UCAR Update

October 2008

Previous issues • Subscriptions

In brief
• ASP begins 2009 postdoc recruitment
• CSL computational resources: Proposals due 8 December
• Nominees sought for next administration
• Current job openings at UCAR
• New from COMET: Satellite resources, aviation forecasts, climatology
• Reminders from previous issues

ASP begins 2009 postdoc recruitment
NCAR's Advanced Study Program (ASP) intends to hire as many as seven new postdoctoral fellows in early 2009. The postdoc program is open to individuals who have earned doctoral degrees in atmospheric science or related fields and who seek to broaden their understanding by interacting widely with scientists and other postdoctoral researchers at NCAR. Applicants must be able to conduct research with minimal supervision, exercise considerable independent judgment and creativity, and demonstrate strong communication skills.

ASP postdoc positions are for one year with an opportunity to renew for a second year. Successful applicants will join the appropriate divisions, institutes, or programs at NCAR that best match their interests.

Appointments may begin as early as June. Applicants who will not be available to begin work until after January 2010 should wait until the 2010 recruitment period, which will begin in November 2009. Fellows should not be more than four years beyond the Ph.D. degree at the start of the appointment. See below for more details.

Application deadline: 5 January 2009
Contact: Paula Fisher, NCAR/ASP, 303-497-1328
NCAR Advanced Study Program Postdoctoral Fellowship Announcement

CSL computational resources: Proposals due 8 December
NCAR’s Computational and Information Systems Laboratory is soliciting proposals for the use of the Climate Simulation Laboratory (CSL) computing facilities beginning 1 June 2009 and continuing through 30 November 2010. This multi-agency computing facility, established in 1995, is dedicated to climate modeling in support of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program.

CSL resources include 40% of an IBM POWER6 cluster with 3776 batch processors, called bluefire. Mass storage, data analysis, and visualization resources are also available to CSL researchers. The announcement of opportunity can be found on the CSL web site.

Contact: Ginger Caldwell, NCAR/CISL, 303-497-1229
The Climate Simulation Laboratory at NCAR

Nominees sought for next administration
UCAR and seven partnering institutions have released their 2008 “transition document,” designed to convey weather- and climate-related priorities to the next administration and Congress. The associated website allows community members to suggest nominees to serve in key positions affecting science policy in the new administration. These nominations will be held in confidence and not be published for the community, but will be provided to transition teams with the permission of the nominee. Please send your nominations using the online form as soon as possible.

Contact: Jack Fellows, UOP, 303-497-8655
Advice to the New Administration and Congress

Current job openings at UCAR
Below are the titles of scientific positions now open at UCAR/NCAR/UOP, along with the relevant tracking code. All jobs are based in Boulder unless otherwise indicated.

• Part-time Associate Scientist II (8208)
• Postdoctoral Fellow I (9002)
• Project Coordinator (Program Specialist III) (8209)
• Space Weather Remote Sensing Project Scientist I (8102)

Applicants can view the full descriptions for these and other positions at the UCAR Human Resources site.

Contact: UCAR Human Resources
Careers at UCAR

New from COMET: Satellite resources, aviation forecasts, climatology
Below are details of four new online publications available from UOP/COMET. Please see the accompanying Web links for more details.

Environmental Satellite Resource Center (ESRC)
The COMET program, in association with the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System’s Integrated Program Office and NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, & Information Service, has created a new Web-based search tool for finding useful satellite resources. This community-driven website provides access to information on satellite systems and applications, data products, cases and examples, and education and training materials about low-Earth-orbiting and geostationary environmental satellites.

Writing TAFs for Winds and Low-Level Wind Shear
This module is the third unit in the Distance Learning Aviation Course 2 series on producing TAFs (Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts) that meet the needs of the aviation community. In addition to providing information about tools for diagnosing wind and wind impacts, the module extends the Practically Perfect TAF process to address airport-specific criteria. By understanding the criteria at airports for which they produce TAFs, forecasters will be better able to produce a Practically Perfect Site-Specific TAF.

Introduction to Climatology
This module provides an overview of climatology, beginning by examining the drivers that combine to create the climate regions of the world—from those at the mesoscale (local) level to those at the synoptic-scale (continental) and global-scale levels. Examples include locally dominant winds, air masses, fronts, ocean currents, Earth's rotation around the Sun, and latitude.

Introduction to Statistics for Climatology
The effective use of climate data and products requires an understanding of what the statistical parameters mean and which parameters best summarize the data for particular climate variables. This module addresses both concerns, focusing on the statistical parameters (defining what they mean and how they are calculated, using climate data as examples), and weather and climate variables (identifying the statistical parameters that best represent each one). The module concludes with a discussion of data quality and its impact on weather and climate products.

Contact: Hildy Kane, UOP/COMET, 303-497-8470
COMET MetEd site

Reminders from previous issues

Apply now for Faculty Fellowship Program
Application deadline: 31 October

Climate Prediction Applications Postdoctoral Program
Application deadline: 15 December

Climate and global change postdocs sought for 2009
Application and recommendation deadline: 15 January 2009

Applications now being accepted for 2009 Heliophysics Summer School
Deadline: 1 April 2009

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Questions or news tips: Bob Henson, 303-497-8605
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