date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 18:39:14 +0000 from: Keith Briffa subject: IMPRINT - with attachment and pasted in message! to: k.briffa@uea.ac.uk,t.osborn@uea.ac.uk,masson@lsce.saclay.cea.fr, hutterli@climate.unibe.ch,karin@natgeo.su.se,A.Lotter@bio.uu.nl, dirk.verschuren@UGent.be,carin.andersson@geo.uib.no, John.Birks@bot.uib.no,dan.charman@plymouth.ac.uk,juerg.beer@eawag.ch, hufischer@awi-bremerhaven.de Dear Workpackage 1 Leaders First sorry for the lack of communication , but following the London meeting we are now in a position to give some details of where we are , and hopefully , where we are going . IMPRINT is now in detailed construction mode! We need to concentrate in the first instance on our own sections , but we all need to feel part of the whole wokpackage concept , and ultimately be convinced that the whole proposal hangs together well . We are not just data people (though within our WP we have the opportunity for exciting reanalyses, inter -archive comparisons , integrated larger-scale interpretation) and here we have a great opportunity to really get involved in the larger data -model comparison and get our teeth into the issues of anthropogenic versus natural change , and future climate uncertainties. Our people can bid for money under workpackages 6 and 7 and we should be thinking now of where the particular interests lie. Please note that the WP1 work will only span 3 years maximum and detailed plans and requests will need to concur with this . We are appending the version of the longer proposal that was put together (prior to the shortened submission). This is a starting point for you to start reconsidering /rethinking , if needed, details of the new sections . Valerie and I will appreciate any suggestions re the background to the science that we will have to write to introduce the whole workpackage. Suggestions for improving the whole concept proposal and clarifying the logic and value of IMPRINT in terms of Future Climate and Society will also be welcomed by Eystein. The time for putting the full proposal together is ,of course, very short ie WEEKS only We must now refine the science and work out very specific details of what is to be done , and by who, by what time , and for what cost. We will send details of the timetable and what is needed as regards writing on Monday morning - when Eystein has forwarded his specific ideas to us , along with the initial budget requests from partners. Ultimately , Valerie and I will have to get the budget for the whole WP done to 3.7 million Euro . This has to be divided according to the science that will get done and so , we will be loading the first responsibility on you folk to assess the requests (your own included) in the light of what the partners have requested in your Tasks, and then helping us with deciding where to trim. For now , you just need to get in contact with your partner leader as this will have to be a genuine joint effort. Lots of us have meetings and teaching etc and so we need to try to cover for each other as best we can. We will send the message to all partners on Monday but we would ask that you then get them involved fully in the ideas, balance and writing (if you think appropriate). The responsibility for the sections of the WP1 plan will be first your responsibility but we are a community not a pyramid. We will have limited space so then it will be up to Valerie and I to put the sections together. We will let you know how much text we need from you on Monday - but you can already start thinking in terms of "state of the art" , "areas for advancing the science" "innovation" and importantly "relevance and links to other workpackages". You will need to organise and synthesise contributions from your partners in these areas , as well as judging their requests . We need to make the work sound exciting and feasible. We do not wish to seem dictatorial but when lots of people are involved , we need to be pretty strict or we will not give Eystein the time he needs to review and revise the whole proposal. Please be patient if we do not at first acknowledge messages - just prompt. PLEASE SEND ALL MESSAGES FROM NOW ON TO VALERIE AND MYSELF , and I suggest that you consider cc'ing to ALL TASK LEADERS to allow everyone to keep in touch and comment if appropriate. We are thrilled and grateful that you are have all agreed to take this on and we are in no doubt that IMPRINT will be an exciting advance for our science. Thank you all very much for agreeing to take the strain over the next few weeks Keith and Valerie P.S. another recent message from Bergen is also appended for you information Dear WP-leaders When going through what budget information we have received from the partners, we have seen that there was in most cases a genuine lack in budget-specifications down to task level. Most, with a few exceptions, only sent in the total numbers, which they have to for the forms of the proposal, but haven't noticed that we also need resources specified on the task level. Knowing this, and also that things will change after our meeting there is really no purpose in sending out the various partner requests to you, as we believe that this won't help to clarify what the factual budget situation is. In order to get an accurate overview of the various budgets requests I have attached a spreadsheet where the proper numbers can be inserted before it is returned to us (write only down the requested amount from the EU!). As we agreed upon in London it is up to you to collect this information from the partners that constitute your specific work package. This process will hopefully give us the coherent picture of the overall budget. I have also attached the original spreadsheet we need to fill in and which gives us the total resources for the partners according to the cost model, in case some of the partners haven't received it (or occasionally lost it) and/or if you need to make new ones based on the latest information. Thus: We need the budget request - what the partners request/you think they deserve for each task on the spreadsheet, filled in for the whole WP. The deadline for submitting this information is 10 February and I kindly ask you to respect this, there really is very little room for any delays. If you have further questions please let me know and I will answer you as fast as possible. Cheers, Øyvind -- Professor Keith Briffa, Climatic Research Unit University of East Anglia Norwich, NR4 7TJ, U.K. Phone: +44-1603-593909 Fax: +44-1603-507784 http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/people/briffa/ Attachment Converted: "c:\eudora\attach\IMPRINTold_task_descr1.doc"