Millions for research at SLU
SLU researcher Mariana Braga has been awarded over 34 million SEK in two separate grants and will use the funds for two different projects, according to a press release from SLU. The research funding comes in equal parts from Sweden and Europe, with 17 million SEK from each source. One of the projects will study the impact of urbanization and environmental destruction on butterflies, which are crucial in ecosystems.
"If the butterflies disappear, we lose the ecosystem services, such as pollination, that they provide," says Mariana Braga, and continues:
"But this is also an ethical issue – we are causing these changes and must try to preserve the butterflies. However, the lack of knowledge makes conservation efforts difficult."
The second project will focus on data-driven life science, using data to better understand nature. Mariana Braga explains:
"When the climate gets warmer, we think that butterflies and host plants will appear in new places. But will they meet? Or will the butterflies be forced to find new host plants, or disappear? We're trying to predict this."
About Mariana Braga
Mariana Braga is a University Lecturer, Assistant Professor at the Department of Ecology, Unit for Insect Ecology at Sweden's University of Agricultural Sciences (Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet).
Sweden's universities and colleges
Most are state-funded but independent authorities that decide on the selection of educational programs and how they are designed. Education in a particular field can therefore have different content and structure at different universities and colleges.
Difference between University and College
The terms "University" (Universitet) and "College" (Högskola) are not protected in Sweden, but a degree-awarding authority is required to issue degrees at the university or college level. A university has the right to award degrees at the doctoral level. A college generally lacks this authority but can be granted permission to award degrees at the doctoral level in limited areas. [1]
