Education and Outreach in Climate Dynamics

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This award sets aside funds at the Joint Office for Science Support (JOSS) at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) to support travel for early-career scientists seeking to participate in meetings and field campaigns related to the NSF Climate and Large-scale Dynamics (CLD) program. Travel support will also be provided for senior scientists to engage in teaching and mentoring activities intended to further the careers of junior scientists. The travel support to be provided through this grant is motivated by the fact that educational, mentoring, and outreach opportunities often arise quickly, and the financial resources needed to enable these activities are often not readily available. With funding of this proposal, JOSS can react quickly to provide junior and senior scientists subsidies for travel and related costs to participate in a field project or scientific gathering in any part of the world. Requests for travel support would be evaluated on the basis of the quality of scientific opportunities at the workshop, meeting, or project; the academic merit of the junior scientist, including demonstrated independence, projected achievement and probability of success; and a credible plan for the solicitation and selection of applicants, including appropriate emphasis on diversity and geographical distribution. Requests typically come from the organizers of workshops or field campaigns, who contact CLD staff to discuss their needs and eligibility.The broader impact of the proposed activity lies in the benefit to the climate dynamics and related scientific communities in providing opportunities for students and junior scientists to gain 1) exposure to cutting edge research; 2) a broader view of the connections between their work and the larger scientific issues of the day; 3) access to senior scientists with valuable insights on scientific and professional issues; and 4) a chance to network with their peers at different institutions. In addition to these benefits to the scientific community, the work has societal benefit due to the increasing demand for expertise in climate science from stakeholders and policy makers concerned about the human consequences of climate variability and change.