Recommendations from the first meeting

Transcription

1 Scientific Advisory Group 25/ Scientific Advisory Group of the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat Recommendations from the first meeting Meeting details Time: 15 January 2016, Place: Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. Af Pontins väg 6, Stockholm Agenda: See Appendix 1 Participants Prof. em. Bengt Söderström, Lund University (Chair). Dr. Susan Barr, Senior Advisor, Directorate for Cultural Heritage, Norway. Prof. Jane E. Francis, director of British Antarctic Survey. Prof. Konrad Steffen, director Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research. Dr. Ulf Jonsell, Senior Research Officer, Swedish Polar Research Secretariat (Secretary). Invited: Dr. Björn Dahlbäck, director, Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. The Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) should provide recommendations to the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat (SPRS). These recommendations are to be followed up at subsequent meetings and, if necessary, adjusted. The mandate for SAG is formulated in Appendix 2. The Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) of the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat gives, based on the information and discussions during the meeting, the following recommendations: - Swedish polar research would benefit from the formulation of a national polar research strategy. In the strong bottom-up driven Swedish research landscape such strategy would be valuable for all actors to better align in planning, use of resources and promotion of polar research to policy makers and stakeholders. - The thematic content of Swedish polar research in general and of any strategic plan must always be driven by research interests. The ultimate aim of a strategic plan is to produce top-quality Swedish polar research in an international context. - SPRS should further work together with the scientific community to better make sure that their activities are in alignment with the community. SPRS should try to find approaches that involve active researchers in their daily work, e.g. fellowships or shared positions. 1/2

2 Scientific Advisory Group 25/ SPRS must have active participation and involvement of the research councils in any strategic planning. - The Swedish polar research community and SPRS would significantly benefit from SPRS hosting secretariats of relevant international polar research organizations. - Operational support to Antarctic research should be less focused on the national Swedish stations and more on supporting the operational needs of specific prioritized projects. Such support is expected to be carried out in bi- or multilateral collaborations. - SAG supports the plans of SPRS to establish a scientific advisory board for Abisko Scientific Research Station and research icebreaker Oden. - SPRS should consider change name to something that better directly communicates the work of the organization. Next meeting Friday 21/ possibly onboard Oden or in Abisko. Bengt Söderström, Chair Ulf Jonsell, Secretary 2/2

3 Appendix 1 Scientific Advisory Group of the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat Time: 15 January 2016, Place: Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. Af Pontins väg 6, Stockholm Map: Agenda Chair: Professor emeritus Bengt Söderström At this first meeting much focus will be on giving a baseline of the Swedish polar research landscape. The agenda items may appear to be presentations; however we anticipate questions and discussions all through the meeting. 1) Welcome and short introductions. - All 2) Swedish Polar Research Secretariat (SPRS) and the Swedish polar research management landscape. - Björn Dahlbäck SPRS expects SAG to provide guidance and expertise based on the members wide experience and knowledge from international research and research management. An important base line for this work is to get an overview of the landscape that SPRS operates in. See also: Swedish National Polar Research Programme 2014 and beyond. 3) The Mutual Expectations of SAG All The background and expectations of SAG from SPRS side is expressed in the invitation document. In this document it is clearly stated that SAG-members should have an influence on the work and mandate of SAG. Each SAG member is kindly asked to prepare a short (ca 5 min) presentation of their expectations and foreseen use of the SAG. 4) Management and scientific leadership of SPRS s infrastructures - Björn Dahlbäck SPRS runs three major well-known polar research infrastructures: Abisko Scientific Research Station, Icebreaker Oden, and the Antarctic stations Wasa and Svea. The management framework for these may be less known, but of importance for SAG to understand. Furthermore, SAG s relation to and advice on the scientific leadership of these infrastructures is to be discussed.

4 Appendix 1 5) Processes for obtaining operational support - Björn Dahlbäck / Ulf Jonsell The process until now for obtaining operational support for polar research will be described under agenda point 2.This process has recently been discussed with the Swedish polar research community and it is SPRS ambition during 2016 to present a revised process that better meets some of the needs of the research community. SAG members are expected to provide expertise based on their national processes and other experiences. 6) Funding for polar research - Björn Dahlbäck / Ulf Jonsell SPRS does not provide research funding (only operational funding). For major operational projects this division of funding calls for synchronization with the research councils procedures and timelines. In order to provide the research community with a smooth process and to develop the cooperation with the funders, SPRS wants the input based on the experiences of SAG members 7) Next meeting 8) End of Meeting

5 Appendix Dnr: Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) of the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat is a government agency that promotes and coordinates Swedish polar research. This includes to follow and plan research and development, as well as to organise and lead research expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The Secretariat s ambition is that all research efforts included in the activities of the agency should be of the highest international standard. To provide support with scientific perspectives to fulfil its ambitions, the agency has decided to create an international Scientific Advisory Group (SAG). The group will consist of 4-5 internationally highly respected scientists with profound knowledge and experience of polar research, led by a chairperson with good insight into the Swedish academic and research system. The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat expects the SAG to act as a sounding board for the agency. The staff at the Secretariat represents a broad competence and experience on polar research and many strategic initiatives arise within the organization. These initiatives, however, must be tested and improved, matured and developed in an international context supported by highly qualified researchers/evaluators before possibly being implemented. The SAG would support this process as well as propose alternative initiatives and actions. More importantly, the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat expects the SAG to act as an active advisory group on a more general base. Questions and issues for SAG could fall within areas such as: How can the Secretariat best use its resources and knowledge to fulfil the commission from the Swedish government? How can the Secretariat best serve the Swedish polar research community? How can the Secretariat increase the visibility and impact of Swedish polar research internationally? How can the Swedish polar resources best be used in the international arena? The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat will also use the international experience of the SAG for support in better defining its role in the changing Swedish research arena, in particular in its relation to the established research councils and other research funding agencies or foundations, which may be active in polar research. The SAG will not work as an evaluator of formal research proposals. The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat also wants to leave to the SAG itself to finalize its mandate: How can the SAG best support the Secretariat? How would the SAG like to see its competence best be used by the Secretariat? Box SE Stockholm, Sweden Tel Abisko naturvetenskapliga station Vetenskapens väg 38 SE Abisko, Sweden Tel office@polar.se

6 Appendix 2 In summary, the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat would like to use the SAG for policymaking, quality assurance, inspiration as well as for pure knowledge input. The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat envisages the SAG to meet twice a year with digital contacts in between. The Secretariat will prepare the agenda together with the chairman of the SAG and provide the group with background material, but it also expects the SAG to take a pro-active role in preparation of its meetings. The mandate of the SAG will be three years. After this period the impact and importance of the SAG will be evaluated internally by the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. Björn Dahlbäck Director-General 2/2