[LTER-luq-pi] Fwd: copy of the latest charge letter to the review team

Mon Feb 13 06:11:52 PST 2017

Hi All,

Lou Kaplan has updated the "charge" for the Site Review Team.  It provides,
among other things, a straightforward oultine to follow for the information
they need to write their report.  Please review this by tomorrow.

jess

Jess K. Zimmerman
Professor
Lead PI, Luquillo LTER Program
Director, El Verde Field Station
Department Environmental Sciences
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras
Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico

Tel: 787-764-0000 ext. 1-XXXX-# where XXXX is:
   LTER Program Office: 88233
   El Verde Field Station: 83467
Mobile: 787-380-3311

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kaplan, Louis Arnold <LKAPLAN at nsf.gov>
Date: Fri, Feb 10, 2017 at 6:17 PM
Subject: copy of the latest charge letter to the review team
To: Jess Zimmerman <jesskz at ites.upr.edu>

Hi Jess,

As promised, below is the latest charge letter to the site review team.
This really does not change what you have already seen, but I hope it
provide better clarity and direction.

Best,

Lou

Dear members of the Luquillo LTER site review team,

Below is my attempt to clarify the information previously provided to you
as guidance for the site visit and to help orient you as you begin to
review the materials about the Luquillo LTER.  I have included an overview
of the task in front of you, a historical timeline of the current LTER
proposal from Luquillo to provide context for your review, and a report
template that specifies the five topic areas for the body of your report as
well as individual assignments for the team members.

The overarching objective of the site review team is to prepare an
evaluation for NSF of the Luquillo LTER performance. NSF, in turn, will
share your report with the site PI with the expectation that the report
provides constructive advice as the LTER team continues with the activities
described in their proposal and prepares their next renewal proposal.  This
means that your primary focus during much of the site review is to obtain
the information from the LTER team that you need to write the report.  The
report is your collective document and this is your collective review – NSF
is present as an observer. As such, you all share in the responsibility for
the content of final document, much in the way that panelists agree on the
content of a panel summary, and this also means that you have ultimate
control over the agenda.  You may ask for any logistically reasonable
modifications to the agenda that you deem necessary to complete your task.
I have shared with the Luquillo LTER PI my concern that the schedule is
heavily weighted to field trips. He has told me that the field trips
include multiple stops with presentations designed with the goal of
providing you with the information you will need for your report. There
will be an opportunity prior to the poster session on day 1 for you to
discuss with the LTER leadership team whether the agenda as designed is
meeting that goal and to request adjustments if necessary.

The 2015 renewal proposal that was approved for funding and that has been
shared with you was submitted approximately 2 years after a prior renewal
proposal for six years of funding was declined by the LTER Program at NSF.
That decline placed the Luquillo LTER site on probation, a process unique
within NSF to the LTER Program. Under probation, a site receives full
funding for 2 years, during which time they revise and submit a new renewal
proposal for 4 years of funding. Because of the probation period and other
site-specific reasons beyond the control of the Luquillo LTER team, the
duration of the award for the 2015 renewal proposal was 36 months and the
start date was 01 January 2016. This means that your mid-term site review
visit to Luquillo comes roughly 1.25 years after the award was made. It
also means that the Luquillo LTER site PIs have another year or so after
your report is completed before their next renewal proposal will be
submitted.

The main body of your report will have 5 sections:

1. *Site-based Research*, including the conceptual model, long-term
experiments, modeling as a tool for insight, and the collection of
long-term data in the 5 core areas of primary production, population
dynamics and trophic structure, organic matter accumulation, inorganic
inputs and movements of nutrients through the ecosystem, and patterns and
frequency of disturbances.

2. *Information Management*, including activities that address the 2
essential objectives of Information Management at a LTER site: (1) the
collection and analysis of data necessary to complete the proposed research
activities and (2) the availability of data and other relevant digital
products to science, education, and general public users.

3. *Network-Level Participation and Synthesis* activities including any
cross-site research.

4. *Education, Outreach and Training*, including REUs, graduate students,
post-doctoral scholars, and the schoolyard LTER activities.

5. *LTER Site Management* including leadership structure and decision
making, fiscal accountability and budgets, site security and management,
engagement of new investigators, promoting diversity of the scientific team.

            Logistically, as there are 5 sections of the report and 5 team
members, I think it makes sense for each member of the team to have the
responsibility of writing the initial draft of one of the sections.  These
section drafts need to be assembled into a cohesive whole, and that will be
the role of the site review team chair.  I have asked Chris Neill to be the
chair of the site review team and he has accepted that assignment. The
primary roles of the chair are to assemble the draft sections of the report
into a cohesive whole and to be the spokesperson for the team when the team
wishes needs to communicate with the Luquillo PI team about the schedule,
any requests for additional information, and the final report out on the
last day of the site visit.

I have made some preliminary assignments as I think it is helpful for your
review for each team member to know what section of the report they will be
writing as they review the site materials in advance of the visit.  The
assignments are as follows: Site based research, Niall; Information
management, Jonathan; Network-level participation and synthesis, Chris;
Education, outreach, and training, Alan; and LTER site management,
Christy.  These assignments and the idea that each individual should take
primary responsibility for the initial draft of a report section are only
suggestions. If you feel particularly uncomfortable with your assignment or
believe there is a better model for distributing the workload, please let
me know and communicate this to Chris. My primary concern is the report you
will write.  I am willing to leave the details of how that is accomplished
up to the team to decide through consensus.

The Luquillo LTER PI is preparing a progress report that will be
distributed to you by NSF prior to the site visit.  This should be more
heIpful for your review than the annual report that was sent to you, and I
have asked that the structure of that progress report match the structure
of the main body of the report you will write with the same 5 subheadings.

I want to thank all of you in advance for you participation on this site
review team.  I encourage anyone who has not registered on Fast Lane, made
hotel reservations, or worked with Adtrav to get your flight tickets to do
so soon.

I look forward to being with all of you in Puerto Rico.

Best regards,

Lou

Louis A. Kaplan, Ph.D.
Program Director, Ecosystem Science Cluster
Division of Environmental Biology
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 635
Arlington, VA 22230
Phone:703.292.7187 <(703)%20292-7187>
lkaplan at nsf.gov
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