date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 10:00:36 +0100
from: Eystein Jansen <eystein.jansen@geol.uib.no>
subject: NoE  Dynamics of Climate Changes (DOCC)
to: Laurent Labeyrie <Laurent.Labeyrie@lsce.cnrs-gif.fr>, Keith Alverson <keith.alverson@pages.unibe.ch>, Keith Briffa <k.briffa@uea.ac.uk>, Matti Saarnisto <matti.saarnisto@gsf.fi>, Thomas Stocker <stocker@climate.unibe.ch>, Bruno Messerli <bmesserli@bluewin.ch>, sirocko@mail.Uni-Mainz.de, Tom Pedersen <pedersen@eos.ubc.ca>, Vera Markgraf <markgraf@spot.colorado.edu>, Rick Battarbee <r.battarbee@geog.ucl.ac.uk>, didier.paillard@lsce.cnrs-gif.fr, Dominique Raynaud <domraynaud@glaciog.ujf-grenoble.fr>

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Dear friends,

It is good to see so much of the PAGES community in Europe drawing 
their interests together in preparation for the 6FWP, in particular 
the networks of excellence (NoE).

Before and after some of the partners from the Images community 
recently met in Cambridge I have been in contact with representatives 
from the ice core community (D. Reynaud), the paleoclimate modelling 
community (D. Pailard) and the community working on lake and tree 
ring records (R. Battarbee). The idea we have is to join forces 
behind a common submission of an Expression of interest (EoI) from 
the entire community, indicating that there is a large group of 
climate change/global change scientists in Europe who wish to 
integrate their work as at least one NoE. Some of the scientific 
challenges are sketched in the document that Laurent sent around. 
This clearly needs to be worked on extensively, but at least you will 
see from the title of the proposed network (Dynamics of Climate 
Changes (DOCC)) and the objectives in it the elements that are 
suggested.
I note that there also are plans to develop the Holivar/PEP III 
intiative into an integrated project. In my opinion there is no 
contradiction between this intiative and the NoE, on contrary it has 
been stated to me by central people in the Commission that they would 
like to see NoEs running Integrated projects.

How to proceed.
1. I am working on a more mature version of the background document 
(the draft Laurent sent out) we have started to work on. This will be 
ready by April 1, and I hope to circulate this to the key people for 
input and comments.
The invitation to submit EoI specifies that the background document 
with the rationale should not be more than 5 pages, and should 
include: Need and Relevance (How it relates to the objectives of a 
priority area), Excellence (Documentation of how this represents a 
leading world force in the field) , Integration and Structuring 
Effect (how it will structure and integrate European research).
Thus we need to work on a detailed documentation of the compartments 
of the community in order to be successful. Identifying a group of 
key people who can operate on behalf of sub-disciplines or existing 
netwroks is a key thing for pulling this together.

Our Centre is willing to do a job in getting this together, and have 
been promised institutional resources to help if there is support 
from the community. I think it would be very helpful to have Keith 
and the PAGES Office deeply involved, as well as the PAGES/CLIVAR 
intersection. The invitation says the EoI can be submitted  both on 
behalf of institutions and organisations.

2. We have identified the EGS meeting in Nice late April as a good 
venue to get a number of the key players in this effort together. We 
have thus tentatively convened a business meeting in the 
EGS-localities during lunch on Wednesday April 24 for those who can 
attend.


3. Hopefully the response to the draft sent out on April 1, and the 
Nice meeting will clarify who is willing to take part in this effort. 
We may need another meeting before the submission on June 7, 
hopefully the activities in April via e-mail may be necessary.

I will be out of reach for a week, and would be happy to receive your 
comments to this when I return. Please distribute this to whoever you 
may feel should give feedback on the process.

Best regards,

Eystein

-- 
______________________________________________________________
Eystein Jansen
Professor/Director
Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research and
Dep. of Geology, Univ. of Bergen
Allgaten 55
N-5007 Bergen
NORWAY
e-mail: eystein.jansen@geol.uib.no
Phone: 	+47-55-583491  -  Home: +47-55-910661
Fax:  	+47-55-584330
-----------------------
The Bjerknes Training site offers 3-12 months fellowships to PhD students
More info at: www.bjerknes.uib.no/mcts
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