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，将构造界成员聚集在一起，举办一次讲习班和开展相关活动，目的是编写一份白皮书，就未来在构造学和相关学科领域的挑战提出看法。上一次这样的努力是在12年前，新的研讨会将反映过去十年中发生的变化，并确定相关的和有希望的新的科学研究领域。此外，讲习班将处理基础设施需求和数据系统，并确定它们的优先次序，以促进今后在构造学方面的研究，以及相关地球科学教育方面有希望的方向和需要。讲习班将有社区代表参加，并将在文件制定的所有阶段征求有关个人的意见。研讨会将于2014年7月22日至14日在威斯康星大学举行，届时将有一群不同的科学家聚集在一起，他们的研究涉及构造学的各个方面。一系列后续活动将吸引未能参加研讨会的社区成员参与，包括研讨会后讨论小组和专业协会会议的市政厅会议。在这些会议之后，将有一个公开评议期。2016年将完成一份综合这些活动成果的白皮书。白皮书将具体说明维持或提高关键领域生产率所需的支持，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皮书发表以来，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)科学专题的相关性和重要性的优先事项；2)实地和实验室研究方法和新兴技术；3)基础设施和数据系统方面的挑战和机遇；4)构造学研究对社会问题的相关性和影响。这些变化突显了这样一个事实，即现在是重新审视和评估构造学作为一个共同体的未来的好时机。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，确认和优先考虑取得科学进步所必需的基础设施需求，并阐明构造学研究的社会相关性。另一个目标是使这个讲习班成为一项社区建设活动，社区积极参与。

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.