Science Themes and Responsibilities of the Project Office and Secretariat

• Climate
• Contaminants
• Human Dimensions
• Structure and function of Arctic Ecosystems

Responsibilities of the PAG Project Office and Secretariat

The PAG has identified GOALS and THEMES. The director of the Project Office will assist in the achievement of PAG goals:

to identify gaps in knowledge and priority research needs and seek means to address them- The PAG expects to initiate projects related to process studies, regional surveys, and climate monitoring. A consensus regarding the leading scientific questions, natural geographical constraints, and appropriate suites of state variables will serve to identify areas of mutual interest. Once defined, scientific objectives of the PAG can be articulated and promoted as an integral part of national and international programs. The Project Office will serve as a resource to provide scientific support for consensus and assist in promoting approved projects.

to facilitate and coordinate science operations among PAG member states - Many institutes and individuals (acting as Principal Investigators) have direct access to capital assets. Ships, ice stations, aircraft, high-latitude research stations, operational forecasting support, and specialized research laboratories are all necessary to scientific research in the Arctic. Scientific expertise is also essential to field work in the Arctic. The PAG recognizes the enormous cost savings possible in an environment of shared research objectives, open facilities, and easy access to expertise. The Project Office will act as a broker to establish partnerships that assure high productivity of field programs, with benefits to the members of specific field programs and to the larger research community.

to promote and facilitate data accessibility and integrated databases - The scientific endeavor builds upon prior work and observations. These data and analyses provide the baseline climate and are essential for the design of modern field programs. The Project Office will be pro-active in identifying important data and promoting their accessibility.

to serve as a forum for information exchange- Good communication is the key to any healthy partnership. The Project Office and Secretariat will provide the basic infrastructure and knowledge base for receiving and disseminating both general scientific information and specific information requests. From time-to-time the PAG may wish to organize symposia and/or prepare white papers; the Project Office will respond at the direction of the PAG Executive Committee.

to establish and maintain communication with other relevant science organizations- The PAG is part of the broad international community of arctic research. The Project Office and Secretariat will provide the principle interface between PAG and institutes, individuals, and international programs of the international community. As appropriate and directed, the Project Office will represent the PAG goals and objectives.

Administrative responsibilities of the Secretariat Office includes organizing and recording of the PAG business meetings, administrative correspondence, support of the PAG Executive Committee, and support of the Project Office. The PAG web site will also be maintained at the Secretariat Office. The contents of the web site will be the responsibility of the PAG members, the PAG Executive Committee, and the Project Office.

The Secretariat will be supervised by the Director of the Project Office and the Director of the Shannon Point Marine Center.

The Project Office and Secretariat will be hosted by the Shannon Point Marine Center (SPMC), a part of Western Washington University. The director of the Project Office will be an employee of the University and subject to all normal rules, regulations, and procedures. The director of the Project Office will report to the PAG Executive Committee and Director of SPMC.