Societal-Environmental Research and Education (SERE)
Director's Message
Denise Stephenson Hawk is the Director of the Societal-Environmental Research and Education (SERE) Laboratory. Changes in climate, water resources and weather affect the lives of all of the inhabitants of our planet and impact the known balance of the earth's systems. While the scientific discoveries surrounding these changes are important, it is the assimilation of knowledge regarding these changes and the application of this knowledge to ensure human welfare and the well-being of the planet that best serves humankind. It is this structured assimilation and dissemination of knowledge that underpins the science of human dimensions, the science which represents the work of the Societal-Environmental Research and Education (SERE) Laboratory within the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).
The SERE Laboratory is responsible for overall leadership in the definition, planning and execution of NCAR research on human-environmental-societal interactions; appropriate social science and humanities components for NCAR research, education and capacity building; and societal and policy-relevant information products and services. This statement defines the Responsibility and Mission of the SERE Laboratory. As stewards of the strategic goals of NCAR in these areas, SERE has engaged in a cascading planning, implementation and communication process designed to actively engage scientists and staff, within SERE and throughout NCAR, and external stakeholders vested in ensuring that the responsibilities of SERE are addressed for optimal benefit of inhabitants of the earth.
A prevailing question is, can we halt the creeping and abrupt environmental responses that result from human-induced changes in climate, water resources and weather, and if so, then on what time and space scales? While a definitive answer to this question does not exist, we do know with all certainty that humankind must adapt to these responses and changes. We must reduce our vulnerabilities and mitigate their impact to ensure the resilience of societies as we now know them.
The active engagement of people from myriad disciplines, occupations and socioeconomic levels underpins not only our quest for an answer to this question, but more importantly, our need to preserve the health of our planet for future generations. SERE scientists and staff engage in research, capacity building and education designed to use the science of climate, water resources and weather to provide data and information that can help decision makers make better, more informed decisions. Who are these decision-makers? We are all decision makers. Whether the decision is to wear a coat or carry an umbrella; or to evacuate coastal urban communities because of predicted hurricanes or typhoons; or ensuring that the present and future populations of a community have enough potable water; or mitigating the likelihood of the outbreak of disease, each decision is important and each decision can be better informed because of the work of the SERE Laboratory. The efficacy of the work of those engaged in the science of human dimensions will determine the resilience of the world's societies and the future of the planet.
SERE Programmatic Units There are three programmatic units within the SERE Laboratory. These units are:
Advanced Study Program (ASP): Encourages the development of young scientists in the fields of atmospheric and related science, and directs attention to timely scientific areas needing special emphasis. The ASP also helps to organize new science initiatives, supports interactions with universities, and promotes continuing education at NCAR.
Center for Capacity Building (CCB): Serves as a catalyst nationally and internationally for capacity building related to climate change. It encourages the use of a unique Climate Affairs template to serve a wide variety of academic disciplines and climate-sensitive socioeconomic sectors, performs research and enhances communication.
Institute for the Study of Society and the Environment (ISSE): Engages in research that i ntegrates societal needs with knowledge of the environment to better understand and communicate the impacts of weather, climate, and global change. ISSE fosters cross-disciplinary research by bridging social and natural sciences, the humanities, and technology to inform decision-making.
Each unit has used the SERE Responsibility and Mission to formulate its long range plans and priorities. The SERE Strategic Directions were developed as a result of input from retreats; discussions with the three programmatic units with the SERE Laboratory; discussion groups, both internal and external to NCAR; and review by external collaborators. Guided by an analysis of the challenges and opportunities faced by the Laboratory, the SERE Laboratory has four Strategic Directions, with each Direction addressing one or more of four NCAR Strategic Goals and associated NCAR strategic priorities. The alignment between NCAR Strategic Goals and Priorities and the work performed by scientists and staff within SERE is provided in the Laboratory Annual Report (LAR.)
Strategic Directions for the SERE Laboratory The interface between atmospheric processes and human well-being is mediated through a multifaceted array of natural and societal systems. In order to characterize, understand and predict the behavior of these interconnected systems, there is a pressing need to develop a conceptual framework to guide analyses of such “societal resilience systems of systems.” Historical, current and predicted scientific, cultural, economic, and political indicators highlight the need to better understand the complex interactions between the science of human dimensions and the science of climate, water and weather.
To ensure resilient societies, which are prepared to cope with and mitigate against climate, water and weather uncertainties, research is required to understand the complexities of interactions. This understanding requires leadership in the development of a diagnostically-driven “societal resilience system of systems” framework [e.g., a general climate systems theory] that will begin to unravel the complex interactions among the myriad contributors within and across the systems involved. These systems include, but are not limited to: agriculture, human health, transportation, water, energy, climate, weather, coastal, urban, ecosystem health, economics, land use, and public safety.
The Strategic Directions of the SERE Laboratory are: (1) Build capacity required to ensure resilient communities; (2) Development and implementation of the Societal Resilience System of Systems framework, its strategic partners, and guiding questions; (3) Use of scientific information in the development of decision processes and assessment tools; and (4) Design and implementation of educational programs to ensure the availability of a scientifically literate and engaged workforce and the diversity of scientific expertise required to advance the systems within SRSS and throughout NCAR.
Determination of SERE Laboratory Priorities: While the responsibility of the SERE Laboratory is clear, fiscal constraints require that the direction and priorities of the Laboratory are deliberate, focused and aimed toward ensuring an efficient and cost-effective approach to achieve specific goals and objectives. The SERE Laboratory Directions are defined to advance each of four NCAR strategic goals , and eight associated NCAR priorities addressed by scientists and staff within the SERE Laboratory to ensure that the strategic directions of the Laboratory are achieved; and to realize, on an annual basis, that delineated milestones are met, thereby providing tangible evidence of progress. The following NCAR Strategic Goals are
Goal 1: Improve understanding of the atmosphere, the Earth System, and the Sun
Goal 2: Increase societal resilience to weather, climate, and other atmospheric hazards
Goal 3: Cultivate a scientifically literate and engaged citizenry and a diverse and creative workforce
Goal 4: Provide robust, accessible, and innovative information services and tools
Provided is a summary of research, capacity building, education, outreach and services provided by scientists and staff within the SERE Laboratory with each aligned with its corresponding NCAR Goal and Priority Area.