Minutes of extended steering committee meeting of Focus on Soils & Water

Participants

Participating: International Advisory Board: Jan Mulder (Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway), Rik Leemans (Wageningen University, The Netherlands), Sirje Vilbaste (Estonian University of Life Sciences, Estonia)

Reference Group: Eva Ring (Skogforsk), Gesa Weyhenmeyer (Uppsala University, deputy for Stefan Bertilsson)

Ordinary steering group:

Directors of study: Annemieke Gärdenäs, Maria Kahlert
Senior members: Sara Hallin, Richard Johnson, Thomas Kätterer
PhD students: Linnea Berglund, Carina Ortiz, Matthias Winterdahl (deputy of Evgheni Ermolaev) Deputies: Stina Drakare, Erik Karltun (until lunch), Marianne Clarholm

10.30 Coffee was served

11.00 Opening and presentation round. Annemieke chair and Maria secretary of meeting.

1. Résumé of FoSW organization, performed program and financial report 2008-2009 (Annemieke). A discussion followed. Steering group informed about the formalities of a PhD education at the Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences (NL faculty), SLU. The PhD student must take both general skills and research specific courses, at a total number of 45 ECTS. This number varies among the different SLU faculties. The ambition is that each PhD student is enrolled in a Research School (RS). Focus on Soils was an earlier RS at the NL faculty, focusing on soil sciences, followed by FoSW, which includes also aquatic sciences with the aim to enhance cooperation between the two fields of science. Additionally, seven other RS were founded by the NL faculty. The RS were intended to cover all fields of research inside the faculty and give each PhD student the possibility to a) get advanced courses in her/his field of science on a high quality level and b) to stimulate the networking of PhD students and researchers at the faculty. A participation of PhD students and researchers in the RS is anticipated, but there is no force as the activities offered by the RS usually are not of interest to all PhD students and researchers at the faculty. Instead, the RS shall offer a ‘buffet´ of activities adapted to the need of the PhD students. General skill PhD courses are usually offered by the faculty or university itself. Regarding the specialized PhD courses, they usually do not overlap between the different RS. Many PhD students (and researchers) do not ‘fit into’ just one RS, and many are instead participating in the activities of several RS. The general idea is that each PhD study is individual and flexible and adapted to the students needs.

Genenal comments from the advisory board: It was generally agreed that the flexible structure of the PhD studies of the students involved in FoSW is positive and that it was a good idea that the courses are designed following the needs of the students (‘bottom-up control’). The question came up how the quality is ensured, why a PhD student or a researcher might want to join a RS, and who decides which courses are given inside the RS. Regarding quality control, several factors were discussed. First, only high quality activities ensure a high participation of both PhD students and researchers. PhD students will only join and fulfill high quality courses, researchers will only show up at the seminar series if former seminars were interesting. Secondly, the steering committee ensures quality control by a) setting up guidelines for the course organizer to follow, b) checking that the rules are actually followed, c) reviewing the course plan, revising it if necessary, taking also in account the needs of the PhD students. Also, reimbursement is first made after the course report including an evaluation has passed FoSW rules. The steering committee plans for the students needs at least one year in advance by yearly course enquiries and other planning activities (e.g. the kick-off and annual meetings). Planning for a course at least takes one year. Other instruments of quality control in FoSW are the international Advisory Board and the Reference Group as contact to the public and private sectors. The annual RS report is presented to both groups, and any constructive critics and comments to the report and future plans are discussed in one or two annual meetings. Written evaluations of FoSW activities are appreciated. Regarding membership, the steering group informed that the FoSW fellowship is rather informal, that the PhD students should take part at least at two whole day FoSW activities per year and add information about his/her research on the FoSW homepage, if possible with link to webpage, to enhance network building. Organizing a course is a merit for the organizer. Participation in lunch seminars gives at least a free lunch.

Special comments from the advisory board: Jan Mulder: FoSW has a good structure already since FoS. The further development into a (RS) integrating soil and water research is a very good idea. The courses of FoSW are an important part and have an interesting and relevant content. The Norwegian RS, Jan is involved in, offers a course on Ecosanitaion – FoSW students are welcome. About RS in Norway: Norway has recently restructured its PhD education. Today, there are five national RS (for all fields of science) with restricted access to the PhD students and the RS do not have an equally open structure as RS at SLU. This is one of the reasons why an exchange between FoSW RS and Norwegian RS is somewhat difficult. A Norwegian PhD student has to decide all his/her courses already at the start of the study. Interesting courses coming up later can only be taken additionally to those predecided courses. The study plan cannot easily been revised, the system is very rigid. Rik Leemans: FoSW does a great job. Rik suggested that FoSW should check with the other RS of the faculty about a cooperation on certain courses, for example the Risk Assessment course might be of interest for other RS. Also RS abroad might have interesting courses, where FoSW students could participate. SENSE, the Dutch RS, provides 80 different courses – FoSW PhD students are welcome to participate. The FoSW steering committee informed about the fact that FoSW provides stipendia for FoSW PhD students to take PhD course abroad and that FoSW has started to cooperate with the other RS. About RS in The netherlands: NL PhD students have to take 25 ECTS (general skills and special courses). A student can get credits for writing the research plan (takes ½ year usually). Student can get the exam without taking any courses, but department will not accept it as reimbursement of department will be much lower. To become a member of a Dutch RS, a researcher must pass some quality criteria (e.g. publishing ≥ two articles/year etc.). Fellows can be excluded, if not fulfilling the criteria anymore. Fellowship is very much wanted by the researchers, and often even required by the head of departments. Sirje Vilbaste: FoSW has a sound structure, a good quality control and provides interesting activities. About RS in Estonia: The Estonian RS are just in the starting phase, but FoSW PhD students are welcome in Estonia.

2. 12.00-13.30 Lunch seminar by Prof. Georgia Destouni, Stockholm University 'Catchment-scale nutrient loads revealing biogeochemical stationarity under hydro-climatic variability'

3. 13.30-14.15 Plans for the future -Presentation of the fields of research of the FoSW PhD students and their needs for courses (Maria). The general idea is that FoSW arranges one general course for both soil and water PhD students, and two more specialized courses. The Advisory board noted that the course enquiry was sound and that the results were clear. Decision about which courses to plan for (HT) 2010-2011: All participants agreed that the following courses received the highest interest and planning shall be continued:

* General course (spring 2011): From research to policy (and back) -Scaling and error sources. Introduction to the use of research (4,5 ECTS). (Kevin Bishop, Aquatic Sciences & Environment, suggested course with Tim Sullivan, USA as teacher. Course was decided on as important at the FoSW brainstorming meeting 2007 and taken up as important in FoSW RS application.)

* Soil specific course (December 2010): Soil systems: Integrating the chemical, biophysical interface in soils (NOT modelling) 2-3 ECTS (Anke Herrman, Soil & Enviroment, course organizer)

* Second specific course (was chosen by many PhD students dealing with aquatic research) (2011): Risk assessment/Environmental Impacts (MKB) (3 ECTS) (course organizer to be chosen)

 4. 14.15-15.30 Plans for the future -Symposium Ecosystem services, possibilities and threats (Annemieke). Six tentative sections: A: Identification, quantification and valuation of Ecosystem services:

1. Provisioning,
2. Supporting,
3. Regulating, B: Vulnerability, threats and protection of Ecosystem services,
4. Threats to Soil.
5. Threats to Fresh-water,
6. Threats due to Climate change.

A brainstorming session including coffee in small groups followed. Aims were to suggest a symposium title, a title of the session, a short session description and a list of possible key-note speakers including at least 50% female researchers. Rik and Sara noted that it might be a bit much to organize a symposium covering three of four main groups of Ecosystem Services. They suggested to have a ‘Red Line’ with fewer sessions and the key­note speakers summarizing the talks, tying all loose ends together. Annemieke and Maria reminded of the goal to include all FoSW PhD students, all shall feel invited. The meeting agreed to reduce to four sessions: ‘regulating services’ (including climatic changes); ‘supporting services’ (including nutrient cycling); ‘threats to and protection of soil’ (including contamination and soil organic matter decline) and ‘threats to and protection of water’ (including eutrophication) and to include climate (change) in all sessions. The choice of key-note speakers will vary depending on the chosen session and the content of those, especially on the scales included.

Summary of the sessions:

‘threats to soil’ (Jan & Marianne): suggested key-note speakers: Ed Tipping, Jon Baumer, Rattan Lai, Brindraham (ISRIC)
‘regulating services’ (Rik & Annemieke): both soil & water research in title: ‘Ecosystem services in soil and water research’; climate change – impact and coping with it. Suggested key-note speakers: Steve Carpenter, Susanne Trumbone, Sandra Diaz, Johan Rockström, Diana Hill, Diana Levermann, Josh Schimel (C sequestration). Margaret Powell. Matthias noted that Kevin Bishop certainly knows more possible people.
‘threats to water’ (Sirje & Richard): suggested key-note speakers: Peter Nogez, Paula Harrisson, Christian felt, Steward Bunn, Marc Gessner, Clement Tockner, Jim Kirchner, K. Beven, Resilience Center, Stokcholm. Thomas suggested also Annette Freibauer, Detlev Schulze (carbon), Steiner (carbo X-treme) (Jena), Torben Christensen
‘supporting services’ (Sara & Maria): Suggestion that the symposium should include a plenary session with a key-note speaker explaining the term ‘Ecosystem services’ in general. Regarding the session, also here the key-note speaker should summarize everything from small to large processes, we would need a senior researcher with large experience. Physical/chemical/biological processes (from biogeochemical cycles to microbial loops). Which important processes are going on, which organisms, interactions, models. Difficult to set limits for session. Many scales, many researchers on small scales, few on large scales.

 The meeting discussed to open for the possibility to have a poster session in 'provisioning services' and possibly also the fourth group of ecosystem services regarding recreation. Richard reminded of replacing ‘Biodiversity Decline’ by ‘Ecosystem functioning’. Time was running out. Decision was taken to continue by email.

Decisions:

1. The steering group decided to postpone the decisions about diverse applications for funding and reports of activities minutes previous meeting, PhD-course Climatic impacts, travel stipends: Stefan Bengtsson and Marcus Wallin) to an email-meeting the following week.

2. Annemieke closed the meeting.

Signed by:  Maria Kahlert (secretary) and Sara Hallin (verifying person)

Attachment 100211 -Decisions per capsulum (sent to ordinary steering group members and Matthias Winterdahl as personal deputy of Evgheni Ermolaev)

A) Minutes: Approved by all
B) Verifying person: Sara Hallin, other ...: Approved by all
C) Report of PhD-course 'Climatic Impacts on ..: Approved by all
D) Application for travel stipend 6000 kSek Marcus Wallin: Approved by all
E) Reimbursement of Stefan Bengtsson with 8700 Ksek: Approved by all (Annemieke did not participate in decision as (co-)supervisors of applicant)