Workshop: Benefit and Practicality of the Establishment of a Virtual Climate Institute on the West Coast; Los Angeles, California; Summer 2008

该奖项用于支持一个研讨会，以探索建立古气候学网络虚拟网络的潜在好处。该组织最初的重点是为美国西海岸的研究人员建立这样一个研究所。具体来说，首席研究员将为大约20名具有古气候学和气候研究相关方面专业知识的科学家提供参与者支持，让他们参加演讲和讨论，研究建立一个将研究人员联系在一起的虚拟研究所的科学优势和弱点。该小组努力的前提是，“没有一个机构拥有满足与美国气候变化研究计划相关的所有科学挑战所需的理想的专业知识组合”，因此，他们正在寻求通过网络虚拟研究所“为科学家建立快速合作和共享信息的替代方法”。该小组预计，在未来几年中，一些重要的科学主题包括冰盖动力学、海洋/大气相互作用和区域水文变化。参与者将包括经验丰富的研究人员、新研究人员和学生。通过这种方式，就科学和虚拟研究所的概念进行开放和生动的意见交流将成为可能。

This award helps support a workshop to explore the potential benefits of establishing a cyber-enabled virtual network for paleoclimatology. The group's initial focus is on developing such an institute for researchers on the West Coast of the United States.Specifically, the lead investigator will provide participant support for approximately twenty scientists with expertise in paleoclimatology and related aspects of climate research to participate in presentations and discussions that examine the scientific strengths and weaknesses of establishing a virtual institute that ties researchers together. The premise of the group's efforts is that "no single institution possesses the ideal combination of expertise required to meet all of the scientific challenges associated with the US Climate Change Research Program" so, they are looking to "establish alternative ways for scientists to collaborate and share information rapidly" as through a cyber-enabled virtual institute. Some of the scientific themes that the group anticipates being of importance in the next few years involve ice sheet dynamics, ocean/atmospheric interactions, and regional hydrologic variability.The participants will include seasoned researchers, new investigators, and students. In this manner, an open and lively exchange of views on the science and the concept of a virtual institute will be enabled.