NGI Executive Committee Meeting Summary

February 4, 2020

NGI Executive Committee Meeting Summary
Silver Spring, Maryland
January 27, 2020

The NGI Executive Committee met at the NOAA facilities in Silver Spring, Maryland on Monday January 26, 2020. NOAA members present were:

• John Cortinas, OAR AOML Director, Lead Technical PM for NGI
• Alan Leonardi, OAR OER Director
• Libby Jewett, OAR Oceans Portfolio Steward (out of country)
• Joe Pica, NESDIS/NCEI, Deputy Director (called in)
• Paul Scholz, NOS CFO/CAO
• Steve Thur, NOS National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Director
• Mel Landry III, NMFS NOAA Restoration Center (called in)
• Julie Jordan, MSU Interim VP Research and Economic Development
• Gordon Cannon, USM VP Research (Monty Graham called in)
• Gary K. Ostrander, FSU VP Research
• Sam Bentley, LSU VP Research and Economic Development
• Bob Lindquist, UAH VP Research and Economic Development
• John Valentine, DISL Director (called in)
• Robert Moorhead, MSU, NGI Director (ex-officio)
• Steve Ashby, MSU, NGI Co-Director (guest)
• Eric Chassignet, FSU Research Fellow (guest, called in)

After a brief presentation on NGI's history, vision/mission, research, and finances, Robert asked the Executive Committee to comment on 4 issues:

• What can NGI do better?
• What more can NGI do to help NOAA?
• How to best grow?
• Any advice for the upcoming review?

The NOAA members discussed the various vehicles they have to fund work (e.g., CIs, contracts, competitive proposals). The Executive Committee noted a need for the universities to communicate their capabilities. A mechanism is needed to connect talent with needs. Although it was generally agreed that there is not a single most-efficient mechanism, methods suggested included presentations at NOAA, targeted presentations to program managers at NOAA, and remote presentations via the NOAA Seminar Series. It was also suggested we engage our university communications resources, social media, printed brochures, etc. One NOAA member recommended the CI Director as the best conduit.

There was a brief discussion about the possibility of NOS funding NGI to provide technical support at selected sites.

John Cortinas commended a social-science-based training opportunity that the Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaboration Team funded that is being offered this year by NGI.

A question was asked regarding which CI is used when a university is a member of more than one CI. The only answer volunteered was delineation by mission.

NGI was encouraged to establish relationships with NOAA's Cooperative Science Centers (CSCs). The Tenth Biennial NOAA EPP/MSI Education and Science Forum will be hosted by the NOAA Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, one of the CSCs, from March 29 - April 1, 2020. NGI was encouraged to participate.

Regarding the upcoming (critical) review, the Executive Committee questioned the lead time to prepare for the review. Robert noted that there was a proposal to execute the science review and the administrative review at different times. The Executive Committee generally agreed that video technology is such that remote participation is acceptable and that it would be good to have the project PIs present at the science review.