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PROPOSED PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
Request: Requesting authorization for the Forest Preserves of Cook County (the "Forest Preserves") to enter into a Partnership Agreement with the Chicago Zoological Society ("CZS"), Brookfield, Illinois.
Reason: The Forest Preserves and the Chicago Zoological Society, which operates the Brookfield Zoo Chicago, seek to partner to facilitate a variety of activities to advance regional wildlife field research initiatives, including: 1) support for a post-residency veterinary PhD program, 2) purchase and shared use of veterinary diagnostic equipment, and 3) participation in emerging research projects.
The PhD fellowship program will allow a graduate of the Illinois Zoological and Wildlife Health Management Residency (Board Item Nos. #22-0108 and #24-0192) to continue working under contract with or as an employee of CZS for a period of up to four (4) years beginning in 2025. Building upon the successes and new areas of investigation launched during the residency program, this partnership will engage a professional veterinarian with expertise in urban wildlife to further research initiatives that both agencies have a shared interest in bringing to completion.
Similarly, this partnership will also leverage the CZS's expertise and relationships in the field of wildlife husbandry to allow for the procurement of specialized veterinary diagnostic equipment. This equipment would be owned by the Forest Preserves and utilized by both the Forest Preserves and the CZS to support shared research operations, including the aforementioned veterinary residency and PhD fellowship programs, to greatly expand the capacity and speed of sample analysis.
Finally, this partnership will also provide a mechanism for the Forest Preserves to selectively participate in research programs emerging from shared collaborations with partners such as the University of Illinois and other visiting field researchers engaged by the CZS. These programs are often...
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