# Presentation: 306753

## CILER Review – 2005A Presentation to the NOAA Science Advisory Board

- Carl Richards
- Chair, CILER Review Committee
- Director, US EPA Mid-Continent Ecology Division
- November 9, 2005

## Outline

**Purpose**
**Overview and Background**
**Major Findings of the Review**
**Recommendations**
**SAB Action**

## Purpose

- 	**Summarize the five-year review of the Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research (CILER) at the University of Michigan**

## Overview and Background

- A five-year (2001-2005) review of Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research (CILER) was conducted on June 1–2, 2005
- Review committee members:
- Carl Richards, Chair
- Judith Budd, Michigan Technological University
- Wayne Gardner, Univ. of Texas at Austin
- John Stein, NOAA Northwest Marine Science Center
- Randy Peppler, CIMMS, The University of Oklahoma
- Full report made available to SAB in Sept. 2005

## Major Findings of the Review

**Science Plan**
**Clearly supports NOAA strategic plan**
**Publication record is of high quality in a wide range of journals and books**
**Science Review**
**Successful track record conducting large interdisciplinary research programs**
**5 Research Tasks**
**Collaborative research efforts**

## Major Findings of the Review

**Science Review**
**Examples of strengths**
**Long term biological monitoring in Great Lakes benthos**
**NOBOBs**
**Contaminants**
**Physical modeling**

## Major Findings of the Review

**Education/Outreach**
**Active K-12, summer fellowships**
**NOAA Coast Watch, Great Lakes COSEE**
**Management Plan**
**UM funded targeted research seed money to faculty**
**Solid past leadership record**
**Adequate management and administrative systems**

## Challenges for CILER & NOAA

***Re-competition of NOAA Cooperative Institutes***
- Introduces high degree of uncertainty
***Expansion of research portfolio and funding***
- Addition/enhancement of research in regional freshwater ecosystems, GL Integrated Coastal Observing Systems
- Will require greater communication, coordination, planning & prioritization within CILER & among partners
- Need to engage other entities within NOAA
***Location of CILER offices and labs***
*Potential for sharing facilities on UM campus*
***A new Director of CILER is needed***
- Selection/transition to effective new Director essential

## Recommendations

***Develop a new CILER Strategic Plan***
***Recognize importance of GLERL but allow broader vision***
***Hire a new CILER Director***
***Strong academic credentials***
***Appointment at Full or Associate Professor level within the Univ. ***
***Consolidate CILER and other Great Lakes Scientists in one building***
***Synergy, efficiency, partnerships***

## Recommendations

***Increase CILER’s Partnerships with other parts of NOAA***
***Interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research***
***Set “sunrise” and “sunset” times for sub-projects in new Strategic Plan***
***Allows objective evaluation***
***Continue and Build on Successful Outreach and Education Efforts***
***Opportunity for leadership***
***Need for more metrics***

## Recommendations

***Encourage SNRE Faculty from Wide Range of Disciplines***
***Diversity is a strength***
***Reinvigorate the Council of CILER Fellows***
***New members and talent***
***Need to play a stronger role in Strategic Planning***
***Improve the Content and Usefulness of Annual Reports***

## Recommendations

***Re-examine the issue of using CILER as a funding mechanism for Great Lakes research.***
***How to fund non Univ of Michigan institutions Great Lakes research.***
***System that is fair and mutually beneficial to UM, NOAA, CILER, and other institutions***

## SAB Action

***Accept CILER Report***