date: Fri Aug 18 18:27:44 2006
from: Keith Briffa <k.briffa@uea.ac.uk>
subject: CONFIDENTIAL
to: mhughes@ltrr.arizona.edu,drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu

   Malcolm and Ed
   forgive the cheek - though I know you will - but I am writing (confidentially) about the
   proposal I am now submitting The Leverhulme foundation. This is the follow up to the
   preliminary submission we made at the beginning of this year. I am writing to give a little
   background and to ask that you take a little time over the review that I really hope will
   be requested of you and that I know you will help us with. It turns out that the original
   request did not require referees and the fact that I asked you at the time was premature ,
   the result of my lack of sufficient preparation. I have no idea whether the Trust saw you
   letters or not , but they made no mention of us needing to suggest different referees this
   time. Hence my naming you both again - sorry for the trouble.
    Needless to say I really do believe that there is a lot in this request otherwise I would
   not be so keen to push it . True , Tom's salary for the next three years pretty much
   depends on getting it but I nevertheless believe that this is really worth pursuing and I
   hope you will think so too. Colin Prentice and Ben Smith , as you will see , are happy to
   collaborate also and needless to say I would be delighted to get input and ongoing advice
   from you two also.
   Leverhulme , as Malcolm (but probably not Ed) is aware , are basically a pretty snobby lot.
   They are certainly influenced by reputation and rank. That is not to say that the proposal
   will not have to be good scientifically, but that this alone is not likely to impress their
   Committee. I have to ask (with admitted embarrassment) that beside reviewing the content ,
   you do not stint on the personal recommendation.It might not hurt to say well qualified
   each of you is to give an opinion. There is no place for me to blow my own trumpet in this
   regard as they ask for only a one-page CV! I would be really grateful if you could push the
   line that I have made some innovatory contributions to the field and that I recognize the
   need ( and contribute in a practical way)  to the use of our data in the wider scientific
   context. They look favourably on inter-disciplinary projects that are not well suited to a
   submission to the usual Research Council funding sources. They have , I suppose, to be
   convinced that this work could be of wider value than just a narrow dendro project and that
   we could be trusted to extend our work into the Tree-Growth Modelling area , despite a lack
   of any reputation in it!!!!  It would be good to say something about Tom - that he is old
   (and odd) and came late to this stuff - but already is showing signs of introducing new
   (hopefully genuine) advances. I don't want to push it any further so I will leave it at
   that. One thing though - if they do contact you please be really strict about getting the
   review back in time - they are unbelievably anal about deadlines and rules and the like. I
   know we know each other well enough to know that you will realise I am writing this with
   the best of motives and how much I (and Tom) appreciate anything you can do to help. With
   very best wishes
   Keith

   --
   Professor Keith Briffa,
   Climatic Research Unit
   University of East Anglia
   Norwich, NR4 7TJ, U.K.

   Phone: +44-1603-593909
   Fax: +44-1603-507784
