Vision & Strategy

Vision

To serve the society through advancing knowledge on the marine environment and climate system in the spirit of Fridtjof Nansen.

To advance planetary boundary layer research and modelling of air-sea-ice interactions, including their effect on fluxes of heat and CO₂ and impact on the Arctic climate change.
To advance the understanding of the natural and anthropogenic climate variability on inter-annual to decadal time scales for the Arctic and sub-Arctic region, including the Nordic Seas.
To advance the insight into mechanisms causing teleconnections between the lower latitudes and the Arctic region.
To study changes of the mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet and outlet glaciers in relation to atmospheric and ocean variability and implement an ice-sheet module into the Norwegian Earths System Model (NorESM).
To improve the understanding of the global oceanic uptake and spreading of heat and CO₂ by multiple tracers study.
To evaluate the predictability of the climate system on interannual to decadal time scales, by applying data assimilation to the Norwegian Earth System Model.

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To advance and validate the TOPAZ data assimilation and marine forecasting system for the North Atlantic, the Nordic Seas and the Arctic Oceans.
To study past seasonal to interannual ocean variability by reanalyses of the TOPAZ assimilative system.
To diversify the TOPAZ system for studies of coupled ocean, sea-ice and ecosystem processes, with joint assimilation of new types of satellite, ocean acoustics and in situ data.
To implement and validate nested versions of the TOPAZ system in various oceans such as the Barents, Norwegian and Greenland Seas, the Indian Ocean, the Agulhas Current and the Southern Ocean, South China Sea and Gulf of Mexico, with special emphasis on meso-scale processes.
To develop new data assimilation methods related to the Ensemble Kalman Filter, and apply the methods in new fields of applications.

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To advance research and monitoring of upper ocean processes and dynamics by synergetic use of satellite, in-situ data and modelling.
To advance the retrieval algorithms for converting satellite data to geophysical quantities.
To strengthen the use of satellite and ocean acoustic data (remote sensing of the oceans) for ocean monitoring, model validations, data assimilation and prediction.
To study Essential Climate Variables with emphasis on high latitude and Arctic region and facilitate and stimulate high quality and original multidisciplinary satellite based Earth system research and education.

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To respond to societal needs and concerns related to our strategic research areas such as marine transportation in the Northern Sea Route, offshore oil and gas, fisheries and aquaculture, and spreading of pollution in the Arctic region.
To disclose feedbacks and connections between the micro- and macroclimate and human activities.
To facilitate the use of climate predictions in urban planning and management for required variables, such as precipitation, air temperature, sea level, wind load and air quality.
To develop competence within assessment analysis, to be used in socio-economic studies

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At least one publication by each scientist and Ph.D. in well recognized referee journals
At least two presentations by each scientist and Ph.D. at important international and national conferences
Three PhD dissertations
Active contribution to public outreach by all scientist and Ph.D. students
Operate after sound economical principals

Initiate and participate in international research programs and projects.
Initiate and strengthening collaboration with leading research institutions world-wide.
Encourage exchange of scientists and students and development of joint projects within the Nansen Group.
Increase engagement and capacity building in developing countries.

Challenging and inspiring working environment
Open and honest relationship to colleagues and students, cooperating institutes and funding agencies
Facilitate capacity building.
Loyalty to the Nansen Center, colleagues and students

State-of-the-art tools for data processing
Development and operation of community numerical modelling and data assimilation
Retrieval algorithms for remote sensing and ocean acoustic monitoring
Marine and terrestrial geographic information systems
Efficient dissemination system for real-time data and derived products

Further development of the Center to an efficient and flexible organization with an active Board and Council
Inspire team spirit and good internal communication
Give young co-workers responsibilities
Initiate and contribute to national and international research programs
Maintain and further develop the research collaboration within the Nansen Group, the Bjerknes cooperation, Centre for Climate Dynamics in Bergen, Norwegian Climate Center and with universities and research institutes in Norway and abroad
Public outreach