[Radix] How to Kill Disaster-Related Social Science

[Betty Hearn Morrow]

It should be pointed out that NCAR still has a very active social  
sciences program. The Societal Impacts program has not been impacted.  
In fact it looks like they will be getting a new NSF grant soon. NCAR  
had some major budget cuts, and the SERE lab was closed, but not the  
rest of the social sciences work.

On Aug 6, 2008, at 11:28 AM, Juha Uitto wrote:

> Dear Ilan,
>
> Absolutely incredible! The fact that NCAR has had the connection to  
> the applied and human side has given it its distinct edge. And  
> Mickey Glantz has been instrumental in this regard. From the UN  
> perspective, I can attest to how useful the work that he has  
> initiated/nurtured over the many years has been in a variety of  
> applied fields, be it the Aral Sea and the creeping environmental  
> problems, El Nino/La Nina and their societal connections, and  
> adaptation to climate change.
>
> I for one will point this out to the people in charge.
>
> Juha
>
>
> Juha Uitto, PhD
> Senior Evaluation Adviser
> UNDP Evaluation Office
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radix-bounces at ecie.org [mailto:radix-bounces at ecie.org] On  
> Behalf Of Ilan Kelman
> Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2008 3:34 PM
> To: radix at ecie.org
> Subject: [Radix] How to Kill Disaster-Related Social Science
>
>
> To Radix,
>
> See the email below announcing that the Center for Capacity Building http://www.ccb.ucar.edu 
>  at the National Center for Atmospheric Research http://www.ncar.ucar.edu 
>  in Boulder, Colorado has been disbanded and that its director,  
> Michael H. Glantz http://www.ccb.ucar.edu/staff/glantz has been let  
> go.  Glantz gave NCAR 34 years, producing cutting edge science and a  
> string of top-level highly-influential scientific publications that  
> would put anyone to shame.  He fostered young scholars, made  
> connections around the world to assist science and its application  
> in less affluent countries, and inspired numerous scientists and non- 
> scientists of all ages and all cultures.
>
> This is scandalous.  It contradicts NCAR's strategic plan and  
> exposes the hypocrisy of NCAR's and UCAR's leaders in stating their  
> interest in the application of science to humanity.  Their excuse is  
> the budget.  But what is the cost of this action?
>
> The email addresses of NCAR's director, the UCAR Board, and the NSF  
> manager are barron at ucar.edu, tkilleen at nsf.gov, cjacobs at nsf.gov, Rfine at rsmas.miami.edu 
> , anthes at ucar.edu, khc6 at cornell.edu,
> stevea at ssec.wisc.edu, robted at eas.gatech.edu, efi at umn.edu,
> smalcom at aaas.org, rpa711 at yahoo.com, rutledge at atmos.colostate.edu, anne at met.psu.edu 
> , mmcclell at ucar.edu,
> richard.truly at comcast.net, hemant.shah at rms.com, len_pietrafesa at ncsu.edu 
> ,
> nutter at reinsurance.org, dennis at atmos.washington.edu,
> barbara.a.feiner at wustl.edu, kkd at ou.edu, rbierbau at umich.edu
>
> If you care about people, if you care about this planet, if you care  
> about science, and if you care about science saving lives and  
> contributing to humanity, then write to these people expressing your  
> feelings.  If not, then we have only ourselves to blame for letting  
> such appalling and destructive actions go unopposed.
>
> The tragedy is us and we do not deserve the tears that are owed to  
> those whom we cannot, or refuse to, help.
>
> Ilan
> (CCB member from July 2005 to November 2007 who was one of the young  
> scientists who owes a good proportion of his career success to  
> Mickey.)
>
> ---------------
>
> Subject:        message to staff
> Date:   Mon, 4 Aug 2008 15:03:14 -0600
> From:   Eric Barron
> To:     local-users at ucar.edu (All UCAR Staff)
>
> To All Staff,
>
> The two of us travelled to Washington, DC on July 23 to discuss and
> review NCAR budget scenarios for FY09 with NSF.  NSF and NCAR continue
> to face significant financial challenges.  FY09 budget projections
> remain at 0% level over FY08 on top of 2004-2008 subinflationary NCAR
> base increments and NSF priority program requirements.  There is  
> also a
> high probability of a continuing resolution well into FY09, which  
> begins
> October 1, 2008.  In this budget environment, NCAR and UCAR management
> must continue to take measures to plan for budgets based on NCAR and  
> NSF
> strategic priorities.  The dissolution of the Societal-Environmental
> Research and Education Laboratory (SERE) was part of our effort to
> reduce costs in this very difficult funding environment.
> Unfortunately, based on our most recent analysis, additional actions
> must be taken, and thus we are eliminating the NCAR Center for  
> Capacity
> Building (CCB) program.  This will save immediate and recurring direct
> and indirect costs.  We very much regret the impacts this has on  
> staff.
>
> We have scheduled NCAR town meetings later this month so that we can
> discuss the financial, programmatic and scientific challenges and
> opportunities we will face together in the coming year.  We welcome  
> your
> ideas and contributions.
>
> Eric Barron and Rick Anthes
> _________________________________________________________________
>
>
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