This past month, I ventured out to enjoy the waning days of summer in the great outdoors. As I wandered through the woods and meadows of rural Maryland, thoughts of work inevitably surfaced—not the usual deadlines I’ve mentioned in previous columns—but rather the remarkable achievements of our ASR research community over the past year.
I was smiling until I made the mistake of losing focus on my surroundings. Unbeknownst to me, I disturbed a yellow jacket nest and was promptly stung several times as I was chased through the woods by the aggressive little monsters. “Ow!” (followed by other exclamations inappropriate for this column).
As I retreated and tended to my wounds, I wondered if there was an analogy to be drawn here about the research enterprise. And if you’ll allow me a little latitude, I think there is.
It can be tempting to stroll contentedly through the “meadows” of research. With funding in hand and objectives clear, we make significant strides toward addressing critical scientific questions. Yet, we sometimes overlook the importance of publicizing our work outside of peer-reviewed publications.
As an experienced hiker remains vigilant for warning buzzes and avoids half-hidden nests to prevent painful stings, so does a diligent scientist by providing highlights for research achievements, reinforcing their reputation as an effective project leader, and making known their accomplishments for the benefit of their research program, the community, and ASR.
For more background, we have a resource page where you can learn more about project progress reports and final reports.
Sharing Your Science
Reporting goes beyond progress reports. It also means regularly sharing journal publications and, with each, a research highlight that provides DOE with a concise summary of your work’s significance.
To enable this, ASR has developed a form for submitting publications, which also shares them with DOE’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) and DOE management. We strongly encourage our PIs to include a research highlight with every journal article. These highlights give you a platform to summarize your research and articulate its impact. You can submit both your publication and research highlight in one easy step by completing this form. We use your highlights in reporting to our management, making presentations at conferences and meetings, and responding to quick-turnaround requests for information. Those who submit highlights get the attention, help the community, and help us publicize the good work that you do!
New ASR Projects
Last month, we welcomed 20 new ASR projects. Each of these new projects will be added to the ASR website soon. My co-program manager, Shaima Nasiri, and I are eager to work with these teams in the coming months and years.
To our new PIs, as well as our seasoned ASR veterans, I encourage you to visit the Resources for ASR Scientists page on our website. There, you’ll find guidance on building and updating your ASR project page and sharing your science. You’ll also find important information about publication submissions, research highlights, and how to subscribe to ASR and ARM newsletters and working group mailing lists.
For our existing PIs, now is an ideal time to ensure your project page is current. Has your research team changed? Are your abstract and science goals still accurate? Are you missing publications? Let us know by reaching out to the ASR website team.
Enjoy Your Summer!
As summer winds down, Shaima and I hope you’re taking the time to relax and recharge for the busy fall ahead (I promise not to mention AGU or AMS in this column!). These are the days to create lasting memories. So, take some time off. Go for a hike through the woods, across a meadow, and up a mountain if you’re lucky enough to live near one.
But watch out for yellow jackets!
# # #Author: Jeff Stehr, ASR Program Manager, U.S. Department of Energy
This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, through the Biological and Environmental Research program as part of the Atmospheric System Research program.