1. PURPOSE OF THE UIF * Enable the University to seize opportunities at the frontiers of knowledge and learning or to reshape existing programs consistent with the highest and best needs of the institution. * Invest in those initiatives that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries and to respond to broad institutional goals. All funded initiatives are expected to offer significant academic impact or provide substantially enhanced level of service to academic programs, enhance quality and excellence, and provide for long-term significance and sustainability.

2. University Initiatives Fund Application Cover Page Proposal Title: The "Puget Sound Regional Synthesis Model" (PRISM): An Integrated Vision of Puget Sound into the Twenty-First Century Budget Request: $640,000/yr

3. 1. PRISM The PRISM UIF proposes to develop and sustain a dynamic and integrated understanding and description of the environmental... and human factors that will shape the Puget Sound region.. How does the landscape and seascape of Puget Sound function? What are the institutional and social forces that influence how society affects …? How can the information and understanding obtained... be used as a means to integrate the component parts of the University to offer a high quality interdisciplinary education? How can the University best work with other public and private organizations as partners in understanding, managing, and learning about the Puget Sound region?

4. 2. IMPLEMENTATION... a "laboratory and a classroom without walls," capable of traveling in time and in space to analyze multiple issues of the region. Its greatest resolution and accuracy will be in confronting the state of Puget Sound today, …. we can "zoom in" on periods of the past.... the most challenging task will be to travel into the future, into the twenty-first Century.

5. 2.1 A Puget Sound Regional Synthesis The vehicle for Synthesis will be... a "Virtual Puget Sound" (VPS)… Development of Linked Modules An atmospheric regional weather module … A hydrology module will represent the effects of… Models of change in land use and cover will be linked to … A Puget Sound circulation module …phytoplankton model …validated using data collected … The focus of the marine biological communities module will be to describe … Development of the integrated assessment modules...

6. 2.1 A Puget Sound Regional Synthesis Development of the Virtual Puget Sound Data and Information System Gateway to an interactive archive of integrated numerical modeling systems and data bases…. Visualization, communication, and computer graphics … Determine how to make a heterogeneous collection of complex scientific models available… Examine how to handle multiple scales in both space and time, and how to visualize the vast amount of information required. …

7. 2.2. A Puget Sound- Driven Education Program Incorporation in existing courses... Involvement of upper-level undergraduates and graduates in cross-departmental tool-based and project-based courses Interdisciplinary Methods Courses.... with a focus on GIS. Introductory course at the 200 level, A 400-Level Course, Junior-Year Retreats,. Senior Projects.

8. 2.3. A Regional Partnership: UW and the outside Community Interactions between UW and outside partners will provide an opportunity to further educate and train students Will take the results of university-based knowledge to constituents in a variety of formats and vehicles …… Intends to have a significant contribution to informal and formal (K-12) education…. Will play a role in demonstrating results through public lectures and workshops, WWW …

9. 3. ADMINISTRATION Project Organization Project Leader will head the UW Steering Committee Module Working Groups Advisory Group Timelines and Criteria for Performance Evaluation The first year will emphasize team building, initial model identification and first-cut synthesis The second year will shift into a more operational mode, as the various elements are brought on line. Years 3-5 will see essentially the "full-up" PRISM in operation. … annual review workshop

10. 4. LIKELY RESULTS AND BENEFITS The process of creating such an electronic laboratory … The production of a set of tools … The establishment, verification, and continuous refinement of the Virtual Puget Sound environment … The dissemination of the information from the Virtual Puget Sound will provide a powerful tool for education and outreach. Commercial promise in the testing and application of computer- based information systems….

11. 5. BUDGET The PRISM five-year funding profile represents a time-phased "pooling" of resources from three sources: - Unit contributions, -UIF funds - External funds. Only "temporary" funds are requested. Commitments for permanent positions are not requested at this time.....