Participants: Maureen Long (incoming chair), Ana Aguiar, Bob Detrick, Cindy Ebinger, Gavin Hayes, Anne Meltzer (outgoing chair), Andy Newman, Xyoli Perez-Campos (by phone)
The restocked IDSC met in-person over breakfast at AGU. Cindy reports that UNAVCO has interest in the role IDSC represents in possible community governance structures. The group discussed opportunities for international capacity building, absent any domestic funding sources. ITCP in Trieste is a possibility. This requires a week or longer committment from faculty for teaching and student interaction on thematic courses. Cindy will inquire with Karim Aoudia on potential partnerships that could benefit from IDSC involvement. The IRIS Board has decided to recompete the remaining Simpson Fund endowment. As such, any international internship program will need to be reproposed after a new RFP is advertised to the IRIS community. We plan to make tweaks to the program (e.g. formally promote matching funds concept for hosts) and then repropose. The IDSC reviewed potential sources of support for capacity building, such as USAID, but there are no clear opportunities at present. The SZ4D initiative is establishing thematic working groups, including one for international collaboration. Andy Newman has joined this group, and the IDSC will encourage other internationally engaged PIs to join as well. The group plans to meet again in spring 2020.