-
On 3 January 2018, the APECS ExCom held their first meeting of the year to discuss leadership updates and community development. Present at the meeting, in alphabetical order were: Alice Bradley, Jilda Caccavo, Jennifer Cooper, Gerlis Fugmann, Jean Holloway, Heike Midleja, and Alex Thornton. After renewing intentions to again post ExCom minutes, we discussed Secretariat updates, including partnership agreements as well as a new Google analytics account and how to use data to better meet APECS’ communication goals. ExCom members provided general updates - such as the status of projects like the IPCC Expert Review groups – and heard Council updates from Jenn (reminder: individual Council reports are due 31 January). Conversation shifted to fostering an engaged, cohesive, and transparent community and specifically what APECS is doing to create a network of ECRs. Towards this goal, Gerlis has created a new
Council Events calendar that will be populated with project group and full Council meetings as well as other important Council deadlines. We also discussed how to show appreciation for members, including a new travel grant to acknowledge significant contributions of Council and National Committee leadership (ExCom excluded), which will be announced in mid-January. We finished the meeting by talking about how to encourage future leadership in APECS and using outreach events to reach specific audiences. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled to be held at the same time (20:00 GMT) on 18 January.
-
On 18 January 2018, the APECS ExCom held a regularly-scheduled meeting to discuss Secretariat updates and community engagement (we now have >3,000 active members from around the world). Present at the meeting, in alphabetical order were: Alice Bradley, Jilda Caccavo, Jennifer Cooper, Gerlis Fugmann, Ruth Hindshaw, Jean Holloway, Heike Midleja, and Alex Thornton. We discussed funding calls for POLAR2018, web development, partner agreements, and an APECS leadership award to be announced soon. ExCom members gave reports on project group statuses, including highlighting plans for the upcoming March Polar Week, webinar ideas, and social media strategies. We addressed logistic changes, such as a switch to the Zoom meeting system and related access issues for members. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled to be held at the same time (20:00 GMT) on 1 February.
-
The APECS ExCom had our regular bi-weekly meeting on February 1, 2018 to discuss updates from the Secretariat, follow-up about recent calls and meetings, and discuss Council Reports and the APECS World Summit. Present at the meeting in alphabetical order were: Alice Bradley, Jilda Caccavo, Gerlis Fugmann, and Jean Holloway. We discussed the travel funding for POLAR2018, the Arctic Frontiers and the ECR Network-of-Networks meetings, and various APECS council project groups including the Alpine Cryosphere, Webinars, and Polar Week groups. We also did an overview of the first National Committee call. Finally, we discussed the finalization of our guidelines for political involvement and a Code of Conduct. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled to be held at the same time (20:00 GMT) on February 15.
-
On February 15, 2018, the APECS Ex-Com had their regularly scheduled meeting. Present at the meeting in alphabetical order were Jilda Caccavo, Jenn Cooper, Gerlis Fugmann, Jean Holloway, Hanne Nielsen, Heike Midleja, and Alex Thornton. First, we discussed a new guideline to deal with inactive NCs. We also had an overview of the council reports which were submitted, including issues surrounding council meeting attendance and the potential to add a second council meeting to accommodate different time zones. The ExCom also delegated writing reports for the Arctic Science Ministerial and the WMO EC-PHORS group. Finally, the secretariat gave an update on the EU projects APPLICATE and ARICE, and we discussed plans for the POLAR2018 World Summit. The next meeting is scheduled for March 1, 2018.
-
On March 1st 2018, the APECS ExCom met as scheduled. Those present at the meeting in alphabetical order were: Alice Bradley, Jilda Caccavo, Gerlis Fugmann, Jean Holloway, Heike Midleja, Hanne Nielsen and Gabriela Roldan.First, we welcomed Mathieu Casado, a member of the Council who will be taking on ExCom duties temporarily while Alex Thornton is away. Then, Jean Holloway provided updates regarding the exciting activities planned for Polar Week, which will be celebrated March 18 - 25, 2018, such as a photo competition and a webinar series on grant writing. Also, we received hundreds of applications for POLAR2018 Travel grants and the reviewers will start working on those applications shortly. We discussed the benefits and disadvantages to have a professionally produced promotional video of APECS, as we have been approached by some of our partner organizations for sharing the costs of such video. No decision has been made yet as more information on the video and deliverables will be requested and circulated for further discussion. Nominations for Council members to represent APECS as part of the Future Earth WG for the ECR-NoN were discussed, and a call for nominees among the APECS Council members will go out soon. Finally, we got an update from the Secretariat who has been working hard coordinating future summer schools, funding opportunities and writing proposals. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled for March 15 at 20:00 GMT.
-
On 15 March 2018, the APECS ExCom met as scheduled. Those present at the meeting were Jilda Caccavo, Mathieu Casado, Gerlis Fugmann, Jean Holloway, Heike Midleja, and Gabriela Roldan. First, we discussed a possible partnership with SCAR and the EPB to hire a filmmaker to a create short promotional video among others for APECS during the POLAR2018 conference. Then, we discussed inviting the Advisory Board to participate in the World Summit. The request of a potential partnership with the media organisation Ocean Imaging were also on the agenda. Jean provided an update on all of the events that the Polar Week project group has planned, including webinars, social media campaigns, and a blog series featuring outstanding APECS members. We discussed the submission of abstracts to the IASC Expo during POLAR2018 and the UArctic Congress. An update was also provided on the POLAR2018 Travel Awards for which we received 346 applications. All of them have been reviewed and the notifications will be sent out once the suggested recipients have been approved by the different funding sources. Finally, we discussed the need for the ExCom to finalise the APECS guidelines on a Code of Conduct and on Political Activity prior to distributing the drafts to our Council for comment. The next meeting is scheduled for 28 March 2018 at 20:00 UTC.
-
On March 28, 2018 the APECS ExCom met as scheduled. In attendance at the meeting in alphabetical order were Jilda Caccavo, Mathieu Casado, Gerlis Fugmann, Jean Holloway, and Hanne Nielsen. First, we decided that APECS will partner with SCAR and EPB on the use of a videographer during POLAR2018. We discussed sad news from the Indian National Antarctic Programme where a tragic accident caused the death of an ECR, so APECS and IPRN sent condolences. Next, we discussed finalizing the Code of Conduct and Political Activity documents as soon as possible. Jean gave a summary of Polar Week activities, where we had fabulous attendance at both our webinars and got increased engagement on social media (particularly on Twitter). Winners of the photo contest will be finalized and announced in the next week. Finally, we got an update from the secretariat on the WMO EC-PHORS meeting, the ARICE and INTERACT projects, and the potential for APECS to contribute to the 2019 YESS Congress. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled for April 11.
-
On April 11, 2018 the APECS ExCom met as scheduled. In attendance at the meeting in alphabetical order were Jilda Caccavo, Mathieu Casado, Gerlis Fugmann, Jean Holloway, Heike Midleja, Hanne Nielsen, Gabriela Roldan and Alex Thornton. We welcomed Alex’s return to ExCom, and thanked Mathieu for filling in for him. We considered a partnership with CryoConnect, a cryosphere outreach platform, and will be in touch with them to clarify several points that came up during our discussion. We discussed a proposal from Council Members for a project group concerning “Harassment in the Field”, and several suggestions were made to provide feedback to the proponents. Also, it was decided that we will restrict the in-person ExCom meeting in Davos to one day (Friday, June 15th), in order to allow for ExCom members to participate in other meetings and represent APECS widely. The meeting room is reserved in case the need for follow-up meetings arise. Several suggestions were made for how to increase Council participation in the Online Conference, which still needs judges and tech support. Several updates from the Secretariat included the office move, a status update on the review of the ARICE position applications, as well as that negotiations are underway with AWI for a new full-time project manager/scientist position shared between APECS and the German Arctic Office. Finally, procedures for handling Council resignations were discussed, as well as the extensions of the APECS mentor award nomination deadline. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled for April 26.
-
On April 26, 2018, the APECS ExCom met as scheduled. In attendance at the meeting in alphabetical order were Jilda Caccavo, Mathieu Casado, Jean Holloway, Heike Midleja, Hanne Nielsen, Gabriela Roldan and Alex Thornton. First, we discussed how the recent Council Call went, and how well having two calls over two days to reach more time zones worked. Several ideas were put forth as to how future Council Calls could be restructured to encourage greater interaction of Council members during the call, including prior submission of project group updates and discussion topics (as is now done during the National Committee Calls). An agenda for the in-person ExCom meeting in Davos was created, and ExCom members were encouraged to contribute to it in the coming weeks. Final feedback was requested for the Code of Conduct draft. A short brainstorming session was carried out to field ideas for ways in which we could utilize the creativity of Council/APECS members. Updates from the Secretariat included the interview dates for selected applicants to the ARICE position, as well as the release of a more streamlined, interactive monthly newsletter format. Finally, several issues regarding different National Committees were discussed, to be followed up by engaging with the National Committee Coordinators in the coming weeks. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled for May 9.
-
On May 9, 2018 the APECS ExCom met as scheduled. In attendance at the meeting in alphabetical order were Alice Bradley, Jilda Caccavo, Gerlis Fugmann, Heike Midleja, Hanne Nielsen and Alex Thornton. The meeting began with discussion of partnership agreements with National Committees that require renewal/drafting. A deadline was set for the end of the month to draft the APECS posters for which abstracts were submitted for POLAR2018. Submission of a paper to a special WMO publication focusing on the legacy and future of IPY was discussed, which would help to highlight APECS and other ECR activities/organizations. APECS will be holding a communication workshop during the UArctic Congress, for which applications are currently being accepted. We considered partnering with ARCUS in hosting a “Celebrate the Arctic” event at POLAR2018. Alex will provide more details with regards to this event prior to the next ExCom meeting. Ways in which the SCAR/IASC partner/links project group could be given greater direction were explored, including an in-person meeting in Davos. The development of a data protection policy was discussed, including researching data management policies, and considering who could provide further insights into this topic at POLAR2018. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled for May 23.
-
On May 23, 2018 the APECS ExCom met as scheduled. In attendance at the meeting in alphabetical order were Alice Bradley, Jilda Caccavo, Jenn Cooper, Gerlis Fugmann, Jean Holloway, Heike Midleja, Hanne Nielsen, Gabriela Roldan, Alex Thornton. We began the meeting by addressing the time sensitive imposition of compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) coming into effect 25/5 in the EU. We discussed the best way to obtain consent from our members so they can provide us with the basic data we require to maintain their APECS subscriptions. Immediate actions to comply with the GDPR were planned in order to reach all APECS membership. Follow-up on issues and partnership agreement renewals with several NCs was outlined, with Alex and Jilda taking the lead on assuring partnership agreements up for renewal are ready for signing in time for the World Summit at POLAR2018. In addition, the process will begin to establish a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Polar Knowledge Canada. A draft was created to collect comments and ideas for the APECS video that will be put together at POLAR2018 in collaboration with the videographer hired in collaboration with partner organizations. Final comments were requested for the Code of Conduct and Political Activity documents after receiving input from several members of the APECS Advisory Council prior to sharing with the Council for comment. A start time for the in-person ExCom meeting at POLAR2018 was agreed upon. Updates from the Secretariat included: a final decision had been made for the ARICE position, which will be announced once the selection has been approved by AWI; an update on the progress of the ad for Heike’s temp replacement; and that we will be given a 5 minute slot during the POLAR2018 Banquet to give out the Mentor Awards. The Online Conference went off without a hitch last week, and praise is due to the entire project group for putting together a successful conference this year, especially Clare and Yi Ming. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled for June 6.
-
On June 6, 2018 the APECS ExCom met as scheduled. In attendance at the meeting in alphabetical order were Jilda Caccavo, Gerlis Fugmann, Jean Holloway, Hanne Nielsen, Gabriela Roldan, and Alex Thornton. We began by discussing key meetings during the POLAR2018 conference at which we want to assure that someone from ExCom or the Council can attend in order to represent APECS. Presentations from APECS for the conference are in their final stages of completion, and the posters prepared for the conference are in the process of being printed. Final comments for the in-person ExCom meeting agenda were solicited. The preparation of an eventual APECS publication for the IPY was discussed, as well as what content should be highlighted during Hanne’s five minute presentation about APECS at the IPY session. The Code of Conduct and Political Activity documents have been sent to Council for comment, and will be discussed further at the ExCom in-person meeting at POLAR2018. Follow-up with NC coordinators was successful, and they will be working with relevant NCs to finalize new and renewed partnership agreements prior to POLAR2018. Possible changes to the Council Call format were discussed, including pre-publication of project group reports to avoid the time these summaries take during the call, emphasizing the importance of having project group representation at both meetings (continuing with the two Council Call model to accommodate diverse time zones), and selecting discussion topics for the meeting. Updates from the Secretariat included increasing registration for the APECS UArctic Workshop, starting to write a proposal for shiptime for the ARICE Summer School in 2020, that Gerlis will be representing AWI and APECS at the YESS congress in 2019, and finally that the announcement for Heike’s maternity replacement was announced. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled for July 11 (after POLAR2018).
-
On July 11, 2018 the APECS ExCom met as scheduled. In attendance at the meeting in alphabetical order were Jilda Caccavo, Gerlis Fugmann, Heike Midleja, Hanne Nielsen, Gabriela Roldan, and Alex Thornton. The meeting began by discussing the early advertisement of applications for Council, giving the Council Chairs time in July / August to conduct group interviews of applicants with the help of ExCom. Suggested changes / updates to project groups deriving from discussions during the in-person ExCom meeting in Davos were outlined, including creating a reviewing project group, a revised list of project groups, and improving the descriptions of project groups to indicate what benefits group members could hope to gain from their participation. Information on time commitment and benefits of participation will also be requested from NCs. Orientation webinars will now take place in September prior to the start of the new Council term, including the addition of a webinar with APECS alumni. Further planning will be needed towards the end of the summer, including picking dates, topics, and people to run the webinars. The need to set up a regular call with SCAR to discuss cooperation was mentioned, as well as contacting the Hobart 2020 SCAR Conference organizers regarding ECR involvement. Council feedback will need to be integrated into the Code of Conduct document, and APECS Canada will be collaborating on the final draft of the Political Activity document. The possibility of adding a “from the APECS leadership” section of the newsletter was discussed, including a link to ExCom meeting minutes, and highlighting NC activities. The need to identify parts of the website underutilized and in need of updating was recognized, to be addressed later in the summer. For the next Council Call, Clare had suggested going over feedback on the Code of Conduct, including why there is a need for such a document, as well as discussing project group overlap. Several follow-ups from the World Summit at POLAR2018 will require action, including a summart report / article, moving forward with the Leadership Development Program, and creating the Partnership Resources group. A potential partnership with Quantarctica was discussed, in which ECRs would contribute to the creation of an equivalent GIS mapping software for the Arctic, in collaboration with senior scientists involved in the development of Quantarctica. Progress on the IPY paper was discussed, as well as reviewing the draft and publication deadline. Updates from the Secretariat included continued work on the shiptime proposal for the ARICE summer school, drafting an application for not-for-profit status in Germany, and the progress on starting dates / applicants for new / replacement positions in the Secretariat. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled for August 1.
-
On August 2, 2018 the APECS ExCom met as scheduled. In attendance at the meeting in alphabetical order were Alice Bradley, Jilda Caccavo, Jenn Cooper, Gerlis Fugmann, Jean Holloway, and Hanne Nielsen. The meeting began by discussing the need to update the NC guidelines as listed on the website, with the goal to have the Council vote on the updated guidelines prior to the end of the new term. The World Summit Meeting Report requires cleaning up and a final circulation for comments, and could eventually be made into a publication. A meeting has been set up between Gabriela, Jilda, and Morgan Seag in order to discuss the final changes needed to the Code of Conduct document. A final version of the Political Activity document has been created with the help of Jean and APECS Canada. The Partner Links Resources and APECS Development program ideas, which were outcomes from the World Summit, will be made into project groups for the 2018-19 term. Progress continues to move forward with the Legacy of IPY paper, with a first draft nearly completed. The need for greater support for Polar Week coming in September was discussed, including the concentration on one or two big activities, rather than trying to have different activities for each day of Polar Week. There will be a need for added support from ExCom while positions are filled at the Secretariat, with Fiona leaving and Heike starting maternity leave early. Council updates include the receipt of over 30 applications for the 2018-19 term, Council Reports from the current Council recently submitted, and feedback from the recent Council Call. The new Council Call format received positive feedback, with Council members generally approving of the shorter, more targeted format. Clare has been working with the NC coordinators to collate tasks, project summaries and key dates for participation in NCs, as well as collecting the same data for the Council project groups. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled for August 15.
-
On August 15, 2018 the APECS ExCom met as scheduled. In attendance at the meeting in alphabetical order were Jilda Caccavo, Gerlis Fugmann, Hanne Nielsen, Gabriela Roldan, and Alex Thornton. The meeting began by requesting final changes / comments to the updated NC guidelines be submitted in order to send out the updated NC guidelines to Council for comment before the end of the week. A meeting date was agreed upon to discuss between Gerlis, ExCom, and the interested APECS members from China the steps needed to formalize the formation of APECS China. The revised project group proposal on diversity and inclusion was discussed, with the consensus being that their revised proposal was extremely well prepared and thorough, and their group will be welcomed on the Council for the 2018-19 term. It was noted that the process of having project groups submit proposals / action plans prior to their formation would be useful as a policy moving forward with new project groups. The finalization of the Code of Conduct document will be completed by Jilda, in time to have it circulated to the Council by next week. Renuka Badhe will review the revised Political Activity Statement before it is sent to the Council for a vote. Secretariat updates included Heike’s replacement being selected, the hiring process moving forward to replace Fiona in Tromsø, continuing to work on the shiptime proposal for the ARICE Summer School in 2020, and discussing the integration of a Summer School for ECRs as part of the MOSAiC project in the Fall of 2019. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled for August 29.
-
On August 29, 2018 the APECS ExCom met as scheduled. In attendance at the meeting in alphabetical order were Jilda Caccavo, Jenn Cooper, Gerlis Fugmann, Juan Höfer, Swati Nagar, Hanne Nielsen & Gabriela Roldán. We began the meeting welcoming the new temporary ExCom members (Juan Höfer and Swati Nagar). Right after, we discussed the APECS Council applications for the term 2018-2019 so the new Council is established soon. A welcome email containing information about the APECS Council and how it operates will be sent to all Council members next Friday. After reviewing the last council reports, a series of actions (e.g. specific training for project leaders, more follow-ups with Council members) were discussed in order to improve the experience of Council members during the next term. Next, we reviewed and agreed on the new process for project groups proposed by Gerlis. Council members will be informed about it in the welcome email. We also planned and discussed the transition process between the current and next Council, planning a series of webinars for Council members during September and October. An agenda was drafted for the next council call on 11 September. Jilda presented an update on the renewal of partnership agreements with several NCs that she has been following up on. Updates from the Secretariat included: the training of the new staff member covering Heike’s maternity leave will begin in October; and that the position of Fiona, who is leaving at the end of September, has been offered to a candidate and we are still waiting for the response. The next ExCom meeting is scheduled for September 12.
-
On September 12, the APECS ExCom met as scheduled for the last meeting of this term. In attendance, in alphabetical order were Jilda Caccavo, Gerlis Fugmann, Juan Hofer, Hanne Nielsen, Gabriela Roldan, and Alex Thornton. We began by discussing the proposals for new project groups and the early registration form for project groups that is now available for new Council members. After receiving an update of the state of the agreements with National Committees, we did a review of the items achieved this year from the Priorities 2017/18 document, to facilitate the transfer of information to the new ExCom 2018/19. Among the achievements from this past year, the highlights were: the success of the 2018 World Summit, the introduction of webinars and mentoring of project group leads to support the work of the Council, raising the profile of underrepresented research areas, such as the Alpine Cryosphere group, and positive fundraising for supporting ECR travels to conferences, among others. The goals not attained this year will be part of the transition documents, including the advice requested from the departing ExCom to the newcomers. In addition, during 2017-18 term the APECS leadership worked on the development of new policies to strengthen our organization. The Council will have to vote on the reviewed APECS Code of Conduct, APECS Policy on Political Activity and APECS National Committees Guidelines; these documents will be sent out soon. We also discussed inviting some APECS alumni to take on the role of Ex-officio for the Council and for ExCom, as their past contributions and expertise would provide great support to the APECS leadership. Finally, Gerlis shared the news from the Secretariat, which included comments on the workshops held at UArctic Congress in Oulu, and updates on the various staff that will soon be incorporated into the APECS office in Potsdam, as well as Fiona’s replacement in Tromsø.