cc: cg1@mercury.soc.soton.ac.uk, ppn@nerc.ac.uk, apra@nerc.ac.uk
date: Fri Mar 12 15:23:11 2004
from: Mike Hulme <m.hulme@uea.ac.uk>
subject: RE: RAPID Knowledge Transfer subgroup
to: Bob Dickson EQ CEFAS <r.r.dickson@cefas.co.uk>, Meric Srokosz <mas@soc.soton.ac.uk>,  Alex.Haxeltine@uea.ac.uk, pc@mercury.soc.soton.ac.uk,  richard.wood@metoffice.com

   Bob's comments sound reasonable.  I would only add that maybe plan to start off for 1 year
   at 20%, then raise the role to 50% for year 2 and maybe more for year 3.  It's fair to
   presume that as RAPID matures the workload on KT activities could increase over time.
   Mike
   At 10:33 12/03/2004 +0000, Bob Dickson EQ CEFAS wrote:

     Everything I've seen so far makes sense, but I miss some discussion of what
     the capabilities of the person will heve to be. Maybe that's implicit in
     Mike's comparison with the arrangement for COAPEC, but I dont know that what
     arrangement was so let me ask the question anyway.
     I start from Meric's question about whether KT for RAPID should involve two
     distinct people/skills---(1) what I took to be an actual RAPID PI, involved
     him/herself in the science and charged with diffusing its results to other
     PI groups requiring RAPID input for their planning such as ASOF, IPY
     planning, model intercomparisons etc. In a sense that already happens, if
     imperfectly.
     (2) Second a "bridge" person with enough science to be able to interpret the
     primary science returns of RAPID accurately to Departmental policy makers
     (Defra and EA), to ongoing studies with a continuing  need for RAPID input
     such as UKCIP and other Tyndall impact assessments, to interact  (for
     example) with funders and Arctic operators at the Science Summit Week who
     might need to involve RAPID thinking in their long-term strategic planning,
     to inform groupings of top science managers, eg the Director-group which
     comprises the European Polar Board, for similar reasons, and finally to
     transfuse some realism into press accounts of our doings. Mike's mention of
     Horizon drew that familiar shudder.
     The second of these tasks is the one we do least well at present. It is a
     difficult business to interpret science to those not directly involved in
     it. However such people do exist and if we can find one who is already
     acting as part time Bridge in other related programs, it may even be that we
     can harness a greater experience at part-time cost. Roberta Boscolo is the
     example that springs to mind ----already Science Officer for 3 CLIVAR panels
     (CLIVAR Atlantic Panel, the CLIVAR Africa Panel and the CLIVAR ocean
     modelling development panel), and acts as Science Officer for ASOF
     also----arranging meetings, representing our results at meetings,
     responsible for reports, newsletter, publicity, website, and above all
     having enough science to know and relay what we are talking about.
     No you cant have Roberta--I signed her for two more years for ASOF
     yesterday!---but my point is that a small piece of someone like that might
     give you a rolling start in the Knowledge Transfer business. Since science
     returns from RAPID may not arise soon or evenly, maybe 20% of someone like
     her will  be all you need. So this boils down to the suggestion that you
     consider leaving the way open to a part-timer in composing your ad for a KT
     Bridge person. Maybe 20% of Roberta will apply!
     Hope this makes sense. Bob
     -----Original Message-----
     From: Mike Hulme [[1]mailto:m.hulme@uea.ac.uk]
     Sent: 10 March 2004 18:43
     To: Meric Srokosz; Alex.Haxeltine@uea.ac.uk; pc@mercury.soc.soton.ac.uk;
     richard.wood@metoffice.com; Bob Dickson EQ CEFAS
     Cc: cg1@mercury.soc.soton.ac.uk; ppn@nerc.ac.uk; apra@nerc.ac.uk
     Subject: Re: RAPID Knowledge Transfer subgroup
     Meric - and others,
     I think both these ideas are fine and useful.  Some comments:
     - under (a), the users should at least extend to UKCIP (a DEFRA-supported
     programme) since it is via them (with inputs from Hadley and others) that
     the next set of UK climate scenarios will be developed in 2006/07 and UKCIP
     also provide access to a wide range of UK stakeholders who are asking
     really serious questions about THC behaviour and impacts on strategic
     planning.  Indeed, one role for such a "bridge" person would be to organise
     a joint RAPID/UKCIP/Tyndall workshop to help with knowledge transfer.  This
     would take some careful planning to get the key messages correct on such a
     sensitive issue (cf. BBC Horizon)
     - under (a) you should also consider the Environment Agency who have a real
     stake in this question also.  Contacts there are Merylyn M-Hedger and Rob
     Wilby.
     - under (a) the role of the "bridge" person would need careful
     specification and also their management.  I can think of people who might
     be interested in applying for such a position.
     - under (b) I think the COAPEC model is a good one and from Liz Humphys
     email it seems it may be possible to do this as a 2-stage process, whereby
     RAPID handle an open competition a la COAPEC.  The "bridge" person above
     could also be asked to oversee this process.
     So I would favour a single bid to encompass costs for a person (for 2
     years; 100k), a major workshop in 2005 (25k) and ring-fenced funds for a
     RAPID-User programme of small projects (say, 175k).  Total = 300k.
     Mike
     At 09:36 10/03/2004 +0000, Meric Srokosz wrote:
     >Dear RAPID Knowledge Transfer subgroup
     >
     >Following on from the Steering Committee meeting discussion on
     >Knowledge Transfer (KT) I am going to forward you two e-mails
     >that I have received from NERC giving further information.
     >
     >Given that the deadline is the end of this month, we need to put
     >together some ideas quickly. My two suggestions (in view of the
     >e-mails that will follow) are:
     >
     >a) a very specific bid for  person/s to act as a "bridge" between RAPID
     >and "users" (specifically DEFRA, Tyndall, Hadley).
     >
     >b) a more general bid for a pot of money for individual RAPID PIs /
     >groups of PIs to bid into to establish links with specific users (via
     >open competition which RAPID would run). The COAPEC programme
     >did something like this as part of their "exploitation" strategy (pre-KT).
     >
     >I am not sure whether this would be one bid or two.
     >
     >Prompt response / thoughts appreciated.
     >
     >There are other things we could do, but I think that we can bid into
     >future KT rounds for those.
     >
     >Regards, Meric
     >--
     >
     >
     >Dr. Meric Srokosz, Room 254/43,Southampton Oceanography Centre (SOC)
     >Empress Dock, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
     >Tel:+44-(0)23-80596414 (direct line); Fax: +44-(0)23-80596400
     >e-mail: mas@soc.soton.ac.uk or M.Srokosz@soc.soton.ac.uk
     >[2]http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/JRD/SAT/pers/mas.html
     >
     >Science Coordinator NERC Rapid Climate Change Programme
     >[3]http://rapid.nerc.ac.uk/

