date: Wed May 10 17:15:19 2000
from: Mike Hulme <m.hulme@uea.ac.uk>
subject: feedback re. Tyndall contract
to: t.d.davies,j.brind

Trevor and John,

Graham Bentham and I met with Ian Dwyer (from NERC) on Friday, following the meeting of NERC, ESRC and EPSRC on the 4th May (although EPSRC didn't show apparently!).  A few comments and requests before our meeting with them on the 25th May:

1.  NERC prefers a single contract for £10m to UEA, which UEA then sub-contracts to partners.  NERC would propose we set up a separate contract with DTI for £210k over 3 years.

2.  They would like to see a more detailed organogram, showing reporting lines and accoountability within the Tyndall Centre.  Also an expanded set of ToRs for the RD, ED, and CMT, etc.  I will try and work on this.

3.  They would like to see how the RD and ED will share responsibilities.  I will try and work on this.

4.  They would like a template for the Advisory Board, e.g. numbers, public/private split, UK/internaitonal split, seniority, who Chairs, etc.  Ian has a draft ToR for this that we can develop.

5.  Board Membership - might like to think of continuity from the Assessment Panel.  We can discuss later.

6.  They would like to see by 25th May our financial Table (A.2 in proposal) split by FY (April-March) and by likely expenditure (quarterly claims in arrears) rather than by budget heading.  This can only be very rough.  Maybe John and us (Trevor - while I'm away next week? or else I could meet with John on the 19th May) need to work on this.  Also, the proposed co-funding line should be by FY.  They would like to make explicit any support 'in kind', e.g. cost-in my salary and anything else to see what else they are getting.  They must see some real expenditure in FY 2000/01.

7.  We should consider some additional activities under Public Understanding of Science which was felt to be a little thin (cf. IC bid).  This is easy for us to do.

8.  We discussed the extent to which co-funding is a target or deliverable.  I think we agreed the former.  There are grey areas about how co-funding is counted.

Overall a positive meeting.

Thanks,

Mike