# Presentation: 685181

## USGS Participation in IPY

- U.S. Department of the Interior
- U.S. Geological Survey

## Today’s briefing:

- Update on International Committee activities
- Update on National Committee activities
- Status of USGS submission
- Next steps

## Current status of IPY

- International committee activities (JC)
- Call for Expressions of Interest
- Call for Proposals : 3-tiers
- No funding yet identified
- Next meeting of the JC?

**Notes:**
ICSU and WHO are coordinating bodies
A framework document prepared by the international JC was published in October, 2004 and is available to proposers.
EoI due January 14 - a ‘stamp of approval’ exercise, responses back by Mid-march - three way splits

Formal Proposals (no format yet available) due June, 2005 “Based on the submitted full proposals, the JC will decide which proposals satisfy all the criteria, approve those activities as part of the official IPY programme, and give permission for the project to use the IPY imprimatur. The JC will identify (or recognize, if it already was proposed) the Project Steering Committee and its leader, as part of this final assessment.”

No funding will be made available through this process.

## IPY International Themes 

- Current Status of the polar regions
- Change - past and present, social and environmental
- New Frontiers of Science
- Unique Vantage Point
- Human Dimensions

**Notes:**
Status- to determine the present environmental status of the polar regions
Change - to quantify and understand past and present natural environmental and social change in the polar regions and to improve projections of future change.
Global Linkages - to advance understanding on all scales of the links and interactions between the polar regions and the rest of the earth, and of the processes controlling these linkages.
New Frontiers - to investigate the frontiers of science in the polar regions - emphasis on interdisciplinary research and genomics
Unique Vantage Point - Certain atmospheric investigations, geomagnetic investigations, astronomical observations and geophysical observations are all aided by polar locations
Human dimensions - investigations of the cultural, historical, and social processes that shape the sustainability of human societies in the polar regions.  Identification of the unique contributions of these societies to global cultural diversity and citizenship.  (10-12 M people live in these areas.)

## IPY International Targets

- Natural or social science research
- Education/Outreach and Communication
- Data Management
- Legacy Infrastructure

**Notes:**
Additional target activities are identified in the JC framework document as goals for the work carried out under the six themes.  The ideal activities would have these elements in the work plan.

## IPY National Committee

- Three guidance documents available
- Implementation workshop attended by many federal agencies in 7/04
- National committee has invited USGS to present their program at Spring AGU
- Many national meetings putting special IPY sessions on their agendas now

**Notes:**
•  Two vision documents and the report of the implementation workshop held on July 8 and 9 are available.
•  Implementation workshop attended by NAS, NSF, Homeland Security, DOE, EPA, DOD, NOAA, NASA State, Smithsonian, NIH, ONR and USGS.  Agencies talked about their intended foci for IPY.   Several agencies identified program areas for IPY that USGS could contribute to.  E.g. NOAAs plan calls for enhanced research in AK on biological and biogeochemical responses to climate change in the Arctic Ocean and permafrost areas, enhanced research on marine mammals, and an acceleration of coastal bathymetry.  NSF will focus on SEARCH (Study of Environmental Arctic Change) and seek to turn it into an international program.  Large ice sheets (in which they identify both USGS and NASA as potential partners) and genomics are important areas for them.
•  We’ve been invited to speak about our program by the national committee at the Spring AGU in New Orleans.  Many of the large scientific meetings are putting IPY session on their agendas. If we want to be seen as a player in IPY, we should make an effort to get to these meetings and talk about our IPY science plans.

## Status of USGS IPY

- EoI submitted on 1/12/05
- Working group established
- Kickoff meeting at ASC with PRB
- Internal website for IPY established
- Internal website established
- Full proposal due in June
- IPY coordination role identified within International Office

**Notes:**
• An internal call for IPY proposals has generated 44 proposals with a broad range in scope and activities.  The proposed work 
represents continuations of ongoing work (O&G assessment work, methane hydrate work), expansion or extension of the scope of
current work , or completely new work (development of permafrost network).  These proposals form the basis for the expression 
interest that will be submitted this Friday.  Much work needs to be done to knit the proposed body of work together into a coherent 
Program of activities, make some of the international connections that need to be made, and identify clear research priorities.
Pat Leahy, myself, Kay Briggs, Jerry Mullins, Leslie Holland-Bartels, Nick Lancaster, Cheryl Morris.  Waiting on WRD and Geography.
•  In order to start organizing and identifying, we’re in the process of establishing a working group to start building strategies for interagency collaboration, identifying funding possibilities, structuring the full proposal and potentially working on an ‘07 initiative for IPY.
•  We’re about to launch an internal website to provide information and updates for our folks.  

## USGS Contributions to IPY

- Emerging themes
- Wildlife and landscape monitoring, assessment, and analysis
- Carbon cycling
- Resource assessment
- Basic infrastructure
- Geospatial imagery
- Risk assessment
- Data and knowledge management

**Notes:**
•  Wildlife and landscape monitoring and assessment - polar bear, penguins and salmon to permafrost, glaciers, and coastal erosion.
•  Resource assessment includes oil, gas, gas hydrates and coalbed methane (Arctic arena)
•  Carbon cycling - 
•  Basic infrastructure - expansion of the seismic array at SPRESSO (SP Remote Earth Science and Seismological Observatory) and installation of 
a new geomagnetic observatory
•  Geospatial information - production of high resolution mapping products as well as the integration of air photo or satellite imagery into monitoring 
and assessment strategies (e.g. coastal erosion)
•  Risk assessment - emergence of invasive species, and diseases in wildlife populations  (salmonid diseases, pine-bark beetle infestation)
•  Data and knowledge management includes improved tools for searching for information on USGS polar websites and the proposed establishment of a polar gateway on the Natural Science Network.

## USGS Contributions to IPY 

- Missing pieces?
- Genomics
- Minimal coordination/involvement with other DOI Bureaus

**Notes:**
There are a few missing pieces -

USGS has a strong genomics capability.  This has been identified as a key topic in the US IPY community.

We’ve had some contact with FW R7 and encouraged and assisted them to submit their own EoI, however there is, as yet, not much coordination or 
Discussion happening with BLM (NSSI) or Parks.

## Next Steps

- Increased communication with other participating agencies
- Set Bureau science priorities for IPY
- Identify funding strategies
- Start the full proposal
-  Start making needed international connections

**Notes:**
•  Increased contact with other Feds - not only to determine where we might be working together, but also to coordinate funding strategies.  Are they going in for an increase in their base appropriation in FY07 and FY08 specifically in support of IPY?  Are they planning of funding IPY activities out of their current Program funds?

•  Right now we’ve got 44 proposals that are a patchwork quilt of activities.  Should the BPC set the strategic direction and priorities for our IPY activities?  If so, they should be briefed on IPY.

•  Right now we have the following mechanisms available for funding:  capturing some portion of the Programmatic turnover in the ‘07 - ‘08 timeframe,  Redirection / consolidation of  program funds, PI link to an externally supported activity (e.g. work with an NSF PI and apply to NSF for O&E and student support),
Identify a reimbusable customer, go forward with an ‘07 IPY initiative.  (Timeframe on this last is getting short.)

•  International connections.  Many of the proposals involve activities that will also be proposed in other countries.  We need to identify these programs and entities to determine if our efforts can be linked into a global strategy.  Some of what we have to offer for IPY participation may simply involve increased coordination with other countries.

## Slide 11

**Notes:**
Questions?