Agency

The National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) brings together the science of the natural world with the science of human behavior and decision making to find solutions to complex environmental problems. SESYNC seeks to be the leading institution for in-depth research and scholarship with the potential to inform decisions. We convene science teams to work on broad issues of national and international relevance, such as water resources management, land management, agriculture, and species protection, among other areas of study.

SESYNC provides a home for people with diverse skills, data, knowledge and perspectives. We provide support for teams of researchers from academia, government, NGOs, and the business sector to accelerate collaboration leading to scientific discovery. To overcome the myriad challenges involved in addressing interdisciplinary questions, we serve the community by providing computational support, team process facilitation, education, logistics and travel, and research communications.

SESYNC—funded through an award to the University of Maryland from the National Science Foundation—is designed to cut across disciplines, address questions and problems holistically, and identify gaps in previous research.