Hello all,
I have spoken with most of you about this (perhaps, Richard, you are the
only one to be surprised by this). I've attached a draft proposal outline
for a call for proposals from NASA's Terrestrial Ecology Program. I've made
a number of comments as footnotes, which are important to read along with
the text of the outline.
I make no assumptions that you all are interested in being a part of this
proposal, but I am extending the opportunity to all. After getting feedback
from you, hopefully by early next week at the latest, I will contact Forrest
Hall (NASA) and Colin Homer (USGS, EDC) to get their input. Nothing is set
in stone and all is open for discussion, so don't be bashful.
Forrest Hall originally approached me about 1 year ago to help try to bring
the FIA data into the NACP (see below). So, I anticipate that we have a good
chance of getting funded.
For those of you that have not seen the request for proposals, requests were
made mostly for work at LBA in the Amazon, but there is a section that
states:
"The goal of ESE's Terrestrial Ecology Program is to improve understanding
of the structure and function of global terrestrial ecosystems, their
interactions with the atmosphere and hydrosphere, and their role in the
cycling of the major biogeochemical elements and water. In fiscal year
2002, the Terrestrial Ecology Program will devote most of the funding that
becomes available through normal program turnover to support of the
following research topics:
*
carbon cycle modeling
*
analysis of new satellite data and satellite data product continuity
to understand ecosystem variability and responses to global environmental
change
Research on these topics will fall under three of the second-tier NASA Earth
science questions listed in section II.A. Variability in global ecosystems
(second-tier question V3), ecosystem response to and effects on global
environmental change and the global carbon cycle (second tier question R2),
and modeling the cycling of carbon and predicting future atmosphere carbon
dioxide and methane concentrations (P5) will be addressed. Each of these
questions is of equal priority for this NRA.
Research on carbon cycle modeling should focus on advancing our ability to
predict future atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane or
advancing ecosystem and biogeochemical cycling model capabilities to enable
coupling with other Earth system component models. Carbon cycle research to
prepare for the proposed North America Carbon Program (NACP), and relevant
to NASA's ESE research strategy, also is encouraged. NASA will evaluate
proposals received to conduct NACP preparatory research in consultation with
the U.S. Global Change Research Program's (USGCRP) Carbon Cycle Interagency
Working Group (http://www.carboncyclescience.gov/) and following the
procedures detailed in Appendix B."
So, I think we may have a good chance. The only catch is that this is likely
to be expensive.
Please provide some feedback to me about whether you want to be involved. If
you do want to be invovled, I will expect you to provide input to the
proposal in the form of text, where needed. I have indicated where, and by
whom, input is needed to the proposal in its current form. I haven't thought
through the bidget in any great detail, so input on that is also requested.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Warren
PS Please feel free to communicate amongst yourselves if you think it
necessary or helpful.
--------------------------------------------------Warren B. Cohen
USDA Forest Service
Pacific Northwest Research Station
Forestry Sciences Lab
3200 SW Jefferson Way
Corvallis, OR 97331
541-750-7322 (phone)
541-758-7760 (fax)
Warren.Cohen@orst.edu
http://www.fsl.orst.edu/larse