Documents

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 32: Finance Update

Report Author(s): J Simoes, E Griffin and J Baeseman

Summary:

Budgets and expenditure have been updated to reflect decisions made at the 2016 Delegates meeting and changes to currency exchange rates along with more realistic administration costs. Day to day finance activities have been outsourced to a Virtual Finance Operations (VFO) provider. An Investment policy has been agreed and is being progressed. The current projections for surpluses at year end are: 2017 USD $3,607; 2018 USD $55,714; and 2019 USD $40,983.

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 33: Finance Statement for 2016

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 34: Revised Budget for 2017

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 35: Revised Budget for 2018

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 36: Draft Budget for 2019

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 37: Secretariat Report

2016-2017 SCAR Secretariat Report

Report Author(s): J Baeseman, E Griffin, R Nash

Summary:

This paper outlines the progress, suggested priorities, and needs/constraints from the Secretariat. For a more detailed report of progress, please see the quarterly reports.

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 38: Combined Actions List

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 39: Conflict of Interest Registry

Report Author(s): J. Baeseman and E. Griffin

Summary:

This document outlines the information that needs to be gathered to provide an up to date record of the SCAR Conflict of Interest Register. The first three pages represent the standard statement of interests and transactions that must be prepared for Trustees and persons with significant control as annual returns to satisfy UK financial regulations. The final page provides the additional information required to allow any Conflicts of Interest internal to SCAR to be included in the Register. The Secretariat will identify any transactions relevant to the form, based on the annual audit, and provide these to Trustees along with the forms each year. The Executive Committee is asked to note the forms and information needed and be prepared to fill them out in August.

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 3: List of Documents

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 4: Report of Physical Sciences Group Activities and Plans

Physical Sciences Group, 2016-2017 Report

Key Highlights:

• GRAPE is preparing a Scientific Research Programme proposal to be presented in Hobart in 2020 called RESOURCE (Radio Sciences Research on AntarctiC AtmospherE)
• PSG, OpMet, SORP, and SOOS are collaborating with the WMO’s Polar Prediction Project to establish the Year of Polar Prediction in the Southern Hemisphere (YOPP-SH). There was a major planning meeting held at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, USA in June 2017, and was targeted at entraining the oceanographic community into YOPP-SH.
• ASPeCt scientists organized and participated in the IGS International Symposium on The Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, held in February 2017 in New Zealand.
• FRISP: Organized two international workshops in Sweden and Norway.
• IPICS: Publication of joint special issue in Climate of the Past and Cryosphere resulting from the Second IPICS Open Science Conference (7-11 March, 2016, Hobart) that had significant funding from PSG in previous budgets.
• ISMASS is preparing a review paper on the contributions of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets to future sea level under a 1.5°C warmer world for consideration by IPCC.

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 4: Report of Physical Sciences Group AND Physical Sciences Group Reports

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 5: Report of Life Sciences Group Activities and Plans

Life Sciences Group, 2016-2017 Report

Report Author(s): Y. Ropert-Coudert (CO), M. Shepanek (Deputy-CO), I. McDonald (Secretary)

Summary of activities from 2016-17 and any other important issues or factors:

The major highlight of Life Science activities is yet to come for 2017 as the SCAR Biology Symposium will be held the week following the deadline for submitting this report, i.e. the 10-14 July 2017 in Leuven, Belgium. Life Sciences has helped in preparing this major event. In addition to this, Life Sciences, and its related AGs and EGs, has been active in producing reports to SCATS, attending meetings such as the Monaco Assessment phase II or in disseminating information to its community and beyond, as the LS and related AGs and EGs’ reports will demonstrate.

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 5: Report of Life Sciences Group AND Life Sciences Group Reports

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 6: Report of Geosciences Group Activities and Plans

SSG Geosciences, 2016-2017 Report

Report Author(s): Jesús Galindo-Zaldívar (Chief Officer), Naresh C. Pant (Deputy Chief Officer), Marcelo Leppe (Secretary). Contributions of Chief Officers of Expert Groups and Action Groups.

Summary of activities from 2016-17 and any other important issues or factors:

SSG-Geosciences include 6 expert and 4 action groups, two of them cross- disciplinary. These groups are active, have regular meetings (e.g. OSC, AGU, URSI GASS, IAGA) and promote new meetings (e.g. Ist International Antpas Workshop, Varese). Their activities include the production of maps (Bathymetry and Geological Setting of the Drake Passage; Antarctic Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map 2, in latest stages of preparation; International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean V2.0., initiated; Geological maps compilation and integration). Moreover, groups aim to identify long term datasets, continuing the database development, and developing technical manuals and field researches (like GNSS measurements, geophysical and geological observations). Publications of results are envisaged in high-profile international geoscientific journals and special volumes. It is also remarkable the preparation of information papers (e.g. conservation strategies for Antarctic geological and geomorphological features, including fossils, with the aims that SCAR will delivery advice on this matter to CEP, ATS).

SCAR Executive Committee Meeting

31 July – 2 August, Brno, Czech Republic

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 6: Report of Geosciences Group AND Geosciences Group Reports

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 7: Report on AAA Activities and Plans

Astronomy and Astrophysics from Antarctica, 2016-2017 Report

Report Author(s): Professor Anna Moore, Australian National University, on behalf of the AAA steering committee

Summary of activities from 2016-17 and any other important issues or factors:

The AAA SRP continues to satisfy the goals of the 2014-2018 operational plan. During the 2016-17 period, AAA convened and supported both a half day science session and business meeting at the SCAR open science conference in Kuala Lumpur. Four members of the steering committee were rotated as previously presented to SCAR ExCom. The steering committee unanimously endorsed the fourth AAA workshop to be hosted by the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) in Chiang Mai, Thailand on July 31- Aug 4, 2017. Approximately fifty participants will attend this meeting from all over the globe to present their work in Antarctic Astronomy at this international forum. There is significant participation from the astronomical community of Thailand and the south-east Asia region. The SCAR AAA website has been significantly updated during this period to produce a web portal for all astronomical researchers to access existing data.

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 8: Report on AntEco Activities and Plans

State of the Antarctic Ecosystem (AntEco) 2016-2017 Report

Report Authors: Jan Strugnell, Huw Griffiths, Don Cowan, Anton van de Putte, Aleks Terauds, Conxita Avila, Stefano Schiaparelli, Guido di Prisco, Andres Barbosa Alcon, Craig Cary, Annick Wilmotte, Alison Murray, Angelika Brandt, Pete Convey

Summary of activities from 2016-17 and any other important issues or factors:

AntEco recognises the importance of the SCAR Biology Symposium as a major opportunity to bring together the community and facilitate workshops and collaborations. We have concentrated our limited funds on travel support for 35 participants (from 13 countries) with particular attention to less well- represented SCAR members and early career researchers. We also part- sponsored an APECS meeting at SCAR Biology and Polar Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar.

SCAR EXCOM 2017 Paper 9: Report on AnT-ERA Activities and Plans

Antarctic Thresholds – Ecosystem Resilience and Adaptation (AnT-ERA), 2016-2017 Report

Report Author(s): Julian Gutt with SC members

Summary of activities from 2016-17 and any other important issues or factors:

1. Scientific output. Two papers published/submitted as a unique product of AnT-ERA. More than 2000 additional papers fell into the scope of AnT-ERA.
2. Capacity building. (a) Mini-workshop during OSC, 2016; (b) multiple support of the OSC by many AnT-ERA SC members; (c) approx. 12 additional events co-chaired, e.g. ANTOS meetings.
3. Dissemination/products. Key “tool” is AnT-ERA webpage with ∼100,000 hits since 2013. Approx. 520 mailing list members. AnT-ERA contributed to SCAR products, e.g. ACCE and SCAR strategy plan, and other international initiatives/stakeholders requests such as IPBES and UNFCCC.
4. Support of early-career scientists. 16 mini-grants awarded to applicants from approx. 10 countries. A summer school to be held 2018 in Argentina is in preparation.
5. Research. Expeditions and projects under the leadership of AnT-ERA scientists: J. Xavier (JR16003), A. Takahashi (JARE-AP0922). I. Hogg Circum-Antarctic Expedition, AFBA-project, G. di Prisco, TEAM-fish (planned).

SCAR EXCOM 2017: Current SRP Proposal Procedure

SCAR EXCOM 2017: Draft New Group Proposal Procedures