1. Retreat Summary

2. Action Items
Need to continue to push for COSMIC-II. There are several actions items for UCAR and NSF in the coming month.
Need to get started putting efforts on COSMIC-II TAA preparation.
The GMCP idea (consortium of international RO missions) needs to be fully explored. COSMIC will support Ector to pursue this idea. May need computer upgrade on the order of $100K. This will be treated as a separate efforts (outside COSMIC and COSMIC-II).
Need to continue to put the “continued operation of COSMIC” together. Target is mid-December. Wait for Jay’s suggestion on whether we should combine the continued operation of COSMIC (to be funded by various agencies) with the “international RO data center” proposal. For the continued operation of COSMIC, it would go much better with a well reviewed proposal.

3. Need to prepare for the AMS meeting:
Finalize agenda and participant list for the Monday COSMIC Interagency Working Group meeting. (Fein, Anthes, Kuo)
Finalize agenda and participant list for the Tuesday COSMIC climate meeting (Ho, Bates, Kuo)
Should arrange a NESDIS-UCAR meeting (e.g., Anthes, Davis, Crison) during AMS
Encourage COSMIC staff to work with NCAR and university scientists on joint proposals when an opportunity arises.
Ground-based GPS
Space-based GPS

4. Some suggestions
Need to cultivate relationship with program managers from various agencies: NSF/OPP, DOE, … (Rick’s suggestion)
Stan Solomon suggests having a meeting with Eric Barron about COSMIC-NCAR collaboration (and seek his support).
Recruit additional graduate students (from U.S. universities). Need more US university faculty be more involved with COSMIC research. Don Lenschow like to have a graduate student to work with COSMIC on ABL.
Conduct another NCAR Summer Colloquium on GPS meteorology (ground and space based)
Develop “remote GPS meteorology class” for US university (should seek one US university for collaboration).
Jack Fellows suggested that we develop education/training tools for universities (following the model of UNIDATA).

5. Outlook into the Future
We have expanded quite a bit over the past year. Don’t think we should get any bigger. We have already significantly increased our burn rate.
What is my job security at UCAR COSMIC?
There are no “permanent job” at COSMIC. We don’t have “senior scientist” job at UCP. Even NCAR senior scientists do not have tenure.
Everyone needs to justify their support within COSMIC. “what will be your contributions to COSMIC?”
Performance evaluation, promotion will all based on your contributions to COSMIC
We need to work as a team to keep pushing the envelope of science and technology for RO and ground-based remote sensing technology.
Our performance is our “job security” – keep up the good work.

6. Do you like Aspen Lodge?
Please respond to Ingrid about your comments on this retreat. (time, location, facility)
Please respond to Bill Kuo with regards to the organization of the retreat
Task Karl/Maggie to collect all presentations and put them on internal COSMIC web page