SCoPEx Governance

The SCoPEx research team sought external advice from a range of stakeholders for governing SCoPEx. We would like to thank everyone who provided their thoughtful insights and guidance.

Based on this guidance, we decided to establish an independent Advisory Committee to provide advice on the research and governance of SCoPEx.

This Advisory Committee has been established under the auspices of the Harvard Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Frank Doyle, and the Harvard Vice Provost for Research, Richard McCullough, who will work as liaisons between the Advisory Committee and the SCoPEx research team. The Advisory Committee is providing advice to the Harvard Dean of Engineering, the Harvard Vice Provost for Research, and the SCoPEx Principal Investigator, Frank Keutsch.

An independent Search Committee supported the establishment of the Advisory Committee. This was intended to help ensure its independence from the SCoPEx research team. 

You can learn more about the roles of the committees and Harvard below.

You can also sign up to the SCoPEx governance mailing list and visit the SCoPEx Advisory Committee's website to learn more:

Preamble

This section describes SCoPEx management and the intentions of Harvard University and the SCoPEx team with regard to the formation of and interaction with the Advisory Committee.

SCoPEx Principal Investigator and Experiment Team

Principal Investigator (PI): Frank Keutsch (keutsch@seas.harvard.edu | (617) 495-1878)

Mission Scientist: David Keith (david_keith@harvard.edu | (857) 294-2050)

Other Key Scientists and Engineers: Michael Litchfield (litch@g.harvard.edu); Yomay Shyur (yshyur@g.harvard.edu); and John Dykema (johnd@huarp.harvard.edu)

Governance Project Manager: Lizzie Burns (eburns@g.harvard.edu | (302) 670-8246)

Others from Harvard University

Harvard Vice Provost for Research: Richard McCullough (richard_mccullough@harvard.edu)


SCoPEx Project Objectives

Harvard University would like to ensure that the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx) contributes to building an international, transparent, and sustainable solar geoengineering research program that includes useful field experiments with appropriate governance. 

The SCoPEx research team has two high-level objectives:

The SCoPEx research team hopes that achieving these objectives will lead to increased support among diverse stakeholders for well-governed, scientifically-relevant field experiments.

The SCoPEx research team sought external advice for its governance. The outcome of these conversations resulted in a terms of reference (ToR) for an independent Advisory Committee. It was developed in consultation with the Search Committee (see below), the Harvard Dean of Engineering, the Harvard Vice Provost for Research, the SCoPEx Principal Investigator, and the Advisory Committee Chair. 


Intentions of Harvard University and the SCoPEx team

Harvard University or the SCoPEx experiment team intend to:


Transparency and Publicity

The composition and remit of the Search Committee (which selected the Chair of the Advisory Committee), the composition and terms of reference of the Advisory Committee, the reports from the Advisory Committee, and other appropriate materials will be posted on the Harvard University website in a timely manner, in consultation with the Advisory Committee. 

In the interest of fostering open dialogue within the committee, Harvard University and the SCoPEx experiment team will not promote or draw attention to non-public statements of these committees or their members in the media or other public venues without the express written consent of Search and Advisory Committee members. 


SCoPEx Search and Advisory Committees

To help inform and guide the SCoPEx project, Harvard University, under the auspices of the Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Frank Doyle) and the Vice Provost for Research (Richard McCullough), has established an independent SCoPEx Advisory Committee.

Process for establishing the SCoPEx Advisory Committee

An independent Search Committee supported the establishment of the Advisory Committee. This was intended to ensure its independence from the SCoPEx research team. 

The mandate of the Search Committee was as follows:

Additional notes:

Members of the Search Committee

Chris Field, Stanford University

Peter Frumhoff, Union of Concerned Scientists

Jane Long, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (retired)

Advisory Committee Selection

The Search Committee recommended an Advisory Committee chair who has deep experience and a reputation for balance in international environmental research and governance, and has no significant ties to the SCoPEx experiment team. Search Committee members then supported the Chair in recommending potential Advisory Committee members. 

Confirmed Members of the Advisory Committee

Previous Members 


SCoPEx Advisory Committee Terms of Reference

The purpose of the Advisory Committee is:

Committee Process


Staff

Sally Klimp

Sally is the Executive Coordinator for the SCoPEx Advisory committee at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). She acts as the liaison between the committee and SCoPEx team to provide advice on research and governance of SCoPEx. Prior to her position at SEAS, she supported faculty at Harvard Business School. She is also an alum of AmeriCorps, working with both the Student Conservation Association in Shenandoah National Park and Teach for America in Memphis, TN. She earned her B.A. in Biology and Environmental Analysis and Policy from Boston University and M.L.A. in Strategic Management from Harvard Extension School. 

Email: sklimp [at] g.harvard.edu