date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 11:57:47 +0000 from: "Lesley Aspinall" subject: Re: COAPEC Steering Committee - proposed new member - InConfidence to: Dear Mike Thank you very much for your reply and for the suggestions that you have put forward. Your advice is much appreciated and we will keep you informed of future developments. With best wishes Lesley Lesley Aspinall Programme Administrator Science Programmes Directorate Natural Environment Research Council Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon SN2 1EU Tel No: 01793 411536 Fax No: 01793 411502 E-mail laa@nerc.ac.uk >>> Mike Hulme 02/13/01 11:13am >>> Dear Lesley, Thank you for your communication. I am aware that COAPEC has this dimension and of course it partly parallels the concerns we have in the Tyndall Centre about the multi-decadal timescale and climate change. Within the Tyndall Centre there are two people who come to mind who have relevant interests from the social science side: Dr Frans Berkhout SPRU University of Sussex f.berkhout@sussex.ac.uk and Dr Neil Adger School of Environmental Sciences UEA Norwich n.adger@uea.ac.uk You may also like to consider Dr Mick Kelly in the Climatic Research Unit at UEA (m.kelly@uea.ac.uk). It is something I myself would be very interested in participating in, but my current commitments do not really allow it. Let me know how you get on. Regards, Mike At 15:26 07/02/01 +0000, you wrote: >Dear Dr Hulme >I am sure that you will be aware that NERC is currently funding a Thematic >programme known as Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Processes and European Climate >(COAPEC). This will examine seasonal to decadal ocean-atmosphere >interactions and their impact on the climate of the UK and Northwest >Europe. NERC has allocated £4.85M over five years to COAPEC. The closing >date for round two applications is 2nd March 2001. > >One component of the programme is called: Bridging the gap between >scientific output and societal needs. An extract from the programme >proposal describing this component is included at the end of this message >and the full proposal can be viewed on: >http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/coapec/science_plan.html The proposal suggests >5% of the programme budget (£240-250K) should be spent on this aspect. > >Nigel Collins (Head of Atmospheric Science) has previously contacted >Adrian Alsop with a view to establishing some cross Council collaboration >with ESRC and it has also been suggested that there should be an >opportunity for ESRC to nominate someone to sit on the COAPEC Steering >Committee. The COAPEC Steering Committee have put forward one or two >suggestions (including Simon Turner at UMIST) and have proposed that I >contact you for further advice / suggestions. The next Steering Committee >meeting is due to be held on March 16th 2001 and we would hope to invite >the new member to attend this meeting. >Many thanks in anticipation. >Yours sincerely > >Lesley Aspinall >COAPEC Programme Administrator > > >Extract from COAPEC proposal > >Bridging the gap between scientific output and societal needs > >Improvements in our ability to produce seasonal forecasts and to predict >climate changes (natural or anthropogenic) with even a modest measure of >skill could bring enormous societal benefits (cf. Glanz 1996). But there >is a significant gap to be bridged if specialised scientific knowledge is >to be used effectively by society. Scientists need to understand the >kinds of information that can be acted on by decision-makers, as well as >appreciating the organisational and decision-making contexts in which >potential users operate. Decision-makers need to be made aware of the >limitations of the information being offered. For example, rational >cost-benefit analysis of the potential benefits of seasonal weather >forecasts and of the various policy options available in response to the >threat of anthropogenic climate change, requires a detailed understanding >of the nature of uncertainty in climate forecasts. The interpretation and >intelligent use of uncertain knowledge requires an effective two-way >system of communication between information providers and users. > >Provision will be made within COAPEC to develop such systems of >communication. (Up to 5% of the total cost of the project could be set >aside for this, depending on the quality of the proposals received.) It is >envisaged that social scientists will work with atmospheric scientists, >oceanographers, users and decision-makers to seek ways to broaden the uses >of COAPEC research by society. > >COAPEC will support: > >1. A Workshop to communicate the nature and scope of the research to >policy makers, the media and other user groups, and interviews with >decision makers and users to elicit, and better understand, information >needs and the contexts in which forecasts could be used. > >2. Active promotion of the public understanding of COAPEC research in >close collaboration with national (e.g. British Association) and >international (e.g. UNEP, UNESCO, WMO) bodies charged with promoting >public understanding of climate science. The COAPEC project coordinate >will be responsible for overseeing dissemination of COAPEC research to the >wider public through: public lectures; popular articles, fact sheets and >educational materials available over the Internet; and by ensuring a >pro-active relationship is established with the media on topical climate >issues. > > > > > > >Lesley Aspinall >Programme Administrator >Science Programmes Directorate >Natural Environment Research Council >Polaris House >North Star Avenue >Swindon >SN2 1EU > >Tel No: 01793 411536 >Fax No: 01793 411502 > >E-mail laa@nerc.ac.uk