date: Tue Sep 26 10:10:07 2006
from: Keith Briffa <k.briffa@uea.ac.uk>
subject: Re: Fwd: Review of Briffa proposal
to: edwardcook <drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu>

   thanks Ed
   the pertinent questions will be explored in collaboration with you if this ever gets
   support .
   Appreciated
   Keith
   At 15:00 25/09/2006, you wrote:

     Hi Keith and Tom,
     Here is my review of your Leverhulme proposal just emailed in to
     them. While there was plenty of room to ask a few probing questions
     about your proposed research (e.g. issues of generality to species
     with growth strategies quite unlike Scots Pine, issues of changing
     radial growth architecture from full to stripbark; applicability to
     deciduous tree species; I did therefore almost give "Success" a "B"
     rating), I didn't want to add any element of doubt to the
     determination. This work truly should be funded.
     Cheers,
     Ed
     Begin forwarded message:

     From: edwardcook <drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu>
     Date: September 25, 2006 9:36:35 AM EDT
     To: nthorp@leverhulme.ac.uk
     Cc: edwardcook <drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu>
     Subject: Review of Briffa proposal
     To Whom It May Concern:
     Below is my review of a proposal submitted to the Leverhulme Trust
     by Professor Keith R. Briffa, Climatic Research Unit, University of
     East Anglia, Norwich. I have also attached it as a Word document.
     Please let me know if you have received it in proper order.
     Sincerely
     Edward R. Cook
     =====
     Review of Process-based methods in the interpretation of tree- growth/climate
     relationships, submitted by Professor Keith R.
     Briffa
     Reviewer:  Dr. Edward R. Cook, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, 61
     Route 9W, Palisades, New York 10964 USA (Referee No:  103766)
     Originality of Method & Approach:           A  --  Very Novel
     Significance:                                                A  --
     Important to others

      A  --  Lasting value
     Success:                                                       A
     --  Strong likelihood
     Overall Rating:                                            A  --
     Exceptional
     Comments (please pass on to applicants):
     This proposal is one of the most original research ideas to come
     out of the science of dendrochronology in many, many years.
     Dendrochronology is being used increasingly to answer questions
     about environmental change, especially that related to global
     climatic change and tree growth in a rapidly changing world.  Yet,
     there is great controversy over its results caused, in part if not
     mostly, by a fundamental step in the analysis of tree rings:  the
     removal of long-term growth trends thought to be strictly due to
     biological processes and aging.  This step is based on the fitting
     of empirical growth models or equations to the original tree-ring
     measurements to remove the biological effects without any regard
     for the underlying processes that contributed to the observed
     trends in growth.  This is a fundamental weakness in the science
     that this proposal seeks to resolve and largely eliminate through
     the development of a process-based approach based on sound tree
     physiological and structural principles.  Prof. Briffa and his post- doc Tom Melvin will
     conduct this research in a way that will also
     provide the greater dendrochronological community with a cross- platform computer
     program and tool for the analysis and
     interpretation of tree growth.  Therefore, it has the potential for
     fundamentally changing in the way that changing patterns of tree
     growth will be evaluated in the future and also provide the tools
     for doing so to the greater research community.
     I cannot stress too highly how important this proposed research is
     to the science of dendrochronology.  It is for this reason that I
     give it the highest ratings of A in all categories.  I am
     familiar enough with the work conducted by Prof. Briffa and Tom
     Melvin to know that the proposed research will be conducted at the
     highest level and I look forward to the development and testing of
     their process-based model.
     =====

     ￼

     ==================================
     Dr. Edward R. Cook
     Doherty Senior Scholar and
     Director, Tree-Ring Laboratory
     Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
     Palisades, New York 10964  USA
     Email:    drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu
     Phone:    845-365-8618
     Fax:    845-365-8152
     ==================================

     Hi Keith and Tom,
     Here is my review of your Leverhulme proposal just emailed in to them. While there was
     plenty of room to ask a few probing questions about your proposed research (e.g. issues
     of generality to species with growth strategies quite unlike Scots Pine, issues of
     changing radial growth architecture from full to stripbark; applicability to deciduous
     tree species; I did therefore almost give "Success" a "B" rating), I didn't want to add
     any element of doubt to the determination. This work truly should be funded.
     Cheers,
     Ed
     Begin forwarded message:

     From: edwardcook <[1]drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu>
     Date: September 25, 2006 9:36:35 AM EDT
     To: [2]nthorp@leverhulme.ac.uk
     Cc: edwardcook <[3]drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu>
     Subject: Review of Briffa proposal
     To Whom It May Concern:
     Below is my review of a proposal submitted to the Leverhulme Trust by Professor Keith R.
     Briffa, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia, Norwich. I have also attached
     it as a Word document.  Please let me know if you have received it in proper order.
     Sincerely
     Edward R. Cook
     =====
     Review of Process-based methods in the interpretation of tree-growth/climate
     relationships, submitted by Professor Keith R. Briffa
     Reviewer:  Dr. Edward R. Cook, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, 61 Route 9W, Palisades,
     New York 10964 USA (Referee No:  103766)
     Originality of Method & Approach:           A  --  Very Novel
     Significance:                                                A  --  Important to others
                                                                            A  --  Lasting
     value
     Success:                                                       A  --  Strong likelihood
     Overall Rating:                                            A  --  Exceptional
     Comments (please pass on to applicants):
     This proposal is one of the most original research ideas to come out of the science of
     dendrochronology in many, many years.  Dendrochronology is being used increasingly to
     answer questions about environmental change, especially that related to global climatic
     change and tree growth in a rapidly changing world.  Yet, there is great controversy
     over its results caused, in part if not mostly, by a fundamental step in the analysis of
     tree rings:  the removal of long-term growth trends thought to be strictly due to
     biological processes and aging.  This step is based on the fitting of empirical growth
     models or equations to the original tree-ring measurements to remove the biological
     effects without any regard for the underlying processes that contributed to the observed
     trends in growth.  This is a fundamental weakness in the science that this proposal
     seeks to resolve and largely eliminate through the development of a process-based
     approach based on sound tree physiological and structural principles.  Prof. Briffa and
     his post-doc Tom Melvin will conduct this research in a way that will also provide the
     greater dendrochronological community with a cross-platform computer program and tool
     for the analysis and interpretation of tree growth.  Therefore, it has the potential for
     fundamentally changing in the way that changing patterns of tree growth will be
     evaluated in the future and also provide the tools for doing so to the greater research
     community.
     I cannot stress too highly how important this proposed research is to the science of
     dendrochronology.  It is for this reason that I give it the highest ratings of A in all
     categories.  I am familiar enough with the work conducted by Prof. Briffa and Tom Melvin
     to know that the proposed research will be conducted at the highest level and I look
     forward to the development and testing of their process-based model.
     =====

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             x-mac-type=5738424E;
             x-unix-mode=0644;
             x-mac-creator=4D535744;
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     ==================================
     Dr. Edward R. Cook
     Doherty Senior Scholar and
     Director, Tree-Ring Laboratory
     Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
     Palisades, New York 10964  USA
     Email:    [4]drdendro@ldeo.columbia.edu
     Phone:    845-365-8618
     Fax:    845-365-8152
     ==================================

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

   Phone: +44-1603-593909
   Fax: +44-1603-507784
   [5]http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/people/briffa/

