Goal 3, Priority 4: Maintaining an Innovative and Creative Workplace
Our people are our most important asset, and we prize individual professional growth, effective teamwork, and an organizational culture where all employees can realize their full potential and where achievements are celebrated and rewarded.
FY2007 Accomplishments
In addition to broadening NCAR’s career development and leadership training during the past year, FY2007 brought an even more expanded variety of training programs to all staff. Additionally, the “Communicating Science” collaboration within the institution continues to identify courses, workshops, and resources that can help staff members to hone the oral, writing, and presentation skills they require to clearly and engagingly explain their research and its value to society to a broad range of audiences. A Communicating Science Journal Club, which formed in Fall 2006, draws staff to bi-monthly meetings to discuss new publications and reports that bridge science and education, pedagogy, public outreach, and new communication technologies.
EOL is instituting an internal sabbatical for ladder-track scientific and engineering staff, which is intended to increase their productivity through uninterrupted research or laboratory work. 
Click to enlarge. These images show the extent to which ambient light can affect our views of the nighttime sky. In the Magnitude 1 chart, the constellation Cygnus is almost completely obscured. In the Magnitude 7 chart, however, numerous stars are clearly visible. (Images courtesy UCAR Office of Education and Outreach.)Sabbatical will allow researchers to pursue research leading to publication, publication writing, instrument development, development of major science plans, and participation as scientists in a field project.
EOL staff might also use this time to write, for example, one or more chapters of a thesis or dissertation, depending on circumstances.
NCAR support also enabled development of a new Citizen Science emphasis in EO during 2007. With emphasis on youth and families, the public is encouraged to observe aspects of their environment and share their results with others around the country to gain a better understanding of a scientific problem while becoming more engaged in the natural world. The past year saw development of both Measure Your World (mentioned above) and the Great World Wide Star Count (GWWSC). This latter campaign, which began October 1, 2007, engages the global public in observations of the night sky, and builds their understanding of the impact of the built environment on star visibility.
FY2008 Plans for Strategic Priority 4
NCAR will continue expanding its training and educational options to staff, and the Communicating Science will build on its existing success. EOL will evaluate its sabbatical plans, and share any insights gained with our Human Resources department and the other NCAR labs.
Related Lab Annual Report Sections:
Goal 3, Priority 4