NSERC Re-allocation Exercise

Academics in the geosciences in Canada probably know that NSERC’s next re-allocation deadline is rapidly approaching. In this procedure, all grant-awarding committees are "taxed" at a rate of 10%. These funds are put into a re-allocation pool and subsequently redistributed among the committees according to internal and external reviews of the science being done within the field in Canada. In the last two exercises, the committees dealing with solid and environmental earth sciences lost more than they got back.

If you’re a faculty member with an NSERC grant, the re-allocation obviously concerns you. But what if you’re in the geoscience industry? There are good reasons why you should be just as interested in the outcome.

When research funds are cut, professors are able to support fewer graduate students and the best students will tend to gravitate to disciplines with higher levels of support. Thus there are flow-through effects into industry. Moreover, the losses in the past exercises may also partly reflect the way Canadian society views the earth sciences in general. If there is a lack of understanding that geoscience is vital to our country’s economic prosperity, it is easy to find competing disciplines such as chemistry more attractive. This is why CGC’s primary goal is to raise Canadian public awareness of the importance of geoscience.

How can you help in the current re-allocation process? First, read the initial draft of the submission to the re-allocation committee, entitled "Imaging global change: earth rediscovered". This is available in a variety of file formats at ftp.geop.ubc.ca/pub/realloc. The draft is the work of representatives of both the solid and environmental earth sciences (Clarke, Creaser, Peltier, Price and Roulet). Although the academic community was somewhat divided on the issue, a strategic decision has been taken to submit a joint report for NSERC Committees 08 and 09. Next, send your constructive comments to realloc@geop.ubc.ca. The drafting committee would also be pleased to receive more examples of how Canadian academic research has led to economic or environmental benefits, including those on human health. Finally, if you are able to do so, attend open discussions on the draft at the CMOS and GAC/MAC meetings and give feedback directly to the Drafting Committee.

After this initial phase of commentary, the schedule for the submission is as follows:

July 1, 2001: Second draft produced and posted

July–August 2001: Second draft submitted for unofficial international review by colleagues in various disciplines

September 2001: Third (and near-final) draft developed

January 2002: Deadline for submission to NSERC

 
CGC Annual General Meeting

The Canadian Geoscience Council has its next (106th) meeting and its Annual General (Business) Meeting at Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University in St. John’s in association with the GAC/MAC on May 31 – June 1, 2001. The agenda includes a report on the CGC Census of Canadian geoscientists, items concerning marine geosciences, mineral deposits research, NSERC re-allocation (see above), International Continental Drilling Project, CGC Position Papers on important geoscience issues, as well as progress on the appointment of an Executive Officer for CGC, elections for the Directors of CGC (based on nominations made by the member societies) and changes to the CGC constitution.

The President’s Report for 2000–2001 is available at pres2000.html. You may pass on your comments about CGC business in advance to the executive of your member society. CGC Meetings are also open to observers.

 
Upcoming Member Society Meetings

(Please send details of other upcoming meetings for posting in future bulletins to alewkowi@uottawa.ca).

Geological Association of Canada/ Mineralogical Association of Canada: St. John’s May 27–30, 2001
Additional details: www.esd.mun.ca/stjohns2001

Canadian Association of Geographers: Montreal May 30 – June 3, 2001
Additional details: blues.lemig.umontreal.ca/cag2001

Canadian Society for Coal Science and Organic Petrology: Calgary June 15–16, 2001
Additional details: www.cscop.org/meeting-announcement.htm

CSPG: Calgary June 18–22, 2001.
Additional details: www.cspgconvention.org/home.htm

Canadian Quaternary Association: Whitehorse August 20–24, 2001
Early Registration May 31. Abstracts by May 31 to jstorer@gov.yk.ca
Additional details: www.beringia.com/CANQUA/index.htm

Canadian Geotechnical Society: Calgary September 16–19, 2001
Additional details: www.cgygeosociety.org/2001.html

 
Strategic Action Plan International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)

The Executive Committee of IUGS would appreciate receiving comments on the Plan. Canadian geoscientists should send them to Dr. Peter Bobrowsky who is Vice-President of IUGS Peter.Bobrowsky@gems7.gov.bc.ca. The deadline for receipt of comments is June 27, 2001.