Building electrical components for warming equipment in the BioCON experiment.

Conducting research at Cedar Creek

Research proposal review procedures

All proposals for new research at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve are reviewed by the Site Scientist or Associate Director, other researchers who have existing projects that may be impacted by the proposed work, and, as needed, the Land Use Committee. No research may be initiated until a proposal has been reviewed and approved. Decisions are typically made within two weeks of proposal submission, though some proposals require more or less time for evaluation.

Proposal Submission Form

Related Links

Annual resource request and research plan

Prior to sampling each year, any investigator planning to conduct research at Cedar Creek must confirm receipt of our annual orientation packet, and complete a Resource Request and Research Plan form. These will be emailed to all researchers who have a approved research proposal.

Site Access

To improve security and safety and to provide Cedar Creek with valuable information on site usage, personal are required to check in before going to any field site. Please check in online at z.umn.edu/cc_checkin

Any car parked on or adjacent to Cedar Creek property (excluding parking areas on the main Cedar Creek campus) must display a Cedar Creek access and parking permit. You will be issued permits when you confirm your receipt of the annual orientation packet.

Most areas require a gate key to access. Keys may be checked out for daily or seasonal use. Please contact the Facilities Manager, Jim Krueger, to arrange access to gate keys.

Project Completion

Prior to the completion of any research project a Lab/Project Shutdown Procedures form must be submitted to the Resident Safety Officer. The form is available HERE. Please complete and return to Kally Worm.

Site usage fees

As at most field stations, fees for housing, lab/office space, and research prokects are an essential part of Cedar Creek’s budget. They make it possible for us to keep our roads, buildings, infrastructure and shared equipment in functional condition, and to continue to offer the research and logistical support our community relies on. Granting agencies regularly approve the payment of these types of site use fees. To account for other contributions to overhead, user fall into one of three fee categories: Internal (College of Biological Sciences projects, LTER projects, Cedar Creek staff/interns/technicians), Affiliates (external collaborators on internal projects, State agencies, non-CBS UMN projects), and External (projects funded and run fully through other institutions). Current fees are posted here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qe7PdCt2CKFh9KWWPGVfhqbJi4qoVZbv/view?usp=sharing] and updated annually.

Cedar Creek is also committed to supporting a diversity of users to access the station, regardless of their funding situation. We do not want use fees to be a barrier, particularly for early-career scientists, community members, independent researchers and users from populations historically underrepresented in the sciences. If you need information on a fee waiver or subsidy, please contact Associate Director Dr. Caitlin Barale Potter (caitlin@umn.edu).

Human subjects

All research at Cedar Creek involving human subjects must conform to the policies laid out by the University of Minnesota's Institutional Review Board, available at http://www.research.umn.edu/irb/.

Animal subjects

All research at Cedar Creek involving animal subjects must conform to the policies laid out by the University of Minnesota's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), available at http://cflegacy.research.umn.edu/iacuc/.

Data submission

Data from research conducted at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve must be submitted to Cedar Creek for archiving. Additionally, all data from research supported wholly, or in part, through LTER grants must be made available to the research community within two years of collection. Cedar Creek will distribute all data and metadata in accordance with LTER requirements. Please submit all data in accordance with the protocols available here.