Support for a workshop and related activities aimed at exploring and facilitating scientific frontiers, infrastructure, and educational needs in Tectonics

该项目提供资金，将构造学界的成员聚集在一起，举办一个讲习班和相关活动，旨在编写一份白色文件，就构造学和相关学科领域的未来挑战提出想法。上一次这样的奋进是在十二年前，新的研讨会将反映过去十年发生的变化，并确定相关和有前途的新的科学研究领域。此外，讲习班还将讨论和优先考虑基础设施需求和数据系统，这些需求和数据系统是促进今后的大地构造研究所必需的，并将讨论有关地球科学教育的有希望的方向和需求。该讲习班将有社区代表参加，并将在文件制定的各个阶段征求感兴趣的个人的意见。该研讨会将于2014年7月22日至14日在威斯康星州大学举行，将汇集一批不同的科学家，他们的研究涉及构造的各个方面。一系列后续活动将使无法参加讲习班的社区成员参与，包括讲习班后的讨论小组和专业协会会议上的全体会议。这些会议之后将有一个开放的评论期。2016年将完成一份综合这些活动成果的白色文件。这份白色文件将具体说明维持或提高关键领域生产力所需的支持，这将促进与各级资助机构、政策制定者和大学管理人员的沟通，并将阐明构造研究对社会的重要性和相关性。自上一份总结构造和构造地质学重要研究挑战的白色论文发表以来，已经过去了十多年。在此期间，在以下方面发生了重大变化：1）科学主题的相关性和重要性的优先事项; 2）现场和实验室研究方法和新兴技术; 3）基础设施和数据系统的挑战和机遇;以及4）大地构造研究对社会问题的相关性和影响。这些变化强调了这样一个事实，即这是一个适当的时间来重新审视和评估未来的构造作为一个社区。该项目的总体目标是确定新的科学研究的相关和有前途的领域，认识到并优先考虑取得科学进步所必需的基础设施需求，并阐明地质构造研究的社会相关性。另一个目标是使该讲习班成为社区建设活动，社区积极参与其中。

This project provides funding to bring together members of the tectonics community to conduct a workshop and related activities that are aimed at producing a white paper that will develop ideas regarding future challenges in the fields of tectonics and and related disciplines. The last such endeavor was over twelve years ago and the new workshop will reflect changes that have occurred during the past decade, as well as identifying pertinent and promising new areas of scientific research. In addition, the workshop will address and prioritize infrastructure needs and data systems that will be needed to facilitate future research in tectonics, and promising directions and needs in related geoscience education. The workshop will involve representatives of the community and will seek input from interested individuals at all stages of development of the document. The workshop will be held at the University of Wisconsin on July 22-14, 2014 will bring together a diverse group of scientists whose research addresses various aspects of tectonics. A series of follow-on activities will engage members of the community that are not able to attend the workshop, including post-workshop discussion groups and town hall meetings at professional society meetings. These meetings will be followed by an open comment period. A white paper synthesizing results of these activities will be completed in 2016. The white paper will specify the support needed to sustain or increase productivity in critical areas, which will facilitate communication with funding agencies, policy makers, and university administrators at all levels, and it will articulate the importance and relevance of research in tectonics research to society. It has been over a decade since the last white paper summarizing important research challenges in tectonics and structural geology was produced. In the intervening time, there have been significant changes in: 1) Priorities in the relevance and significance of scientific topics; 2) Field and laboratory research methods and emerging technologies; 3) Challenges and opportunities in infrastructure and data systems; and 4) Relevance and impact of research in tectonics on societal issues. These changes underscore the fact that this is an opportune time to revisit and assess the future of tectonics as a community. The overarching goal of this project is to identify pertinent and promising areas of new scientific research, recognize and prioritize infrastructure needs that are necessary to making scientific progress, and articulate the societal relevance of research in tectonics. A further goal is to make this workshop a community building activity, in which the community is actively involved and engaged.