Strategic Guidance for the National Science Foundation's Support of the Atmospheric Sciences (2007) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 1-6
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Today's environmental challenges increasingly require knowledge of how the atmosphere interacts with the oceans, the land surface, the space environment, and with human society. The past 50 years have brought impressive advances in our understanding of atmospheric processes and in our ability to anticipate and prepare for weather and climate events.
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At the same time, ATM must preserve opportunities for basic research, especially projects that are high risk, potentially transformative, or unlikely to be supported by other government agencies. Finally, ATM needs to be proactive in attracting highly talented students to the atmospheric sciences as an investment in the ability to make future breakthroughs.
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A strategic plan will be essential if ATM is to maintain a balanced, effective portfolio in an evolving programmatic environment. 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 interdisciplinary, interagency, and international research efforts; and ensure that the United States will continue to be a leader in atmospheric research.
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Some of the issues that such a process could address 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 investigators, and among the various subdisciplines in atmospheric research. RECOMMENDATION: ATM should seek strategic guidance from a panel that includes representation from the fields it supports at regular intervals to ensure that its programs are well balanced and continue to meet the needs of the atmospheric sciences community.
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Because relatively few undergraduate programs offer degrees in the atmospheric sciences, talented students may be unaware of career opportunities in the field. Given the societal importance of atmospheric science and the significant national investment in an excellent university infrastructure, a large national center, and other laboratories and institutions, the committee believes that increased efforts to attract more bright students into the field are warranted.
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From page 6... ...
Chapter 6 of this report includes many additional recommendations for effectively using NSF's resources to advance the atmospheric sciences, from developing new observational tools, making the best use of investments in field programs, and ensuring access to supercomputing resources, to effectively utilizing centers and training the next generation of atmospheric scientists. If ATM continues evolving to meet new challenges, it will be well positioned to advance our understanding of the atmosphere and to apply this knowledge to many issues of societal importance.
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