Report on the Board of Trustees Meeting
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Vol. 17, No. 10 NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH 12 March 1982 I I I I I I II REPORT ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING The UCAR Board of Trustees convened its annual resources in the western United States (see story meeting this year on 11-12 February at UCAR head- elsewhere in this issue of Staff Notes). A new quarters in the Fleischmann Building. Among the kind of UCAR program was outlined by White during main topics of discussion were the status of the his presentations: a corporate affiliates program National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF), prog- designed to serve as a mechanism for sharing ress in cooperative university-industry projects, atmospheric science information on areas of mutual and a proposal for a new corporate affiliates pro- interest to the academic and corporate communities gram. Board members also elected new officers, and (for example, ozone depletion, acid deposition, began plans for the annual meeting of representa- long-range weather forecasting, climate change, tives from UCAR member universities in October. severe storms, and weather modification). A corporate fee system would enable sponsorship of an UCAR Matters annual symposium which would serve as a forum for exchanging up-to-date information. The program The trustees discussed at length the transition would be directed from the UCAR president's office, of NSBF sponsorship from the National Science with support from president emeritus Walter Orr Foundation (NSF) to the National Aeronautics and Roberts, the UCAR board and Finance and Development Space Administration (NASA), focusing on UCAR's Committee, and members of the NCAR and university role and responsibilities during that transition. communities. The board authorized UCAR management UCAR president Robert White reviewed the status of to proceed with the implementation of this program. efforts to ensure continued funding of NSBF during fiscal year (FY) 1982. The board approved a draft NCAR Matters proposal to NASA for UCAR to manage NSBF during FY 1983 and 1984, and directed that a target date On NCAR-related matters, the board authorized of 15 May 1982 be included for suspending NSBF UCAR management to prepare and submit to NSF the operations if FY 1983 funding is unavailable. The proposed FY 1984 budget request (at approximately board also directed that provisions be included for $40 million) and the 1985-89 long-range plan, with termination costs if UCAR should not become the the following amendments to the 1984 budget: long-term operator of the facility. o Additional funds for the Advanced Study Program The president's report also included a review of (ASP), to allow for more students in the graduate actions taken at past meetings on various coopera- assistant program tive programs. Two Cooperative University Programs (CUPS)--on creating a strategy for an ocean climate o Provision for the purchase of a minicomputer in monitoring system and on development of drifting AAP ocean buoys--are continuing, with a proposal for additional studies on the first one submitted to o A total of 800 flight hours for the Sabreliner NASA on 30 October 1981 and a technology- and the King Air, to accommodate increased demands improvement program begun for the second. A third CUP on a national mesoscale research program is now o A 9% salary increase, with special attention under way, with Atmospheric Analysis and Prediction given salaries at senior levels Division (AAP) director Richard Anthes acting as a principal participant in the preparation of the o A budget option which provides for full funding research and development document. of the capital costs of the mass store device in the Scientific Computing Division (SCD) White gave updates on numerous UCAR corporate programs, particularly the Consortium on Energy o Plans for funding the CRAY front-end computer if Impacts, a cooperative effort between several necessary (funds have already been provided in the universities and companies developing energy FY 1983 and base FY 1984 budgets). (Continued) This Week in Staff Notes Board Meeting Visitors Job Openings Energy Consortium Meets Library News Calendar Notes Announcements 2/Staff Notes/12 March 1982 White also reported that the Scientific Programs meeting in Washington, D.C. (now set for Evaluation Committee panel reviews of the Convec- 19-20 April). tive Storms Division and ASP were on schedule and that written reports would be available soon. In other UCAR matters, the board welcomed new trustees Harlan Cleveland (University of Minne- NCAR director Wilmot Hess reported to the board sota), John Evans (Lincoln Laboratory, Massachu- on last December's outstanding performance awards, setts Institute of Technology), Clifford Murino the UCAR benefits survey, NCAR computer usage and (Desert Research Institute, University of Nevada), allocation, and NCAR projects funded by agencies and Robert Reid (Texas A&M University). The board other than NSF. Rick Anthes briefed the trustees elected new officers for 1982: Donald Veal (Univer- on the status of planning for the National Meso- sity of Wyoming), chairman; Thomas Donahue (Univer- scale Program (a major national planning meeting sity of Michigan), vice chairman; Roscoe Braham Jr. will be held in June). The topic of solar vari- (University of Chicago), secretary; and Charles ability was suggested by the trustees as a subject Hosler Jr. (Pennsylvania State University), trea- of interest for a future scientific briefing. surer. These officers, with Noel Hinners (Smith- sonian Institution) and UCAR president Robert In a presentation on NSF activities, Giorgio White, also constitute the board's Executive and Tesi (acting section head, Centers and Facilities Budget and Program Committees. Members of the Programs in NSF's Division of Atmospheric Sciences) Audit, Nominating, and Personnel Committees were described a global tropospheric chemistry program also appointed. Treasurer Hosler reported the now being considered, and urged that NCAR manage- death of Seymour Hess (Florida State University), a ment consider participation. Tesi also reported long-time UCAR trustee and member of the scientific that NCAR planned to notify the congressional community, and the board passed a resolution of appropriations committee about using funds made sympathy to his family and friends. available by extending payments for the CRAY computer in order to purchase front-end SCD equip- The UCAR Long-Range Prospectus and its implica- ment. White urged NSF to press for a timely reso- tions for the atmospheric science community was lution of this matter (which will also free funds adopted as the topic for this year's October for the purchase of the King Air aircraft later members' representatives forum. The board autho- this spring). Tesi also advised the board that the rized chairman Veal to appoint an agenda committee annual NCAR program presentation to the director of and a committee chairman. White reported that the NSF will be discontinued. He said, however, that draft prospectus has been distributed to the the director would meet with UCAR trustees to dis- members' representatives and that a revised draft cuss major issues during the spring UCAR board will be presented to the board during its July meeting. *VH CONSORTIUM TO STUDY THE IMPACT OF ENERGY DEVELOPMENT The newly formed Consortium on Energy Impacts "CEI was formed to develop research programs that (CEI), a group whose interests focus on the issues address the environmental, social, and economic surrounding energy development in the intermountain issues surrounding energy development in Colorado, west, held a planning meeting in the Fleischmann Utah, and Wyoming," James (Skip) Spensley (CEI's Building on 25 February. Initially conceived and program director) told Staff Notes. "If energy organized by UCAR as a Corporate Program, CEI development is to proceed in an orderly fashion, participants include the Universities of Colorado, there will have to be close communication and Utah, and Wyoming, Colorado School of Mines, Utah interaction between groups whose values and inter- State University, Colorado State University, and ests may be in competition or conflict. In addi- UCAR. tion to its research efforts, CEI's role will be to act as a clearinghouse for information to improve public and private planning and decision making." CEI's programs will be defined by a board of Staff Notes is published weekly by the Publications Center for Atmospheric governors composed of UCAR president Robert White Office of the National and the vice-presidents of the participating aca- Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, Colorado 80307. demic institutions. Sponsorship for CEI's research Writer/Editor: Sally Bates planning effort is being provided by industry. The Production Assistants: Mary Boyer, Reed Glenn companies that have pledged their support so far are Exxon Company U.S.A., Mobil Corporation, Amoco Minerals, Getty Oil, and Gulf Minerals. Copy deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday for publica- tion on Friday. Office: Mesa Laboratory room 259. "CEI represents a unique effort to build a Phone: 303-494-5151, ext. 644. bridge between academia and industry," Skip ex- plained. "Historically, these two sectors have 3/Staff Notes/12 March 1982 Last month, representatives from CEI's industrial sponsors met with UCAR president Robert White and the representatives from participating universities to discuss how the energy consortium's research plan- ning should proceed. Skip Spensley (standing) is the consortium's project director. (Photo by Robert