[Nsa] Reminder: NSA Meeting, Friday, November 11

[Rolando Garcia]

Dear Colleague:

This is to remind you of the

				NSA GENERAL MEETING
				NOVEMBER 11, FRIDAY, 2-4 PM
				MESA LAB, MAIN SEMINAR ROOM

to discuss various issues of current and future interest for NCAR as an  
institution,
and for NCAR science and facilities.

The agenda is as follows:

2:00-2:30:  NCAR director Dr. Tim Killeen will address the NSA on the  
topics of future
             budgets, status of the strategic plan, classified research,  
and the
             future of NCAR computing, with emphasis on the proposed  
"Data Center"
             project. (The text of two documents on classified research  
at NCAR/UCAR
             is appended at the end of this message).

2:30-3:00:  questions and discussion

3:00-3:30:  Dr. Rich Loft, SCD Deputy Director of R&D, will discuss  
NCAR's plans to
             respond to the NSF's $30M solicitation for a  
high-performance computing system
             (see  
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp? 
pims_id=13649&org=OCI&from=home).

3:30-4:00:  questions and discussion

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====================
3 November 2005
Classified Research at UCAR/NCAR
Background (from R. Anthes memo to UCAR Board of Trustees, 14 September  
2005)

As you know, at the May Board of Trustees meeting I introduced the  
subject of possibly doing
classified research at UCAR.  Since then, UCAR and NCAR management and  
a subset of the UCAR
Board of Trustees have been discussing this issue and considering  
various pros and cons, and
options.  To summarize, UCAR does not have a policy on classified  
research and it has never
done classified research.  However, NCAR has for many years done  
research on topics of great
importance to national security and the protection of life and  
property, including weather prediction, remote sensing, and transport  
and diffusion modeling.  For example, over the
past several years, NCAR has been carrying out lidar observations and  
transport and
diffusion modeling studies of flow around potential terrorist targets  
or other areas in the
U.S. vulnerable to natural disasters such as forest fires, releases of  
toxic materials, etc.  This unclassified research has been  
scientifically valuable, has benefited society, and has
benefited the community through the development of community  
instruments and models.  Recently the sponsors of some of this research  
have requested that NCAR extend this work by
producing actual scenarios of potential terrorist attacks on U.S.  
targets.  This work would
involve inputting classified data into the models, and would require  
Secret security
clearances from some NCAR researchers and UCAR staff.  Although this  
research would help
support continued research and development of unclassified  
observational and modeling
facilities of value to society and the community, there would be risks  
to UCAR, including
potential security compromises, inability for some NCAR scientists to  
publish the results of
their research, and possibly adverse cultural changes.

After the telecon on September 8, 2005, it appears that we are moving  
in the direction of
developing a policy that no classified research will be done within  
UCAR, including NCAR.  Research projects that require classification of  
parts of the research could be done in
partnership with universities, private companies or federal  
laboratories that do classified research and are experienced in  
mitigating against the risks.  We have done a web-based
survey of UCAR Member institutions, and more than half either do  
classified research
directly or in partnership with an associated laboratory, often near  
the campus.

We look forward to our discussions on this important matter at the  
October meeting and to
converging on a policy and procedures shortly thereafter.

======================================================================== 
====================
Draft 10-11-05
Ver.4 mm & jr-ra
Classified Research Policy

Consistent with the UCAR mission, UCAR may undertake research, which in  
promoting the
progress of science, may also enhance national security.  In the normal  
course of research
at UCAR, it is not anticipated that the research, or the results  
thereof, will be
classifiable.  Classified research projects of interest to UCAR or UCAR  
employees will,
therefore, only be conducted outside of UCAR, and not in UCAR or  
NSF-owned or leased
facilities.  For purposes of this Policy, "classified research" means  
research that has a
security classification established by a federal agency that requires a  
"Secret" or above
level of personnel clearance.

UCAR may participate in a project that requires classification of a  
part of the research,
only where the classified research work is done in partnership with a  
third party, such as
a university, another non-profit, private company or federal  
laboratory.  Although UCAR
will not engage in the classified portion of the work, it may permit  
its employees to do
so, subject to the Classified Research Procedures.

Classified Research Procedures

UCAR may permit its employees to engage in classified research, where  
the classified
research work is done in partnership with a third party, such as a  
university, another
non-profit, private company or federal laboratory.  The UCAR employee  
may engage in such
work, as set forth under the UCAR Outside Employment Policy 2-4-1, and  
subject to
the following conditions:

1. Consideration and formal written approval by the appropriate Lab  
Director, Entity
Director (NCAR, UOP, E&O) and the UCAR President.
2. The portion of the work designated as classified is performed under  
the auspices of the
third party, and the work must be conducted off site.
3. UCAR employees who perform classified research must do so as an  
employee or consultant of
the third party, not as a UCAR employee.
4. No UCAR or NSF buildings, facilities or equipment may be used for  
any classified research
projects.
5. Restrictions on publication and scholarly communication will be  
minimized.
6. UCAR employees may, but are never required, to perform classified  
research that is
related to their unclassified research projects.
7. Appropriate training, to be conducted by the sponsor or third party,  
is required for all
UCAR employees undertaking classified research.

======================================================================== 
====================

Questions?  Please contact R. Garcia (rgarcia at ucar.edu) or Rick Katz  
(rwk at ucar.edu),
             co-chairs, NSA executive committee

Rolando R Garcia
NCAR/ACD
PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000
rgarcia at ucar.edu
(303) 497-1446
(303) 497-1400 (fax)