cc: , , , , date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 15:26:50 +0000 from: "Philip Newton" subject: RE: RAPID Steering Committee to: , "Andy Parsons" Dear Simon (and listeners), Many thanks for your response. You may or may not know that Sandy raised similar concerns, which we have debated at length both by e-mail and phone, and Sandy has done an excellent job in presenting these views. It is clear that you both feel that asking the SC to discuss this issue under AOB at the last meeting, and then to provide inputs by correspondence, was insufficient, and of course I can understand why you feel this is so. I can see, in retrospect, that there would have been greater buy-in and accountability from the SC had there been a formal paper on the subject, and will bear this in mind in future such exercises in other programmes. (I note, for the record, that decisions on SC membership are for NERC, in conjunction with the SC Chair, so there has been no transgression of NERC policy). It is perhaps unfortunate that the criteria applied do not take into account the willingness of individuals to continue to contribute. But I can assure you that programme integration will not fall by the wayside in the remaining stages of the programme, and I see this as my main responsibility as programme manager. In evidence, I offer the fact that programme integration has effectively been a standing item at the last few SC meetings, and that the bulk of the science co-ordination effort is channelled towards integration. You have indeed played a key role in the programme to date, and I do not necessarily see that stepping down from the SC has to end this. SC membership, as you know, is just one of many ways of contributing to a community programme. For example, although we have asked Richard Wood to be the single representative of the Hadley Centre, we would often expect him to represent institutional viewpoints. Moreover, I seem to recall that you are a collaborator on some RAPID grants (forgive me if I misremember), and may have some natural involvement in the model-integration work that Jonathan Gregory is leading. I would very much hope that you might have the time to contribute in such ways. We would also welcome your participation at annual meetings. You were not sent the SC papers for the 17 March meeting on the assumption that you would accept the invitation to step down from the SC. Sandy rightly questioned whether this invitation to step down was a euphemism for something a little more dictatorial, and I hope that he is now convinced that it wasn't! If you don't wish to step down, please get back to me (ideally before the 17 March SC) and we can discuss how to take matters forward. With best wishes, and so sorry to hear that your wife is still unwell, Phil Dr Philip Newton Deputy Director, Science & Innovation/Marine Sciences Manager Natural Environment Research Council Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon SN2 1EU, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1793 411636 Fax: +44 (0) 1793 411545 E-mail: ppn@nerc.ac.uk >>> "Tett, Simon" 11/03/2005 09:37:49 >>> Dear Andy (CC Others who may have a view), thank you for your letter inviting me to resign from the scientific steering committee of Rapid. I am sorry for the delay in responding. I have just returned to work from two weeks sick leave. I understand the argument for a smaller committee. I also note Phil's point having two people from the Met Office. However I think that membership of the SSC is an issue that the SSC should properly discuss. The SSC should at least come to some view about principles for continued (or new ) membership. My recall of our last discussion on this subject was that it was rather inconclusive. This is not particularly surprising as the item was discussed late in the day after a long meeting mainly devoted to proposal review. I have been involved in activities that led to Rapid since 1997 and played a key role in part of them. I would very much like to see the program through to its conclusion. In particular I wish to continue banging the drum for program integration. I note I do not have papers for the March 17th meeting which, due to my Wife's ill-health, I am unlikely to be able to attend. Yours Simon Dr Simon Tett Managing Scientist, Data development and applications. Met Office Hadley Centre (Reading Unit) Meteorology Building, University of Reading Reading RG6 6BB Tel: +44 (0)118 378 5614 Fax +44 (0)118 378 5615 Mobex: +44-(0)1392 886886 E-mail: simon.tett@metoffice.gov.uk http://www.metoffice.gov.uk Global climate data sets are available from http://www.hadobs.org -----Original Message----- From: Andy Parsons [mailto:apar@nerc.ac.uk] Sent: 01 March 2005 16:42 To: simon.tett@metoffice.gov.uk Subject: RAPID Steering Committee Dear Simon, Please find attached a letter from Phil Newton regarding the RAPID Steering Committee. Regards, Andy Dr. Andy Parsons RAPID Programme Administrator Natural Environment Research Council Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon SN2 1EU Tel +44 (0)1793 411679 Mobile: +44 (0)7881 845111 Fax +44 (0)1793 411545 andy.parsons@nerc.ac.uk The information contained in this email may be subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. 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