cc: simon Tett , "'Gabi Hegerl'" , Tim Osborn , Phil Jones , Keith Briffa date: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:43:13 +0100 from: Sandy Tudhope subject: Re: NERC Climate Consortium bid-meeting in July? to: Chris Turney Hi Chris, Very sorry for the slow reply; it has been a particularly hectic end to the academic year here. Gabi, Simon and I are all keen on the idea of possible projects in the area you've identified, and with the researchers you've drawn together. But there are a couple of practical 'buts'!: a) Neither Simon nor Gabi can make it for your proposed early July date. b) We are all particularly interested in developing a tighter focus, likely around 18th and 19th century, i.e., extending the pre-instrumental data set, particularly for the tropics and southern Hemisphere, and using the combined data and modelling approach to address questions of climate sensitivity to natural forcings, forced and unforced variability, tropical-extratropical linkages and more (all embedded within your outline I know!). I am also aware (from my recent membership of the NERC Consortium Panel) just how important it is to demonstrate that a Consortium approach is the ONLY viable way to tackle a problem ... if it could be tackled by a number of standard grants then it does not qualify as 'good' consortium material. So, I think we feel that while a Consortium approach might well work (indeed we have thought a little bit about an iterative approach to data-collection, analysis, and modelling where each step informs the next), it may also be the case that some of the topics in your outline would be more successfully tackled by standard grant approaches with sub-sets of us. I know that this is probably exactly the sort of discussion you were hoping to have in July; I'm just letting you know the areas we currently feel the most excited about. SUGGESTION: Depending on the uptake you've had to your July meeting suggestion, could we suggest, as an alternate, the possibility of holding off until September when everybody is (hopefully) back from the summer? We'd be very happy to host in Edinburgh if that is any help. If you decide to go ahead with the July meeting, i.e., strong uptake from the rest of the group, then I will do my very best to attend. Let me know ... and if it would be easier to discuss some of this by phone suggest a time and number and I'll give you a call. (I'm ccing this to the UEA group as we've had discussions about the merits of an 18th-19th century focus for quite a while). Many thanks again for taking the lead in this. All the very best, Sandy (and for Simon and Gabi). Chris Turney wrote: > Hi everyone, > > Apologies for the delay. Things have been manic with admin and teaching. That > said, I think we're starting to make some progress with the NERC proposal. > We've tried to take on board all of the comments you kindly sent but it became > clearly fairly early on that we need to get together to thrash out where to from > here. > > As you know, the NERC Consortium bids need approval of a 2 pager before a > complete bid can be submitted. With this in mind, Peter Cox and I are aiming to > secure funds from the University of Exeter to host a 2 day getaway to thrash out > a finalised 2 pager, outlining precisely what we want to do and justifying a > Consortium bid. The aim would be to submit this to NERC at the end of the 2 day > . (Ultimately, we're hoping we might submit the completed, final bid for the 1 > December deadline). We're just putting the finishing touches to get the funds > for this meeting but in advance of this I wanted to check on your availability > in early July? If we leave it much later we hit field season and from September > are back into another academic year of madness. I was wondering about sometime > during the 1-3 July. Any good? > > Simon and Tim: It would be great to have you on board so please let me know if > you're interested. No worries if not. > > Just for reference, I've attached a revised version of the text. Hope this > helps to kick things off. > > With very best wishes, > > Chris > **************************************************** > *Professor Chris Turney FRSA FRGS* > > Director of Carbonscape , /Fixing carbon the way > nature intended/ > // > > Author of Ice, Mud and Blood: Lessons from Climates Past > > Popular science website: > www.christurney.com > Journal of Quaternary Science > Asian and Australasian Regional > Editor > > School of Geography, Archaeology and Earth Resources > The University of Exeter > Exeter > Devon > EX4 4RJ > UK > > Times Higher University of the Year 2007-08 > > Home page: > www.sogaer.ex.ac.uk/geography/people/staff/c_turney/main.shtml > > E-mail: c.turney@exeter.ac.uk > Office Tel.: +44 (0)1392 263331 > Fax.: +44 (0)1392 263342 > > **************************************************** > > *Slartibartfast: * Science has achieved some wonderful things of course, but I'd > far rather be happy than right any day. > *Arthur Dent:* And are you? > *Slartibartfast:* No. Thats where it all falls down of course. > *Arthur Dent:* Pity. It sounded like quite a good lifestyle otherwise. > > /The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy/, Douglas Adams > > **************************************************** > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- _____________________________________________________________________ Professor Sandy Tudhope, School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, Edinburgh University, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JW,U.K. Tel: +44 131 650 8508 +44 131 650 4842 (sec.) Fax: +44 131 668 3184 e-mail: sandy.tudhope@ed.ac.uk The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.