Report of the 18th Meeting of the IAI Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC)

The report documents the 18th meeting of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), held on January 29-30, 2003, in Mendoza, Argentina. The meeting focused on reviewing the IAI Science Agenda, evaluating Core Research Network (CRN) projects, planning future funding calls, and discussing collaborations with international bodies like the Asia Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) and the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP).

• The SAC is revising the IAI Science Agenda to shift focus toward impact studies and prospective goals, while maintaining scientific excellence as its foundation. The committee confirmed the validity of the current four themes but noted that Theme 4 does not align well with Themes 1-3 and requires specific revision by a designated working group.
• The SAC recommended launching a second round of the Small Grant Program (SGP) with a total budget of US$600,000. This program will offer awards up to US$30,000 for projects lasting one year, requiring participation from at least three IAI member countries across research, technical reports, and workshop categories.
• The IAI is planning a second call for Core Research Networks (CRNs) for late 2004 or early 2005. For the funding period ending September 2004, the available budget is US$2.3 million, with a proposed split of approximately 80% for a new round of CRNs and 20% for emerging groups and Summer Institutes.
• External evaluations of CRN projects were generally positive, though the SAC noted significant inconsistencies in the detail and comprehensiveness of individual reviews. The committee emphasized that IAI must be acknowledged in all publications, noting that current acknowledgement rates vary from 8% to 80%.
• The PESCA program was deemed very positive in terms of scientific results and capacity building, particularly for scientists from underrepresented countries such as Cuba and Jamaica. However, the program failed to mobilize scientists from Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2003). Report of the 18th Meeting of the IAI Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/7_SACXVIII.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Report of the 18th Meeting of the IAI Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). 2003. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/7_SACXVIII.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Report of the 18th Meeting of the IAI Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) |date=April 2003 |url=https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/7_SACXVIII.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2003report, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Report of the 18th Meeting of the IAI Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC)}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2003}, month = apr, url = {https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/7_SACXVIII.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }