# Presentation: 401154

## Presentation to the 
Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee
December 3, 2002
by
David Reichle

**Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee**
**December 3, 2002**
**by**
**David Reichle**

**An Evaluation of the Department of Energy’s Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) Experiments as Scientific User Facilities**

## What are FACE Facilities?

- Environmental research facilities to conduct controlled CO2 enrichment, and other manipulative experiments on intact ecosystems under natural environmental conditions.

## FACE – Environmental Research User Facilities

- FACE evolved from experimental projects to user facilities
- Enable research on intact ecosystems under natural environmental conditions
- Consist of controlled CO2, O3 fumigation experiments
- Collectively constitute a distributed user facility across different geographic ecosystems
- Allow long-term, continuous measurements on ecological processes and responses

**Purpose:**  To study the response of ecosystems and ecological processes to environmental change

## Questions Asked by BER in the FACE Review

- Are the BER-funded FACE facilities considered to be and recognized as scientific user facilities?
- Are the BER-funded FACE facilities effectively operated?
- Does a distributed FACE network offer significant opportunities for scientists?
- Can the FACE facilities be enhanced to attract more users?
- Can FACE sites be enhanced as a distributed user network?

## FACE User Facilities

## Rhinelander USDA USFS Research Station

## Research Measurement at a Duke FACE Ring

## FACE Review Process

- Briefing by DOE/BER Program Managers
- Site letter and questionnaires
- Reading of documents and websites
- Site visits with managers and operators
- Discussions with PIs
- Review of operations and user interactions

## Advance Information Requested from Each Site

- Names and institutional affiliations of users, dates of involvement, and nature of the collaboration
- Information on user satisfaction and user feedback
- Statistics on proposals approved and/or declined; description of user policy and proposal review/approval procedure
- Listings of publications with user coauthors identified with work funded by DOE and work funded by other sources indicated
- Summary to date of DOE core funding and extramural funding that supported users

## Evaluation of the FACE Sites as User Facilities

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## Evaluation of the FACE Sites as User Facilities (cont.)

## Key Findings

**FACE user facilities**
- Are highly instrumented and calibrated ecosystems
- Are accessible and valuable to the user community
- Provide facility and infrastructure support
- Provide long-term continuity in measurements and data availability
- Could attract and accommodate more users
- Should better track users and user satisfaction
- Should better coordinate operational and experimental protocols
- Would improve performance as a network with a coordinating committee

## Scientific Users at the FACE Facilities

*Scientific users are those doing research and excludes those responsible for core operations.*
- (a) 1994 – June 2002, (b) April 1996 – May 2002, (c) 1997 – May 2002, and (d) data for 1997 – October 2002.

## Publication Productivity from the FACE Facilities

- (a) published and in press, (b) 1994 – June 2002, (c) April 1996 – May 2002, (d) 1997 – May 2002, and (e) 1997 – October 2002

## Recommendations to DOE/BER

- Establish Cross-Site FACE Coordinating Committee
- Separate operational and research funding
- Ensure adequate and appropriate support staff
- Coordinate and promote FACE with other federal bodies

## Recommendations to the FACE Facility Coordinating Committee

- Provide program integration and coordination
- Ensure formal user groups for each facility
- Track users and monitor user satisfaction
- Standardize core operations and measurements
- Measure science productivity and impact
- Contribute to strategic planning