Management of Science in the Ross Dependency

The future for international cooperative projects seems bleak if they can be terminated unilaterally by one of the funding agencies, in spite of the desire and ability of the cooperating scientists to continue them. For IMESS, NSF cancelled the NSF/NIPR agreement in favour of scientist/scientist arrangements, and then cancelled the HZ scientist/US scientist arrangement because it did not have DSIR/NSF agreement.

NZARP have good ability to cater for Erebus work using VXE-6 helicopters and Grizzly toboggans, but there was a reluctance to prove it this season. Both our field time and observation/analysis time were squeezed, and almost prevented pictures being transmitted at all. The attitude at Scott Base contrasted strangely with that at McMurdo in 1984/5 when I was with USARP, driving skidoos and firing large seismic explosions all over Erebus. At McMurdo, the base administrators and personnel have as much Antarctic experience as the scientists. Perhaps there should be a Science Rep at Scott Base similar to the NSF Rep.

Concerning 'special' areas, I observed that US scientists had freer access to these than NZ scientists.

The inclusion of Prof. Kaminuma and Mr. Miura in my event was successful, and I think essential. They provided the LPH geophone and Infrared thermometer for IMEEMS, operated them, and produced the data. They continued to provide the clock and recorders, and the recording materials as for IMESS. The NIPR budget for research in the McMurdo regions is about NZ$50,000 per year, excluding salaries, and greatly assists IMEEMS. However international cooperation has its problems! The boundary between scientist/scientist arrangements and institution/institution ones is murky, and scientist/foreign administration contact is not even-handed. NZ administrators and OIC'S like foreign scientists to communicate directly with them, but discourage NZ scientists from communicating directly with foreign administrators. I still wonder why Dr. Wilkness ordered the NSF equipment out of Scott Base and so dismantled IMEEMS. Perhaps scientists should write directly, but send the letters via the Director of Antarctic Division. Replies should come back the same way.

There needs to be a distinction between a guest foreign scientist who brings expertise and existing equipment, but no money, and one who brings foreign funds. It was NIPR who agreed to support IMEEMS, and Prof. Kaminuma rightly had an independent role. It was unworkable for me to assume full responsibility for him as guest foreign scientist.