Annual Report on NOAA Cooperative Agreement

CIRES FY 2007 Annual Report
NOAA Cooperative Agreement #NA17RJ1229

September 27, 2007

Konrad Steffen, Director
William M. Lewis, Jr, Associate Director
Suzanne van Drunick, Assistant Director for Science

Executive Summary

Since 1967, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) has provided a dynamic setting for teaching and collaborative, interdisciplinary research in environmental sciences. CIRES is an organized research institute of the University of Colorado at Boulder (University), and is based on a cooperative agreement (Agreement) between the University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). CIRES' collaborative research is organized and aligned with NOAA's research by six scientific themes identified in the Agreement. These themes include advanced modeling and observing systems, climate system variability, geodynamics, planetary metabolism, regional processes, and integrating activities. Select research highlights from each of the scientific themes are presented below.

From July 30, 2006 to July 1, 2007 (FY07), CIRES supported 182 Research Scientists, 208 Associate Scientists, 18 Visiting Scientists, 14 postdoctoral researchers, 32 administrative staff, 80 graduate students, and 44 undergraduate students. In total, CIRES supported approximately 580 scientists, administrative staff, and students with an overall extramural research budget of $44,400,000, an increase of almost 3.5% compared to FY06. Including University faculty support, the total budget is almost $47,600,000, of which NOAA funds accounted for approximately $23,500,000 (49%).

CIRES received approval for one new faculty line and two reappointments for positions vacated by a retirement and departure of a CIRES faculty member. A new tenure-track faculty researcher, Dr. Baylor Fox-Kemper, was hired as an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Fox-Kemper's area of expertise is experimental modeling of oceanic eddies and ocean heat transport. Faculty searches are underway for a new director for the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research and a new director for the Center for the Study of Earth from Space. CIRES also hired a new Assistant Director for Science in December 2006. A part-time science news writer position was created to help convey CIRES' research findings to the news media and public. Communication of CIRES' mission and activities was further enhanced by the creation and broad dissemination of a new CIRES brochure.

In July 2006, the CIRES-NOAA FY 2007 and FY 2008 Scientific Workplan (Workplan) was completed and implemented. The Workplan describes collaborative research that integrates scientific projects conducted by CIRES under each of the six scientific themes. The Workplan accounts for Task III research of the Agreement, however, it integrates several scientific objectives of earth system science. These objectives are the drivers of the Workplan, which identifies goals and approaches for each objective, and incorporates milestones and impacts for each project. The new Workplan closely resembles the previous version, which NOAA and the Department of Commerce approved as a scientific roadmap with increased clarity and accountability.

The University's Program Review Panel (PRP) released its final reportfor CIRES in February 2007. The final report was based on a review of three separate reports. Those were (1) the CIRES Self-Study, which was prepared by a ten-member team comprised of the CIRES Associate Director, CIRES Fellows, Research Associates, graduate students, and administrative staff; (2) the report by the Internal Review Committee, which was comprised of non-CIRES faculty and graduate students; and (3) the report by the External Review Committee, which was comprised of two distinguished academics not affiliated with the University. The findings of the PRP final report included praise for the very high quality of the faculty engaged in CIRES, high degree of productivity among the Fellows, and effectiveness of administrative staff. CIRES' leadership was concluded to be very strong. The connections between CIRES and NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) and other research organizations were credited with enhancing and strengthening CIRES research.

CIRES' Education and Outreach (E/O) program continued to strengthen the link between education and research related to science, technology, and math for the purpose of increasing public understanding of issues related to earth system science. To celebrate the launch of the International Polar Year, E/O organized a community-wide event, Ice Fest, which included a wide variety of activities focused on the cryosphere, polar research, and climate studies.

In addition, another exciting CIRES FY07 highlight was the announcement of a new CIRES-NOAA Exchange Fellowship Program. Guidelines are being developed to enable CIRES and ESRL researchers to exchange laboratory and field research roles.

Why this Report?
The Cooperative Agreement for each Cooperative Institute stipulates that the institute submit an annual report describing NOAA-funded research activity that occurred during the preceding award year.

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