Strategic Guidance for the National Science Foundation's Support of the Atmospheric Sciences (2007) / Chapter Skim
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6 Findings and Recommendations
6 Findings and Recommendations
Pages 150-169
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From page 150... ...
The order of the findings and recommendations presented here does not strictly reflect priorities, but rather is presented to aid the reader in following the development of the ideas presented. PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESSFUL SUPPORT OF THE ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES The committee's evaluation of ATM's evolution over the past 45 years and current activities, as discussed in Chapters 3 and 4, has revealed that the division has done a good job in meeting its mission to support the atmospheric sciences.
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From page 151... ...
Atmospheric science comprises many subdisciplines -- ranging from dynamic meteorology to climate change and from atmospheric chemistry to upper atmospheric dynamics and solar physics -- and is inherently interdisciplinary in that the atmosphere interacts with the oceans, land surface, and near-space environment. Furthermore, the research efforts span the spectrum from fundamental research to efforts with direct applications.
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From page 152... ...
Other nations support significant research in the atmospheric sciences, offering excellent opportunities for collaboration. ATM should maintain connections to international efforts both through engagement directly with other nations and through international programs to coordinate research (e.g., World Climate Research Programme, International Geopshere-Biosphere Programme, World Weather Research Program)
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From page 153... ...
ATM may need to shift its distribution of funding modes in coming years to respond to a changing research environment. For example, domestic budget constraints at NSF and other federal agencies that support atmospheric research, increasing sophistication and investments in the international research community, and changing societal expectations of research may make it necessary to rely more on some modes of support or to introduce new modes to the ATM portfolio.
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From page 154... ...
The committee concludes that it is essential to create and preserve opportunities for high-risk, potentially transformative research and that the atmospheric sciences would benefit if ATM expanded its support of such projects. This would ensure that a larger portion of ATM portfolio is dedicated to supporting these research activities.
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From page 155... ...
Effective identification of cross-disciplinary opportunities and related funding mechanisms are critical to the health of the atmospheric sciences. Research questions in the subdisciplines of atmospheric science are interrelated.
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From page 156... ...
The research capabilities of other nations are becoming more sophisticated and their investments in the atmospheric sciences are growing. There is a breadth of atmospheric research coordinated internationally through organizations such as the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)
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From page 157... ...
How best to direct future investments in computing resources for the atmospheric sciences is a complicated issue that requires more detailed study than possible in this report. Nonetheless, the committee is convinced that good science with important societal impacts would be enabled by better, faster models, which require more powerful computers and enhanced data-storage and data-transfer capabilities.
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From page 158... ...
there are existing observational programs developed by other NSF divisions and agencies (e.g., Long Term Ecological Research, the Ocean Research Interactive Observatory Networks Ocean Observing Initiative, the proposed hydrological observatories of the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc., and the National Ecological Observing Network) , which can be leveraged with additional investments to conduct atmospheric research.
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From page 159... ...
DEVELOPING OBSERVATIONAL TOOLS Innovative observational instruments and systems are crucial to the continued advance of atmospheric science. However, the main NSF-funding paradigm of grants to individual academic investigators is often not consistent with the wide skill sets and long time scales required for successful observational tool development and deployment.
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From page 160... ...
The development of good online material that can be shared nationally should be the topic of an NSF-sponsored collaboration among atmospheric science and engineering departments, the national center, the American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Union, the private sector, and other federal laboratories that engage in observational tool development. Such a collaboration could also select fieldwork sites that encourage handson engineering internships for students.
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From page 161... ...
Since the late 1950s, the atmospheric research enterprise has greatly expanded to its present state in which impressive research capabilities exist in the universities, the private sector, and in federal laboratories. Even so, the fundamental rationale for a large national atmospheric sciences center outlined in the Blue Book remains valid.
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From page 162... ...
atmospheric research community. It should: 1.
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From page 163... ...
All of these small atmospheric science centers have played pivotal roles in major scientific achievements in the field that led to direct societal benefits such as improved severe storm prediction or improved space-weather forecasting. They have achieved their intended goals to: (1)
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From page 164... ...
RECOMMENDATION: ATM should establish a new university–NCAR graduate fellowship program to attract a larger share of the world's brightest students into Ph.D. programs in the atmospheric sciences.
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From page 165... ...
RECOMMENDATION: ATM should support efforts to assess the course material in U.S. atmospheric science programs, identify areas where col laborative course material could be beneficial, and fund the development of such materials for a limited number of subjects each year.
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From page 166... ...
A flexible strategic plan developed by ATM staff with ample community input will enable determination of the appropriate balance of activities and modes of support in the ATM portfolio; help plan for large or long-term investments; facilitate appropriate allocation of resources to cross-disciplinary, interagency, and international research efforts; and ensure that the United States will continue to be a leader in atmospheric research. In addition, a strategic planning effort that effectively engages the atmospheric sciences community will enhance the broad understanding of the rationale behind ATM decisions.
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From page 167... ...
Many of the advances in the atmospheric sciences have been enabled by the availability of sophisticated, and expensive, facilities, including supercomputers, research aircraft, and high-power radar systems. During the past 30 years, the fraction of ATM funding devoted to facilities has grown from 23 to 33 percent of its budget.
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From page 168... ...
The committee has concluded that the diversity of support for the atmospheric sciences is a good thing, and the balance between the various means of ATM supporting atmospheric research that now exists is reasonable. We live in a dynamic environment though.
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From page 169... ...
The advisory mechanism should engage the broad atmospheric sciences community, with an emphasis on obtaining balanced, objective input. Some of the issues that should be addressed include the balance and relationships among the range of scientific and societally driven research avenues, among the various modes of support employed by the division, particularly regarding potential inequities in resource distribution between large research centers or facilities and individual research scientists, and among the various subdisciplines in atmospheric research.
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