Appendix A
Questionnaire Results
In conducting its review of the U.S. CLIVAR Project Office (USCPO), the committee wanted to solicit input from as many people in the atmospheric and climate communities as possible; thus, it developed a questionnaire. With 26 primarily multiple choice questions, the committee requested of each respondent his or her (1) demographic information; (2) assessment of the USCPO’s performance in the areas of communication and publications, program support, and international and national coordination; and (3) general thoughts about the utility and efficacy of the USCPO.
The questionnaire was posted on a National Academies web page for two weeks. Over 800 people were contacted by email and asked to respond to the web-based questionnaire, including (1) recipients of the U.S. CLIVAR newsletter, (2) current and past U.S. CLIVAR panel and working group members, (3) attendees of past U.S. CLIVAR workshops, (4) U.S. registrants of the First International CLIVAR Science Conference held in June 2004, and (5) the heads and chairs of atmospheric science departments at U.S. universities. The committee received over 160 anonymous responses in that two-week period; they are summarized below.
DEMOGRAPHICS
|
Question |
Response |
Percentage of Total Responses |
Q1: |
Please describe your educational background by selecting the box that indicates your highest completed education. |
High school/GED |
0% |
Some college |
0% |
||
2-year College Degree |
0% |
||
(Number of responses = 162) |
4-year College Degree |
4% |
|
MA/MS |
7% |
||
PhD |
88% |
||
MD |
1% |
||
JD |
0% |
||
Other |
1% |
||
Q2: |
Please classify your employer. |
Federal government |
21% |
(Number of responses = 160) |
State/provincial government |
1% |
|
Local government |
0% |
||
Corporation |
1% |
|
|
Small business |
1% |
|
|
University/college |
58% |
|
|
Research laboratory |
13% |
|
|
Non-governmental organization |
4% |
|
|
Self-employed |
1% |
|
|
Student |
1% |
|
|
Other |
0% |
Q3: |
Please indicate which of the following best describes your level of employment. |
Director |
6% |
Manager |
7% |
||
Administrative |
1% |
||
(Number of responses = 162) |
Principal researcher |
38% |
|
Professor |
35% |
||
Postdoctoral |
6% |
||
Graduate student |
4% |
||
Other |
4% |
||
Q4: |
Please indicate your country of residence. |
USA |
91% |
(Number of responses = 162) |
Other |
9% |
|
Q5: |
Please indicate if you had or currently have a formal role in U.S. CLIVAR as a member of the following groups. |
Inter-Agency Group |
22% |
Scientific Steering Committee |
24% |
||
Pacific Implementation Panel |
17% |
||
Atlantic Implementation Panel |
9% |
||
Pan American Implementation Panel |
13% |
||
SIMAP |
2% |
||
U.S. PAGES/CLIVAR Working Group |
2% |
||
Asian-Australian Monsoon Working Group |
7% |
||
CLIVAR-SEARCH Working Group |
4% |
||
Q6: |
Please indicate if you had or currently have a formal role (i.e., steering groups, project offices, science panels) in any of the following World Climate Research Program activities. |
International CLIVAR |
30% |
GEWEX |
17% |
||
CliC |
3% |
||
SPARC |
5% |
||
SOLAS |
5% |
||
WOCE |
22% |
ASSESSMENT OF THE U.S. CLIVAR PROJECT OFFICE
|
|
Yes |
No |
Total number of responses |
Q8: |
I am aware of the existence of the U.S. CLIVAR program. |
99% |
1% |
162 |
Q9: |
I am aware of the existence of the U.S. CLIVAR Project Office. |
96% |
4% |
161 |
Q10: |
I receive or have received the CLIVAR newsletters and/or email newsgrams |
78% |
22% |
160 |
|
|
Strongly agree |
Agree |
Neutral |
Disagree |
Strongly disagree |
Number of responsesa |
Q11: |
The USCPO is communicating appropriate content (i.e., the range of topics) about CLIVAR. |
28% |
47% |
20% |
4% |
1% |
152 |
Q12: |
The USCPO is using appropriate media (e.g., the Web, email) to communicate information about CLIVAR. |
32% |
44% |
20% |
4% |
0% |
158 |
Q13: |
The USCPO is communicating information about CLIVAR activities in a timely manner. |
25% |
42% |
28% |
5% |
0% |
153 |
Q14: |
CLIVAR-related publications (e.g. scientific plans, status and workshop reports) are easily accessible. |
26% |
42% |
24% |
7% |
1% |
157 |
Q15: |
Information about CLIVAR-related events such as workshops and/or conferences is easily accessible. |
29% |
49% |
17% |
4% |
1% |
159 |
Q16b: |
What additional means and/or types of information would you like the USCPO to employ or to disseminate about CLIVAR and CLIVAR-related activities? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q17: |
CLIVAR-related workshops and/or conferences planned by the USCPO are well organized. |
40% |
39% |
17% |
4% |
0% |
140 |
Q18: |
The USCPO is effective and prompt with its coordination of travel support for U.S CLIVAR representatives. |
38% |
26% |
34% |
1% |
0% |
73 |
Q19: |
The USCPO adequately supports the U.S. Scientific Steering Committee and its various panels. |
27% |
37% |
33% |
4% |
0% |
83 |
Q20: |
The USCPO adequately represents U.S. CLIVAR interests to the International CLIVAR Project Office. |
22% |
36% |
38% |
4% |
0% |
98 |
Q21: |
The USCPO is effective at organizing the U.S. component of CLIVAR-related international conferences. |
32% |
32% |
32% |
3% |
0% |
117 |
Q22: |
The USCPO is effective at organizing the U.S. component of CLIVAR-related field programs. |
14% |
38% |
38% |
8% |
3% |
111 |
Q23: |
The existence of the USCPO has enhanced my research and interaction with CLIVAR-related activities. |
18% |
34% |
28% |
15% |
4% |
136 |