The LTER Network Office: An Overview of Recent

Developments

Robert B. WaideExecutive Director

10 Year Review 20 Year Review 30 Year Review

ASM ASM ASM ASMASM ASM

Kansas Oregon-Washington New Mexico

ASM

DEB

SBE, EHROPP

GEO-OCE

Steps Taken – Assessment and Evaluation

LTER Networkannual review

of LNO

1. Site Science2. Site Synthesis3. Cross-site/Extra Site Synthesis4. Network Synthesis5. Cross-network Synthesis

LTER Synthesis Stages

Site ScienceSite SynthesisCross-site/Extra Site SynthesisNetwork SynthesisCross-network Synthesis

LTER Synthesis Stages

Support Grow the pot

– Increase available funds in LNO by fund-raising, re-allocation, and economies

Use existing monies more effectively– Smaller awards, but more of them

Address communication challenges innovatively

Continue conversations with NCEAS Try to score big

– Foundations, other NSF programs, other agencies

Facilitate Expand use of videoconferencing technology Facilitate use of other interaction

technologies like collaboration portals and wiki pages

Help define and implement the steps leading to effective collaboration

Help plan and build relevant databases Use the training lab Facilitate proposals focusing on synthesis

Enhance With more resources, add salary and

eventually post-docs to working groups Provide sufficient funds for multiple

meetings Encourage continued strategic planning Help achieve the goals of the Decadal Plan Evaluate large-scale solutions (S&T

Centers?)

Key Objectives of the Integrated Research Plan

Perform fundamental research that transcends the ecological and social sciences

Conduct research over long time spans to reveal trends and dynamics of important processes

Provide a conceptual framework and theoretical foundations for social-ecological science

Integrate education and research by focusing on environmental literacy and public education

Improve cyberinfrastructure to acquire, deliver, curate, and integrate scientific information

What can the LNO do? Provide leadership and resources to

encourage cross-disciplinary integration Identify and address technological and socio-

cultural challenges that impede progress Support efforts to add detail to the IRP to

make it operational Adapt to new challenges and responsibilities

as the IRP becomes operational

Other LNO reviews

UNM reviews Annual review of Executive Director Annual review of research faculty Annual review of staff Annual review of CREST

NSF reviews Mid-term reviews Renewal site visits Annual report to NSF Oversight by Program Officer

Independent reviews Annual review by the LTER National Advisory Board 10 Year Reviews of LTER

2006 Collaboration Network with SGS

2006 Collaboration Network without SGS no change in layout

2006 Collaboration Network without SGS with reset spring embedding

layout

2006 Network layout by PCA

2006 Network without SGS layout by PCA