Renewal of the Cooperative Institute for Alaska Research (CIFAR) Award to June 30, 2018
(8/7/2012) Based upon the “outstanding” review rating that CIFAR received from the NOAA Science Advisory Board review panel, consultation with NOAA programs who have partnered with CIFAR, and NOAA’s future research needs in the Alaska region, Robert S. Detrick, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) has recommended that NOAA provide a full five-year renewal, with no restrictions on funding level for the Cooperative Institute for Alaska Research at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The review team summary states: “The quality, scope, and timeliness of CIFAR’s science are exemplary, as seen in presentations, publications, and other products. The CIFAR-supported student research is yielding an astonishingly high return on investment, both because of the quality of the science and the relevance of the science to important practical questions ranging from stock assessment to polar bear conservation to predicting glacial melt.... Especially noteworthy is the high leverage achieved by minimal CIFAR support that helps close funding gaps and recruit students in the area of stock assessment, an area that is recognized as an important national need. In general, CIFAR excels at leverage, collaboration, and avoiding redundancy. The climate change and variability and coastal hazards research is simultaneously world class and directly related to operations.”
CIFAR thanks the members of CIFAR’s executive board and fellows as well as the CIFAR-funded students and faculty who directly contributed to CIFAR’s “outstanding” review in July 2011. |