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Martha Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica: An International Polar Year Legacy (2008)

Chapter: 5 Responsibilities of the Administrative Organization

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Suggested Citation:"5 Responsibilities of the Administrative Organization." National Research Council. 2008. Martha Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica: An International Polar Year Legacy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12217.
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Page 13
Suggested Citation:"5 Responsibilities of the Administrative Organization." National Research Council. 2008. Martha Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica: An International Polar Year Legacy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12217.
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Page 14
Suggested Citation:"5 Responsibilities of the Administrative Organization." National Research Council. 2008. Martha Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica: An International Polar Year Legacy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12217.
×
Page 15
Suggested Citation:"5 Responsibilities of the Administrative Organization." National Research Council. 2008. Martha Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica: An International Polar Year Legacy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12217.
×
Page 16
Suggested Citation:"5 Responsibilities of the Administrative Organization." National Research Council. 2008. Martha Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica: An International Polar Year Legacy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12217.
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Page 17

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5 Responsibilities of the Administrative Organization Administration of the Martha Muse Prize will require expertise and staff beyond the normal operations of the Tinker Foundation; therefore, the committee recommends that the Foundation enter into agreement with a suitable body to serve as the administrative organization. Administration will include activities for establishing and managing the prize website (including online application capabilities), promoting and publicizing the prize, announcing the call for nominations, compiling the nomination materials for the Selection Committee, arranging the meetings and other business of the Selection Committee, organizing the prize ceremony, and helping to facilitate any post-award activities that may be necessary (see Box 1). Figure 1 Box 1 Administration Responsibilities 1) Inaugurate the Martha Muse Prize, with guidance from the Tinker Foundation and NAS/PRB: a) Develop, launch, and maintain the prize website, including the online, automated electronic nomination system. b) Promote and publicize the Martha Muse Prize. c) Announce the call for nominations to the Antarctic science and policy communities. d) Facilitate initial organization of the Selection Committee. e) Coordinate the design and production of the Martha Muse Medal. 2) Implement the prize selection and processes: a) Receive nomination packages and send the complete ones to the Selection Committee. b) Arrange the Selection Committee meetings, including travel, local accommodations, and meeting facilities. c) Provide clerical and other support services during the Selection Committee meetings. d) In conjunction with the Tinker Foundation, announce and publicize the prize winner. e) In conjunction with the Tinker Foundation, arrange and organize the award ceremony. f) Assist with the publication of the prize winner’s public address. 3) Facilitate post-award activities: a) Interface between prize winner and a national Antarctic program, if necessary. b) Review the prize winner’s expenditures, if requested by the Tinker Foundation. c) Maintain records of Selection Committee deliberations. d) Communicate the report of the Selection Committee to the Tinker Foundation. e) Organize and conduct an assessment of the performance and effectiveness of the selection process, as requested by the Tinker Foundation, and suggest improvements and efficiencies to the process. 13

Tinker Foundation Administrative Polar Research Board Organization and/or the Selection Committee formation group Selection Selection Committee chair Committee Figure 1. This diagram illustrates the various interactions of the bodies involved in the Martha Muse Prize. diagrams the interactions of the relevant bodies (i.e., the Tinker Foundation, the administrative organization, PRB [for the first year] and then a different Selection Committee formation group [for subsequent years], the Selection Committee, and the Selection Committee chair). The Tinker Foundation should be ready to support some financial needs of administrating the Martha Muse Prize. (See Box 2 for a list of costs, outside of the US$100,000 prize, that are likely to be incurred by the Tinker Foundation.) Box 2 Additional Expenses Likely to be Incurred by the Tinker Foundation 1) Activities deemed the responsibility of the administrative organization (see Box 1) including: a) Design and maintenance of the prize website. b) Publication of the call for nominations and the prize winner’s public address in scientific journals. c) Promotion and publicity of the prize and the prize winner. d) Travel costs and administrative support associated with the Selection Committee meetings. e) Award ceremony, including the travel costs of the prize winner, his or her family, and the Selection Committee and/or chair. 2) Taxes associated with the prize money. 3) Design and production of the Martha Muse Medal. 14

The administration of the Martha Muse Prize will be funded via an agreement between the chosen administrative organization and the Tinker Foundation. One possible administrative organization is SCAR because its mission is “to be the leading independent organization for facilitating and coordinating Antarctic research and for identifying issues emerging from greater scientific understanding of the region that should be brought to the attention of policy makers” (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, 20047). SCAR, which is located in the United Kingdom, is a committee of ICSU and has a membership comprised of the national scientific academies or research councils that are the adhering bodies to ICSU and that are, or plan to be, active in Antarctic research (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, 20078). Due to its experience with Antarctica, its international contacts, and its experience in the administration of other prizes and awards, SCAR might be a suitable administrative organization for the Martha Muse Prize. However, the final decision regarding selection of the administrative organization and subsequent negotiations with that organization are the responsibility of the Tinker Foundation and may be changed over time pending performance. PRIZE PROMOTION AND PUBLICITY The Martha Muse Prize should be promoted and advertised internationally to a wide audience, utilizing the same outlets as those used for the call for nominations process (see Chapter 3). The prize winner should be announced each year through the same channels and any newly identified mechanisms. Nominators should be kept informed of the status and outcome of the selection process. The Tinker Foundation will need to dedicate resources to the administrative organization for publicity. NOMINATION PROCESS The administrative organization will issue a call for nominations through direct emails to scientists, scientific bodies, scientific society presidents, university deans of research and department heads; through announcements at scientific meetings and congresses; and through other suitable outlets. A record of the advertisement campaign should be kept for future consultations. Nomination packages will be assembled, logged, and forwarded to the Selection Committee soon after the deadline date has passed. The administrative organization will schedule the meeting of the Selection Committee, arrange the members’ travel, and provide suitable administrative support. In conjunction with the Tinker Foundation, the administrative organization will publicize the prize winner and will organize the award ceremony. 7 Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. 2004. SCAR Strategic Plan 2004–2010. International Council for Science/Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Cambridge, UK. 8 Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. 2007. Welcome to SCAR. Available at: http://www.scar.org/. 15

PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENT AND CEREMONY As envisioned, the Martha Muse Prize will consist of an unrestricted cash prize of US$100,000 and a specially-designed medal to be known as the Martha Muse Medal. The prize winner may spend the prize money in any manner that will aid or advance his or her career, including both personal and professional uses; however, the money needs to be spent completely within three years of reception. There are no conditions attached to the spending of the money, except for reporting to the Tinker Foundation in whatever fashion it requires. It is expected that the administrative organization will oversee post-award record and filing requirements of the financial aspects of the prize. The Martha Muse Prize will be awarded to the winner at a public ceremony convened at a distinguished venue, such as the Smithsonian Institution, The Explorers Club, NAS,9 or an international venue. The ceremony will feature a public address by the prize winner on a topic relevant to his or her research. The Tinker Foundation will provide resources to the administrative organization to support the ceremony, including travel for the prize winner, his or her family, and the Selection Committee and/or chair. Other aspects of the ceremony and award process may be decided jointly by the Selection Committee, the Tinker Foundation, and the administrative organization. The public address should be written in advance for distribution at the ceremony, and attempts should be made to publish it in a suitable outlet, such as a major scientific journal, and possibly on the prize website. POST-AWARD ACTIVITIES Martha Muse Prize winners shall be known as Martha Muse Antarctic Medalists. Winners are required to submit a brief annual report to the Tinker Foundation each year until the funds are spent so the Foundation can track the professional progress of the medalists over time. Previous winners should be highlighted with dedicated pages on the prize website. After five years, the Tinker Foundation may choose to convene a scientific colloquium to assess the progress and success of these medalists. The administrative organization will work with the prize winner to facilitate other post- award issues. For example, if the prize winner wants to use the prize money to visit or conduct research in Antarctica, the administrative organization should try to help him or her make the contacts needed for logistics, such as opening doors of communication with the appropriate national Antarctic program. 9 As part of the agreement to assist the Tinker Foundation during the first year and to facilitate success, NAS’s PRB is open to hosting the event. 16

LEGACY The Martha Muse Prize is being inaugurated during IPY 2007–2008 and is intended to be a lasting legacy of IPY. The prize will, once each year for at least four to five years,10 reward an Antarctic researcher for his or her contributions and call attention to Antarctica. The connection between IPY and the Martha Muse Prize should be clear; the prize citation should note the scientific ideals and goals of IPY. Moreover, the Tinker Foundation may find it appropriate to incorporate the IPY logo into the design of the Martha Muse Medal. 10 In communications to date, the Tinker Foundation has indicated a willingness to fund this prize annually for about five years, at which time the Foundation would assess the prize’s success and influence and would determine how to proceed. 17

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International Polar Year (IPY) 2007--2008 is an intense, coordinated field campaign of polar observations, research, and analysis. It is one of the largest collaborative science programs ever attempted, involving more than 200 projects and people from more than 60 nations. In honor of its long-time leader, Ms. Martha Twitchell Muse, and to provide a lasting legacy of IPY, the Tinker Foundation is establishing an annual, prestigious prize: the Martha Muse IPY Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica This $100,000 unrestricted prize will be awarded following a nominations process similar to that of the National Medal of Science, meaning that people are nominated by others in the community. The goal is to provide recognition of the individual's outstanding and important work and to call attention to the importance of understanding Antarctica in this time of global climate change. This book outlines the strategy and steps necessary to take the Martha Muse Prize from concept to implementation. It describes the prize's purpose and nature, the system that could be used to announce the prize and collect nominations, potential procedures to be used by the Selection Committee, and possible post-award activities.

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