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Notes from the SCAR President, number 36 (30 March 2011)

Deadline Reminders and Updates on Various Items

Colleagues,

Progress continues on many fronts and deadlines for various opportunities are fast approaching. This note updates several items and reminds you of deadlines for various activities.

Items of note:

  1. Planning for the 2012 biennial SCAR meetings. An international Science Organizing Committee (ISOC) of 41 has been formed to develop the science program for the Open Science Conference (OSC). Drs. Pete Convey and Rasik Ravindra have agreed to co-Chair the ISOC. It has been agreed the conference theme will be the same as the SCAR Strategic Plan - "Antarctic Science and Policy Advice in a Changing World" emphasizing SCAR's dual missions. The biennial meetings will be held in Portland, Oregon, USA and the OSC will be from 16-19 July 2012. Satellite social and cultural events are being planned that will greatly enhance the meetings and interactions with the local community setting a new model for the future. The OSC will feature SCAR science activities and programs. We again face a challenge with the 3rd IPY conference just a few months before the OSC so it is important that you assist in letting people know they will have a choice of polar meetings in 2012. We expect the first circular to be available shortly and a place holder website has been created at: http://scar2012.geol.pdx.edu/.
  2. Nominations needed for the 2011 Martha T. Muse Prize. The "Martha T. Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica" is a US$ 100,000 unrestricted award presented to an individual in the fields of Antarctic science or policy that has demonstrated potential for sustained and significant contributions that will enhance the understanding and/or preservation of Antarctica. The Prize is awarded by the Tinker Foundation and administered by SCAR. For further details, please see the Muse Prize website.
  3. SCAR/COMNAP Fellowships. SCAR has joined forces with the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) to offer fellowships of up to $15,000 each for 2011/2012. SCAR and COMNAP are working together to attract talented researchers, engineers and other professionals to strengthen international capacity and cooperation. The deadline for applications is 15 May 2011. For further details, please see the SCAR Fellowships web page.
  4. Human and Social Sciences in SCAR. It was agreed in Buenos Aires that an Action Group would be formed to consider the future of the human element in SCAR. The AG has met and their draft report is under review. The resulting recommendations will be considered by the Executive Committee in July.
  5. Executive Committee to meet in July 2011. It was agreed that the odd-year meeting of the SCAR Executive Committee would be held in conjunction with the International Antarctic Earth Sciences Symposium (ISAES XI) scheduled for Edinburgh in July 2011. (By the way the last day for submitting abstracts to ISAES and early registration is March 31, 2011). If you have any special issues you would like the SCAR ExCom to consider or have new developments to report, please advise me or the Secretariat.
  6. New IASC/SCAR Bipolar Action Group (BipAG II). There are many common interests between SCAR and IASC in scientific research in the Polar Regions. As agreed in Buenos Aires, revised terms of reference and new membership have been established for an Action Group. The joint Bipolar Action Group on Science Cooperation advises the SCAR and IASC Executive Committees on the development of workshops, programs and networks to address bipolar issues. The group will hold a meeting on the 17th of May 2011 in Cambridge and is chaired by Cynan Ellis Evans. Further details are available on the BipAG II page of the SCAR website.
  7. New SCAR Presentation available. A presentation entitled "Antarctic Science and Policy Advice in a Changing World" is now available. The presentation is in the zooming presentation editor "Prezi" and is aimed at the general public. (I hope your computer is faster than mine as I had trouble getting it to play!). Related to this I have recently created a PowerPoint presentation outlining the SCAR strategic Plan 2011-2016 and it will be posted shortly to the SCAR website for your use.
  8. SCAR Strategic Plan 2011-2016. SCAR's Strategic Plan "Antarctic Science and Policy Advice in a Changing World" is available as a pdf from the Strategic Plan web page. Hard copies (subject to availability) are available from the SCAR Secretariat (info@scar.org). You should have received hard copies by now, if you haven't please contact the SCAR Secretariat.

As you can see things have been quite busy! On a personal note I had the opportunity in March 2011 to visit Hobart and call on the Australian Antarctic Division, the CCAMLR Secretariat, and the new Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) at the University of Tasmania. I thank Lyn Maddock (AAD), John Gunn (AAD), Martin Riddle (AAD), Drew Wright (CCAMLR), Keith Reed (CCAMLR), Steve Rintoul (CSIRO) and Mike Coffin (IMAS) for the great hospitality during my visit. There is an amazing concentration of Antarctic and oceanographic expertise and infrastructure in Hobart and major new investments are planned. The SCAR flag is flying strongly in Hobart!

Ending on a somber note, it has been a difficult few years for many in the SCAR family with natural disasters of unprecedented scale in Chile, New Zealand and now Japan. As with any family, when one member is suffering ,we all feel the pain. Our thoughts and wishes for the best are extended to all SCAR members that face great challenges over the next few years.

Chuck Kennicutt
President of SCAR

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