Earth System science is crucially dependent on research methodologies and infrastructure for observing and monitoring many natural, social and human processes, and for conceptualising and modelling those processes at many space and time scales. In both relevant science domains, this need has driven calls for partnerships between the research community, funding agencies, and operational monitoring entities. Increasingly, the cost of collecting, managing and integrating accessible and documented data is becoming a significant problem and this calls for a new and ambitious strategy for data and metadata acquisition and management across many disciplines. Such efforts will help to optimise resources of research organisations and science funding agencies and to mobilise and engage diverse relevant science communities, especially in Europe.
Key questions to be addressed
Methodological issues
- What is required in order to involve disciplines focusing on unquantifiable concepts more than on data?
- How might Earth system modelling be reconceptualised in this context?
- How does interdisciplinarity translate into coupling/integrating the models and optimise their application in different disciplines and for long-term scenarios?
- How to make use of scientific information for policymakers (indicators, factors, risks, options)?
Data-related issues
- Is current data management suitable for a trans-discplinary approach?
- What is needed for multidisciplinary data to perform this interdisciplinary research?
- How can the appropriate research infrastructures and services be developed?
- How should the existing datasets be analyzed with a new, trans-disciplinary view?
- How best to ensure the sustainability of the interdisciplinary datasets for their long-term use and valuation?
Activities / Workplan / Timeline
- Survey on knowledge gaps and major structural constraints for innovation to include a wider range of perspectives from the scinetific and policy communities (November 2009 - Mid-March 2010)
- Short contributions from WG members on what they consider relevant topics related to the WG objectives
- Development of a short online survey - building of the network
- Development of an outline position paper
- Inventory of lists were to send survey invitation
- Online meeting of the WG (December 2009) => outline of a position paper and survey
- Sending out questionnaire to respondents from science and policy (early January 2010)
- Development of a first draft of the position paper (January - February 2010)
- Evaluation of the questionnaire and identification of interview partners (February 2010)
- Online meeting of WG (mid-February 2010)
- Workshop in Delft (mid-March 2010)
- In depth analyses of knowledge gaps and structural constraints
- Development of invited short synthesis notes on topical themes (April-May 2010)
- Interviews with experts and representatives from funding agencies on structural constraints (April-May 2010)
- Finalization of the position paper and sending it out to expert workshop participants (May 2010)
- Moderated expert workshop on knowledge gaps (June 2010)
Membership
Chair
Prof. Pahl-Wostl, Claudia (DE)
Vice-Chair
Prof. Toonen, Theo (NL)
Members
Prof. Binder, Claudia (AT)
Dr. de Sherbinin, Alex (US)
Prof. Giupponi, Carlo (IT)
Dr. Haxeltine, Alex (UK)
Dr. Külls, Christoph (CH)
Prof. Richards, Keith (UK)
Prof. Rothman, Dale (US)
Dr. Sprinz, Detlef (DE)
Dr. van Bers, Caroline (NL)
Facilitator
Dr. Ilke Borowski-Maaser (DE)
