Teleconference Goals:

• Begin discussion about what the ARCSS Committee wants to accomplish
• Begin to set the agenda for fall 2002 face-to-face ARCSS Committee meeting

1. Introductory comments:
1. Jonathan Overpeck, ARCSS Committee chair
2. Neil Swanberg, Acting ARCSS Program Manager
   
   
2. ARCSS Committee Responsibilities:
1. ARCSS planning and ARCSS Committee processes are accessible and
open. The ARCSS community leadership will be invited to participate in
ARCSS Committee meetings and other ARCSS Committee discussions.

2. No formal terms of reference for the committee exist, rather it has an
   evolving charge. Current responsibilities of the committee include (in
   summary fashion):
1. update program plan approximately every five years
2. establish criteria for setting research priorities
3. in conjunction with the research community and the NSF,
   identify research priorities
4. review and evaluate the progress of the Program
5. reach out to the research community to find new ideas and help
   nurture the development of those ideas
6. keep track of "the big picture," particularly with regard to
   modeling and synthesis
   
   
3. Arctic System Synthesis. ARCSS is at a critical juncture. The Program has
   new initiatives ramping up as well as initiatives that are mature, making this
   an important time to initiate synthesis of ARCSS research—in order to
   describe the whole arctic system in an integrated fashion. This would not be
   a review of ARCSS research, but rather a substantial intellectual effort to
   synthesize our knowledge of all the components of the arctic system and how
   they fit together.
1. The focus of this synthesis should be on the intellectual content and
   the science, not a programmatic reorganization.
2. The synthesis effort does not necessarily mean a major change or
   restructure of the ARCSS Program, but the synthesis , if done right,
   should guide the direction of the future ARCSS.
3. This is a unique opportunity because there are resources available to
   support an arctic system synthesis effort.
4. The ARCSS Committee will play a major role in defining "synthesis"
   and making a concrete plan to implement this effort. The AC will
   hopefully also play a central role in guiding the effort to completion.
5. Structuring of a synthesis effort will require a substantial amount of
   careful and creative thought. This effort will require more than a
   workshop/series of workshops. It also should not be limited to current
   ARCSS-funded researchers, or even Arctic researchers.
   
   
4. All-Hands Workshop report
1. Important to get the report published. It contains valuable information
   from the workshop, as well as poster and presentation abstracts.
2. The report should focus on recommendations from workshop, and not
   on the structure of the ARCSS Program.
3. The report will be a significant input to the synthesis effort.
   
   
5. Outstanding issues. Call from the chair for any outstanding issues within
   ARCSS that need to be addressed by the ARCSS Committee at the face-toface
   meeting this fall. Teleconference participants raised:
1. Integration of human dimensions research into other ARCSS activities.
2. Relationship between SEARCH and ARCSS needs to be articulated.
   
   
6. Composition of the ARCSS Committee
1. Reinstitute three year (extendable for another 3 in some cases) terms
   for AC members.
2. Chair calls for nominations from teleconference participants.
1. important to build AC that will provide intellectual leadership for
   the ARCSS Program, and also play an active role in carrying out
   the arctic system synthesis
2. nominees can come from within or outside of ARCSS community
3. Chair plans to create a small executive committee within the AC to
   allow for better responsiveness and flexibility.
4. Face-to-face meeting of AC in Washington, DC in the fall.
5. At least four or five committee slots are open.