Home

10%

REAPPEARING ACT

How Can Faculty Successfully Partner with Other Non-profits on World-changing Research? Ask a Texas Horned Frog.

By Texas Christian University

February 15^th, 2021

A Unique Animal. A Unique Collaboration.

A collaboration between Texas Christian University, Texas Parks and Wildlife and several zoo conservation programs is giving the world hope for saving a unique animal.

The Texas horned lizard—the “horny toad”— is the official state reptile of Texas and a beloved symbol of the lone star state. TCU adopted the “horned frog” as its mascot in the 1800s when the college sprang up among the tenacious prairie creatures.

The tiny lizard’s defenses, however, are no match for habitat loss: urbanization, pesticides and the invading fire ant colonies that have decimated its primary food source, harvester ants. In the 1970s, horned lizards became a threatened species in Texas.

Meet the Team

TCU biology professor Dean Williams, Ph.D., and his graduate students analyze horned lizard DNA. Their findings help conservationists identify populations of lizards that should be bred and reintroduced separately so as to not compromise a vulnerable hatchling’s chances in the wild. TCU students also play a key role in the hatchling release and data collection.

“We are eager to partner with TCU’s staff and graduate students for several reasons,” says Diane Barber, curator of ectotherms (cold-blooded animals) at the Fort Worth Zoo. “Working with threatened and endangered species there are research questions that are better answered in a traditional lab setting.

Those immersed in an academic setting bring different perspectives and resources to the work we do. And a graduate student tackling a research question full-time can support our conservation efforts in a very efficient and meaningful way.”

Barber oversees a breeding program involving two full-time attendants, meticulous habitat temperature regulation, and a steady procurement of harvester ants (which are bred by the supplier of ants to the classic Ant Farm toy — and make feeding the lizards as costly as feeding the zoo’s elephants).

Williams analyzes horned lizard DNA for zoos in Fort Worth, Dallas and San Antonio so that hardier offspring can be produced. His findings help conservationists identify adaptations among regional lizards, that when bred might compromise a vulnerable hatchling’s chances in the wild.

Dean Williams, Ph.D.: The Geneticist and Boots on the Ground

The Land Man

Nathan Rains, a wildlife diversity biologist with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD), serves as the project lead for the reintroduction initiative, connecting the work of the zoos and TCU and securing funding. He’s also the glue between researchers and the landowners. TPWD’s land provides conservationists and university researchers with an outdoor laboratory for the hatchling release program.

The Lizard Wrangler

Producing horned lizards in captivity is a delicate endeavor. This is where zoos come in, armed with Williams’ data. Diane Barber, curator of ectotherms for the Fort Worth Zoo, oversees a breeding program involving two full-time attendants and meticulous environmental control and feeding regimens.

“Dean's work has been invaluable in helping decide which lizards to breed together to retain positive genetic diversity.”

Harvester ants comprise as much as 90 percent of a horned lizard’s diet, making them vitally important to the species' survival.

The research team uses tiny, lightweight harmonic radar tags to keep tabs on the hatchlings once they've been released into the wild.

Over the years, the team has released hundreds of horned lizard hatchlings at the Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area, approximately 100 miles north of San Antonio in the Texas Hill Country.

10 Tips for Successful Research Partnerships

1. Look for new opportunities to collaborate.

About a decade ago, TPWD approached Williams about becoming part of the state’s horned lizard captive breeding and reintroduction efforts. The lizard is the official reptile of Texas, so protecting it is a priority for the state-funded agency. It also happens to be TCU’s beloved mascot, and the Fort Worth Zoo, which is literally just down the road from the university and leads captive management efforts, was the first to breed the lizard. These shared connections lit the collaborative spark.

2. Ask how your research could be part of a specific solution.

But while Williams’ genetic research expertise was sought out by both TPWD and the Fort Worth Zoo, he says such an arrangement could be initiated the other way around. “Ask, ‘How could my data answer a particular problem? Who might be the best partner for this?’” Then, academics can consult their networks or search online for other organizations looking for their specific skill sets. “Don’t be shy to reach out and offer your expertise,” suggests Williams.

3. The RFP really does matter. Tie your response tightly to the goal at hand.

It may sound like a given, but the request for proposal (RFP) is more than just a box to check — partnering organizations actually pay close attention to them. Rains and his colleagues are responsible for reviewing stacks of these RFPs for the TPWD and, to keep the process objective, they come with the name of the university and lead researcher blacked out. It’s up to a team to rank them, and there are more proposals than the agency has resources to fund. So, make sure yours stands out. Rains’ advice? “Tie the proposal to a specific objective the partnering organization is looking to achieve. It sounds like common knowledge, but you’d be surprised by how often people don’t do it.”

4. Be willing to help seek funding.

Although partnering organizations may have money to devote to research projects, they are by no means flush with cash. Rains says that the main source of funding for TPWD is pass-through money from the federal government, and many of its grants are $150,000 or less. That’s where entrepreneurial researchers can come in. “If you’re working with an agency or nonprofit, be prepared to get creative. Look at your institutional funding or be willing to secure outside funds yourself,” Williams advises.

For this particular project, Williams was able to secure grant funding from the proceeds collected from conservation license plate sales. And, if funding fails, be open to the more intangible results of collaboration. “If you’re a tenured professor, be willing to do the work for the greater good,” says Williams. “Plus, these collaborations often result in getting published, which is its own currency in academia.”

5. Acknowledge differences in the work styles outside academia.

“The other organization’s goals and timeframe for getting the project done is often very different from ours in higher education,” says Williams. Some organizations can have much faster turnaround times, which can make involving already busy graduate students and professors a challenge. Talk about working styles and timetables up front.

Juvenile horned frogs bask in the sun at the Fort Worth Zoo. The zoo has bred more than 600 hatchlings since the program began a decade ago.

Group Title

Members of the research team prepare to reintroduce hatchlings bred in captivity at the Fort Worth Zoo into the Texas wildlands.

6. Have a clear charge and make sure it’s communicated to everyone on the team.

To help organize a complex collaboration, it’s important to have a singular mission. In this case, it was understanding how the horned lizard species is genetically structured across Texas. “A lot of academic studies have potential applications, but there’s often a disconnect between the recommendations and the reality of what can be carried out,” Williams explains. “This has especially been a problem in the field of conservation genetics. Having a clear charge from the get-go allows you to provide a more usable end product.”

7. Don’t let theoretical questions distract. Step back, see the big picture and stay focused.

“In genetics, there are a lot of theoretical questions. But these agencies, like TPWD, need something they can put into action,” Williams explains. He appreciates the opportunities to see real applications for TCU’s research, like releasing healthy horned lizard hatchlings into the wild. Instead of going down the rabbit hole of “what if,” step back and stay focused. “Don’t get caught up in the minutia, because that doesn’t necessarily solve the problem at hand,” he advises. “Focus on what the outside group needs, and refer back to the project’s core mission and goals.”

8. Involve graduate students for a win-win.

Williams is pleased with how students have found purpose and discovery in these research projects, and that his lab delivers a scientific workforce that improves the chances for a species in trouble. “We couldn’t do this work without graduate students. They provide the sweat equity,” said Rains. Barber adds that “a graduate student tackling a research question full-time can support our conservation efforts in a very efficient and meaningful way.”

9. Involve your partners from the very beginning all the way up to publication.

Consider listing them as co-authors. The entire point of collaboration is incorporating different strengths and viewpoints to create a better end product. “Involve the other organizations early and often,” says Williams. A recent study showed that including outside collaborators as coauthors—which hasn’t been done too often in the past—results in more specific and actionable recommendations. Williams and Rains are co-authors on the horned lizard genetics study, and they plan to follow the same format for future papers. “Sometimes there is a disconnect between academia and the people tasked with carrying out the recommendations in the field, and this approach can help alleviate that tension,” says Williams.

10. Be patient. The work takes time.

“You have to be willing to be in it for the long haul—it’s not a two-year thing. It’s a spiderweb of new questions,” says Williams. The horned lizard collaboration has already been going on for a decade, and he believes it will continue for at least another one.

But, for now, the culmination of this spirited collaboration takes place early in the morning in the South Texas desert. Scientists and students release the hatchlings—each no bigger than a quarter—and track them with tiny transmitters to follow the creatures’ lop-sided fight against the elements and predators. Each year, the numbers look more promising. And a new cycle of research work begins again.

Rachel Alenius, a TCU doctoral student in biology, played a key role in performing genetic research and tracking the hatchlings after release.

Read On

At TCU, academic teams shine together by sharing knowledge and crossing disciplines for the greater good.

REAPPEARING ACT

How Can Faculty Successfully Partner with Other Non-profits on World-changing Research? Ask a Texas Horned Frog.

Celebrating TCU’s Future and the Chancellor’s Inauguration

Roach Honors Frog Camp 2025

A Combination You’ll Find Only Here

Where Horned Frogs Eat On Campus

Inside the Experiences That Broaden Students’ Horizons

Student Spirit Fuels the Horned Frogs