Reorganization at NCAR Presentation to the UCAR Board of Trustees February 25, 2004

NSF Review Recommendation “Management of NCAR and UCAR, with appropriate advice from the Board of Trustees, should think carefully about the current UCAR/NCAR management structures in the light of evolving research needs and leadership role of NCAR and should determine whether structural readjustments or realignments could best meet these evolving needs.” NSF Cooperative Agreement Review Committee December 19, 2002

Reorganization – The Past Year  March, 2003 – Killeen convened First Committee  Charge: Consider advantages and disadvantages of realignment and provide guiding principles if propose a realignment.  June, 2003 – First Committee reported out to the NCAR Directors at their annual retreat.  Realignment is necessary to increase flexibility in managing initiatives  July, 2003 – Killeen formed Realignment Committee with representatives from every division  Charge: Propose structure that would achieve flexibility and facilitate cross-divisional work and increased university collaborations

Reorganization – The Past Year  November, 2003 – Realignment Committee recommendations  Create of three new institutes:  Institute for Mathematics Applied to the Geosciences (IMAGe)  Earth System Studies Institute  Institute for the Study of Society and Environment  Investigate expansion of an Institute for Advanced Studies Institute building on the existing Advanced Studies Program.  January, 2004 – President’s Council and NCAR Directors met to consider proposed realignment

Some Guiding Principles  Organize to address significant current national needs identified in the strategic plan and new ones that arise later.  Flexible and responsive organization  Multiple investigator projects  Reduce stove-piping in the organization  Ensure an organizational structure that supports science, applications and facilities  Improved connection to universities  Maintain disciplinary alignments as a critical dimension of the organization

Reorganization Objectives  Form, structure, and function must all be consistent with NCAR’s mission and strategic plan  Foster existing and implement new modes of interaction with the university community  Implement our strategy and manage cross-cutting work more effectively  Enable new interdisciplinary science that cuts across existing NCAR divisional boundaries

Reorganization Objectives  Make “integration” a structural part of NCAR’s organization  Foster professional development of all staff  Open up exciting new scientific opportunities and partnerships

Proposed Reorganization Approved by NCAR Directors & President’s Council January 7, 2004

Criteria for Decision  Consistent with our strategic plan  Scientific Excellence  Highlight NCAR to the best effect  Continuity of and respect for divisional heritage  Make our “integration” commitment more real  Maintain disciplinary alignments as a critical dimension of the organization  Professional growth and opportunities for employees  Flexible and adaptable  An engine for innovation  Incurs a very modest level of additional costs

Criteria for Decision  Enables efficient execution of NCAR’s work/initiatives  Enhance existing programs that we are proud of…  Facilitates focused multidisciplinary research goals  Supports “basic” and “practical”  More strategic partnerships  Support the initiatives and the exciting base program  Cost realism  Clear and simple to external community: (one page)  Continues to evolve: facilitates long term change (cultural)  Proactive: BOLD

Criteria for Decision  Encourages alliances with other sponsors  Acceptable to other sponsors  Promotes cooperation between units  Efficient management structure with fewer direct reports  Manage across division programs  Mitigation of threats  Doable in finite amount of time  Augmented university connections  Enable identification/tackle of new scientific frontiers  Attracting the best and the brightest

The Science Dimension  Teams Community Modeling Efforts, Strategic Initiatives, e.g., Biogeosciences  Themes NCAR Initiatives, e.g., Climate and Society  Projects Large scale activities, e.g., HIAPER  Partnerships Strategic Institutional Partnerships with universities, federal and state agencies and private institutions

INSERT ANIMATION SLIDES HERE The following are placeholders

NCAR Visitor Program *Provides opportunities for research collaboration within and across disciplines. *Adds specialized expertise that results in joint publications, model improvements, and improved scientific understanding. *Centralized pool created to insulate Visitor Program from annual budget fluctuations. *Total combined contributions from Divisions and Directorate: $535K

NCAR Overhead rate: 49.5%

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