A message from SCAR President Steven L. Chown:
Dear Colleagues
Although SCAR-COMNAP 2020 has been cancelled and the Secretariat offices at SPRI closed, activities are still on the go.
Perhaps most importantly, I would like to remind everyone that among SCAR’s greatest successes are the science collaborations it has facilitated. At the moment there’s scope for thinking through what can be done via SCAR groups while field and lab work is limited. Those with teaching and research roles are, of course, swamped by a very rapid transition to online teaching. And yet others may be grappling with what a changed field season in 2020/2021 might mean. But there are ways we can support everyone’s participation.
In this regard, we have asked the Program Planning Groups of the three proposed new Scientific Research Programs to continue with their work. The intention is to have full proposals reach the Delegates electronically by mid-2020. We would encourage you to get involved to the extent you can, even if that just means registering an interest. To do so, please contact the Chief Officers of these groups (details via the link provided above).
INSTANT – Tim Naish
AntClimNow – Tom Bracegirdle and David Bromwich
Ant-ICON – Aleks Terauds and Mecha Santos
Chief Officers of the main subsidiary groups of SCAR have also been contacted to hear about how groups intend to take activities and business forward for the next few months. Our plans are to continue what we can do online and to postpone what needs to be done in person. A great deal of activity has already commenced online.
One proposal we are taking forward is to hold elements of the SCAR Open Science Conference online. We have started contacting plenary speakers and others in this regard. Moreover, we know that Science Groups are commencing discussions, including with partners such as APECS, about self-organising sessions. If you have ideas for a session you were arranging, please contact Catherine Ritz and the Chief Officer of the science group(s) that best fit your area, with a copy to info[at]scar.org so we can keep track of things. Contact details are all on www.scar.org
We are also continuing with our Awards and Fellowships program for 2020. Successful candidates of this round and previous rounds who have not yet implemented their program will be offered options to defer or propose new ways forward.
The Secretariat and Executive are also now preparing for decisions about our business to be put to the Delegates in a new manner. The Delegates will be contacted about these new procedures. They are being developed following consultation with the Charities Commission in the UK, and following advice received from our solicitors. The procedural changes are relatively minor in one sense, since our actual business has not changed, but are large in another because they are new to everyone. Thus, we are proceeding carefully to ensure that we look after all of our members’ interests.
I will periodically keep everyone informed about developments, but please also look out for communications from Chief Officers and the Secretariat.
Should you have any queries, please contact either Chandrika Nath or I directly and we will either respond, or direct you to the person best placed to do so.
All the best to you, your families and your colleagues during this unusual time.
Steven L Chown
SCAR President