Re: Environmental Challenges
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 03:47:15 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Sclove <gresclove@amherst.edu>g Sender: owner-pol-sci-tech@igc.apc.org Subject: Influence NSF/NAS re Environmental Challenges To: pol-sci-tech <gpol-sci-tech@igc.org>g Please forward where appropriate (preferably prior to 26 Feb. 1999) Here's a chance to influence U.S. National Science Foundation research priorities in the environmental sciences. Please forward to your "big-thinking" colleagues and friends. (Note: Dr. Paul Stern of the U.S. National Research Council, who forwarded this request, is personally active in promoting participatory approaches in environmental decision-making and research.) Cheers to all, Dick Sclove <gresclove@amherst.edu>g The Loka Institute <ghttp://www.loka.org>g ............................................................. >gDate: Mon, 01 Feb 1999 09:44:36 -0500 >gFrom: Paul Stern <gPStern@nas.edu> >gTo: resclove@amherst.edu >gSubject: Soliciting ideas--please forward to anyone interested >g >gAs you can see from the following, a project that I'm working on is >g soliciting ideas for the big challenges for the environmental >g sciences over the next few decades. The committee is serious about >g casting a wide net for ideas, and that includes people outside the >g universities and even outside the scientific community. Please >g forward this message to others and to any listserves you know of that >g might reach the authors of good ideas. Also please feel free to >g submit your own ideas. Thank you very much. >g.............................................................. >g >gGrand Challenges in Environmental Sciences: Seeking Input >g >gA new committee of the United States National Research Council (Committee >gon Grand Challenges in Environmental Sciences) has been asked by the >gNational Science Foundation to identify and prioritize grand challenges in >genvironmental sciences that are likely to be relevant over the next 10-30 >gyears. The committee would like advice from the scientific community and >gothers. The idea is to describe a few grand challenges that appear to >ghave the greatest scientific importance, research potential, and practical >gvalue. The definition of environmental sciences is broad, including the >gnatural sciences, the social sciences, and engineering. A description of >gthe project's scope and a list of committee members with brief >gbiographical sketches will be available on the Web at <gwww.nas.edu/gces> >gas soon as this Web site is complete, about February 8, 1999. >g >gThe committee invites submission of ideas for grand challenges in >genvironmental sciences; it will use those ideas to help it in its task, >gand anticipates inviting some respondents to a future workshop for more >gextended discussions. The time and place of the workshop will be >gannounced on the committee's Web site. >g >gThe committee considers that any grand challenge must be compelling to >gscientists and the public, must require a sustained research effort, and >gmust be intellectually exciting. Beyond that, we ask you to provide the >gfollowing information about your candidate grand challenge: >g >gA. A one-sentence summary that will quickly convey your idea to a broad >g audience. >g >gB. A narrative description of the challenge. >g >gC. Evaluation of the challenge in terms of all the following criteria >g that are relevant to your idea: >g >g* Scientific payoff. >g* Practical payoff (i.e., help in solving environmental problems). >g* Feasibility (likelihood that valuable results would be produced over >g the next ten years). >g* The need for interdisciplinary collaboration, especially if it builds >g capacity for dealing with other challenges. >g* Research resources available or needed, including infrastructure such >g as new technology or information systems. >g* The ability of existing institutions to support the research effort. >g >gWe encourage you to think broadly and to provide ideas that make >gconnections among the sciences and between science and practical needs. >gThe committee will begin to consider suggestions on February 26, 1999 and >gsuggestions will be most useful if they are received by then. However, >git is likely that suggestions received even as late as the beginning of >gMay will be at least of some help to the committee. We ask for your >gsuggestions, preferably by email to GCES@NAS.EDU. Please also provide >gyour name, your affiliation (if any), your email address, your mailing >gaddress, and your telephone number. >g >gWe ask you to keep your suggestion to a maximum of one printed page. You >gmay use the email address provided above for questions about our committee >gand our process as well as for your suggestions. You can also find >ginformation on the committee's activities and its report on its Web site. >g >gWe look forward to receiving your suggestions. We also encourage you to >gshare this message with colleagues who may be interested. >g >gCommittee on Grand Challenges in Environmental Sciences >gNational Academy of Sciences/National Research Council >gRoom HA-354 >g2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. >gWashington DC 20418 >gU.S.A. (end) >g >g >g >gMessage forwarded by: >g~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >gKathryn J. Hatcher >gInstitute of Ecology >gUniversity of Georgia >gAthens, Georgia 30602-2202 >gtel: 706-542-3709 >gfax: 706-542-6040 >gEmail: khatcher@ecology.uga.edu >g~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >gNote: In my earlier message this morning, on NSF's theme >g"Biocomplexity in the Environment," the name of the organization >gsending the original message should have been correctly typed as: >gCommittee for the National Institute for the Environment (CNIE) >g with web page at http://www.cnie.org >gThe CNIE's web page is full of good information including the >gVirtual Library of Biodiversity and Ecology, international >gState of the Environment reports, unique access to policy reports >gof the Congressional Research Service, and much more. -- Kathy >g
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