NESCent

The United States National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) is a scientific research center in Durham, North Carolina. Known by its acronym NESCent (which rhymes with “crescent”), the center’s goal is to promote collaborative, cross-disciplinary research in evolutionary biology.

NESCent offers a range of fellowships for visiting scientists and educators and sponsors numerous scientific meetings each year. In its first 7 years, NESCent hosted nearly 4,200 visitors from more than 50 countries. Sponsored projects span the fields of systematics, paleontology, molecular evolution, phylogeography, comparative biology, evolutionary genetics, population biology and functional morphology, among others.

NESCent promotes the synthesis of information, concepts and knowledge to address significant, emerging, or novel questions in evolutionary science and its applications. NESCent achieves this by supporting research and education across disciplinary, institutional, geographic, and demographic boundaries.

NESCent was founded in December 2004 with a grant from the US National Science Foundation, and is jointly operated by Duke University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the fall of 2009, NESCent was awarded a second 5-year grant from the National Science Foundation, which will provide funding for the center through 2014.

NESCent sponsors a number of research and training programs for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and groups. Examples include:

NESCent’s Directorate consists of:

In addition, NESCent has an external Advisory Board and Operations Committee that meet on a regular basis to advise the Directors and oversee the center.

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