Two graduate students at the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment are expanding their research on climate change, thanks in part to former Vice President Al Gore.

Nathan Engle and Christine Kirchhoff are two of 20 young research scientists selected from an international pool of graduate students. Funding for their one-time, $15,000 scholarships comes from the Dan David Foundation. The Israel-based organization fosters universal values of excellence, creativity, justice, democracy and progress and promotes the scientific, technological and humanistic achievements that advance and improve our world.

In May, Gore received one of three $1 million Dan David Prizes, which are endowed by the Dan David Foundation. The Prize committee selects honorees in three "Time Dimensions": Past, Present and Future. The foundation awarded Gore its 2008 "Present Time Dimension" prize for alerting the world to the crisis from the overuse of fossil fuels and its impact on climate change.

Honorees, including Gore, pledge to use 10 percent of their prize money - $300,000 in total - to fund the scholarships. Gore pledged to use the remaining 90 percent of his prize money to support a group he founded, the Alliance for Climate Protection, and its "We Campaign."

The SNRE students were nominated based on recommendations from Rosina M. Bierbaum, dean of SNRE. Engle and Kirchhoff were already pursuing climate change-related research as part of their doctoral dissertation projects.

"The school is very proud of Nate and Christine for receiving this international honor," Dean Bierbaum said. "Climate change is the umbrella theme uniting research and education at the school, and to have our students recognized for their work in that field is very gratifying."

The other 2008 honorees are Geoffrey Eglinton (Future Time Dimension), a professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol, Bristol, U.K.; and Amos Oz (Past Time Dimension), an Israeli writer whose works of novels, short stories, essays and poetry spans five decades.

Engle and Kirchhoff submitted formal letters of interest and other supporting materials as part of the scholarship process. And then they waited for the results. Both acknowledged being surprised and grateful at receiving the honor.

"It is one of the greatest honors of my lifetime to receive the Dan David Prize scholarship, and to have it associated with Vice President Gore's inspiring efforts and accomplishments," said Engle, a Ph.D. candidate in the field of Resource Policy and Behavior. The focus of his research is on adaptation to climate change policy and also water management. "By recognizing outstanding contributions to humanity in three time dimensions, the Dan David Prize captures the essence of the global community's capability to learn, act, and plan for the challenges that we have faced, are facing, and will continue to face."

"I'm deeply honored to be selected to receive a scholarship from former Vice President Al Gore.í‚   His tireless dedication to raise awareness about climate change and to support others working to develop solutions is truly inspiring," said Kirchoff, a Ph.D. candidate in the field of Resource Policy and Behavior. "Now, with the Dan David Prize Scholarship, VP Gore is helping to fund students conducting interdisciplinary research dedicated to improving our ability to respond to the challenges posed by climate change."

Scholarship recipients, including Engle and Kirchhoff, will be able to join the online Dan David Prize Scholarship Recipients Forum, which serves as a platform for Dan David Prize scholars to discuss research topics, present individual research and exchange ideas and suggestions.

Engle and Kirchoff are already planning how to use the funding to advance their research.

"This award will enable me to conduct research aimed at improving climate change assessments and increasing our understanding of the use of science by stakeholders grappling with existing or anticipated climate change impacts," Kirchoff said.

"Not long ago, climate change was considered a future problem that the í¢â‚¬Ëœnext' generation would have to solve. I am committed to doing my part to help address climate change through my research and everyday actions," Engle said.

About the School of Natural Resources and Environment:
The School of Natural Resources and Environment's overarching objective is to contribute to the protection of the earth's resources and the achievement of a sustainable society. Through research, teaching, and outreach, faculty, staff, and students are devoted to generating knowledge and developing policies, techniques and skills to help practitioners manage and conserve natural and environmental resources to meet the full range of human needs on a sustainable basis. Today, SNRE has one of the largest clusters of environmental justice faculty and students in the world. Twelve SNRE faculty are affiliated with the program. There are several other environmental justice faculty around the University of Michigan that SNRE students can also work with.
http://www.snre.umich.edu

About the Dan David Prize
The Dan David Prize was founded in 2001 by Dan David, President of Dedem Automatical SRL and Photo Me International PLC. The Dan David Prize is headquartered at Tel Aviv University. The Prize recognizes and encourages innovative and interdisciplinary research that cuts across traditional boundaries and paradigms. It aims to foster universal values of excellence, creativity, justice, democracy and progress and to promote the scientific, technological and humanistic achievements that advance and improve our world. http://www.dandavidprize.org/