REU Site: Climate Modeling and Societal Impacts: Scientific, Political and Philosophic Themes

该奖项为位于博尔德的科罗拉多大学的气候建模和社会影响（CMSI）跨学科REU网站提供资金。 CMSI是学术界（科罗拉多大学）和政府实验室（NCAR，国家大气研究中心）之间的合作计划。 它的目标是向一群物理科学，社会科学和人文科学的本科生介绍围绕使用数值气候模型的观点。 该项目的前提是，所有学者和公民都必须深刻认识到科学知识在解决社会问题方面的力量和局限性。每年有12名本科生参加该项目，为期8周。 学生将收集和评估科学数据，并调查社会，政治，心理，经济和哲学问题，围绕数据的解释和使用，以解决当代全球气候变化的争议。 研究项目将开始从无线电探空仪获得、分析和解释数据，并描述用作大气环流模型输入的云量特征。 随着这一科学探究的继续，学生将对他们的工作以及科学与公共政策之间的关系进行政治和哲学反思。 在八周结束时，学生们将得出自己的结论，关于全球气候变化研究的社会需求的相关性。 项目成果将包括在科学、公共政策和哲学期刊上发表的论文以及在全国会议上的演讲。该奖项有助于基金会通过积极的本科生研究经验，继续努力吸引有才华的学生进入科学事业。

This award provides funds for an interdisciplinary REU Site in climate modeling and societal impacts (CMSI) at the University of Colorado in Boulder. CMSI is a cooperative program between academia (The University of Colorado) and a government laboratory (NCAR, the National Center for Atmospheric Research). Its goal is to introduce a group of undergraduates in physical sciences, social sciences, and the humanities to the constellation of perspectives surrounding the use of numerical climate models . The project's premise is that it is crucial for all scholars and citizens to have a deep appreciation of the power and limits of scientific knowledge for the resolution of societal problems.Twelve undergraduates per year will participate in the program for eight weeks. Students will gather and evaluate scientific data and investigate the social, political, psychological, economic, and philosophical issues surrounding the interpretation and use of data for addressing contemporary controversies over global climate change. Research projects will begin with the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data from radiosondes and the characterization of cloud cover used as input to general circulation models. As this scientific inquiry continues, students will engage in political and philosophical reflection upon their work and the relationships between science and public policy. At the end of the eight weeks, students will draw their own conclusions concerning the relevance of global climate change research to societal needs. Program outcomes will include papers published in scientific, public policy, and philosophic journals and presentations at national conferences.This award contributes to the Foundation's continuing efforts to attract talented students into careers in science through active undergraduate research experiences.