Employment Opportunities: BASC currently has openings for a Post-Doctoral Fellow (one year), an Associate Program Officer (permanent), and a Program Assistant (permanent). Please follow the links for more information.
The Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (BASC) is the major program unit of the National Research Council (NRC) responsible for organizing and overseeing studies on issues related to weather, climate, and the atmospheric sciences broadly.
The Board maintains a critical overview of the fields under its purview so that it is aware of relevant work relating to policy formulation, technological assessment, research and development, and emerging issues. The Board is also responsible for planning new studies, conducting oversight on projects carried out by its subsidiary committees, and making an annual appraisal of accomplishments and potential new initiatives.
BASC does not conduct research, but works to give research a broader impact on society, both in the United States and internationally. BASC's objectives are:
- Provide a forum for discussion of the atmospheric, weather, and climate sciences, focusing on research needs, policy issues, educational implications, and the resources required to improve understanding of the atmosphere and its interaction with human societies and other components of the Earth system.
- Respond to requests for assistance from government agencies, Congress, and others in the science community, such as by establishing ad hoc study committees, organizing and facilitating workshops and conferences, and designing other mechanisms to advance science, research, technology development, and resource-related issues.
- Plan and initiate investigations of key and emerging issues identified by the Board's members, as considered appropriate by the Board's parent Division on Earth and Life Studies and the Governing Board of The National Academies.
- Disseminate the results of its studies and provide a mechanism for the exchange of information on all aspects of atmospheric, weather, and climate science and research.
- Foster communication among members of the atmospheric and climate science community in the United States, encourage increased international cooperation, and provide advice from the atmospheric sciences community to federal agencies and other relevant decision-makers.
- Coordinate atmospheric science expertise as needed for projects conducted by or with other NRC units, international project offices, and other organizations with relevant atmospheric sciences, weather, and climate activities.