measuring, Understanding and Documenting Changes in the Environment of the Americas

The report details the evolution of the IAI, from its establishment by 11 countries in 1992 to its operational phase in Brazil. It outlines the institute's mission to build scientific capacity and collaborative research networks to understand global environmental changes in the Americas. The document tracks the progression of the IAI Science Agenda, the implementation of various funding mechanisms such as Start-up Grants, Initial Science Programs (ISP), and the Collaborative Research Network (CRN) program, and the results of these initiatives in terms of publications, student training, and policy-relevant findings.

• The IAI was established on 13 May 1992 in Montevideo, Uruguay, by 11 founding countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and the United States.
• The IAI's mission focuses on developing the capacity to understand the integrated impact of global changes on regional and continental environments in the Americas and promoting collaborative research and informed action.
• Between 1995 and 1998, the IAI executed a capacity-building project funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which included a $3 million UNDP/GEF contribution and support from the U.S. NSF totaling $350k.
• The Start-up Grants (SG) program (1995-1997), funded by the NSF, invested US $1.7 million across 37 awards and 50 meetings to encourage long-term research collaborations.
• The Initial Science Program (ISP) rounds (I, II, and III) from 1996 to 2001 invested approximately US$ 4 million in 39 grants, resulting in over 150 publications and the involvement of at least 137 students.
• In 1997, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) restructured the Science Agenda into four broad themes: Understanding Climate Variability in the Americas; Comparative Studies of Ecosystem, Biodiversity, Land Use and Cover, and Water Resources in the Americas; Changes in the Composition of the Atmosphere, Oceans and Fresh Waters; and Integrated Assessment, Human Dimensions and Applications.
• The Collaborative Research Network Program (CRN), running from 1999 to 2003, invested about US$ 10 million in 14 grants to improve the understanding of regional global-change phenomena and expand scientific capacity.
• The Program to Expand Scientific Capacity in the Americas (PESCA) supported eleven small projects with grants between $15,000 and $30,000 to increase participation from under-represented IAI member countries.
• The IAI Data Information System (DIS), presented in 2000 and developed by CIESIN at Columbia University, was designed to disseminate scientific information and connect science and policy agencies across the Americas.
• Starting in 2002, the IAI launched the Small Grants Program (SGP) to support capacity building and planning; SGP I awarded 16 projects with $385k, and SGP II awarded 22 proposals totaling US$ 612,701.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2004). The First Ten Years of IAI: Observing, Measuring, Understanding and Documenting Changes in the Environment of the Americas. https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/First_10years_IAI_book_en.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. The First Ten Years of IAI: Observing, Measuring, Understanding and Documenting Changes in the Environment of the Americas. 2004. https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/First_10years_IAI_book_en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=The First Ten Years of IAI: Observing, Measuring, Understanding and Documenting Changes in the Environment of the Americas |date=June 2004 |url=https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/First_10years_IAI_book_en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2004first, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{The First Ten Years of IAI: Observing, Measuring, Understanding and Documenting Changes in the Environment of the Americas}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2004}, month = jun, url = {https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/First_10years_IAI_book_en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }