The German Commission for the International Polar Year 2007/08

In accordance with the recommendations from the ICSU-IPY planning group (International Council for Science - International Polar Year), a German IPY committee was established in November of 2003, with approval of the German National Committee for SCAR/IASC. The new committee ensures ongoing communication with both, the IPY Programme Office and the ICSU/WMO Joint Committee (International Council for Science / World Meteorological Organisation). It represents scientists from German research institutions at IPY programmes, and promotes German research programmes within the IPY.

Back row from left: Tillmann Mohr, Detlef Damaske, Franz Tessensohn, Eberhard Fahrbach, Reinhard Dietrich, Jörn Thiede, Marietta Weigelt, Klaus Dethloff and Karsten Gohl. Kneeling in the front from left: Rainer Lehmann and Rainer Gersonde. Members not present on this picture: Angelika Brandt, Joachim-Otto Habeck, Karin Lochte, Heinz Miller and Ursula Schauer.

The commission has been assigned the following tasks:

Operation as working group IPY of the LA-SCAR/IASC
Being the point of contact for national and international coordination during the International Polar Year
Collection and organisation of German project proposals
Assessment of German proposals in comparison with international bids, and identification of gaps within German applications
Briefing of German groups on developments and strategies during the International Polar Year
Providing support in identifying funding opportunities for German research proposals during the International Polar Year
Organisation of public relations work and outreach programmes in schools
Management of a web page, functioning as an information hub.

Commission members:

Prof. Dr. Angelika Brandt	Universität Hamburg, Zoological Institute and Museum, Hamburg
Prof. Dr. Klaus Dethloff	Alfred-Wegener-Institut for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam
Dr. Detlef Damaske	Federal agency for Geosciences and natural resources, Hannover
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Dietrich	TU Dresden, Institute for planetay Geodesy, Dresden
Dr. Eberhard Fahrbach	Alfred-Wegener-Institut for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven
Dr. Rainer Gersonde	Alfred-Wegener-Institut for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven
Dr. Karsten Gohl	Alfred-Wegener-Institut for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven
Dr. Julian Gutt	Alfred-Wegener-Institut for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven
Dr. Joachim-Otto Habeck	MPI for ethnological Research, Halle
Prof. Dr. Karin Lochte	Alfred-Wegener-Institut for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven
Prof. Dr. Heinz Miller	Alfred-Wegener-Institut for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven
Dr. Tillmann Mohr	yore EUMETSAT
Dr. Ursula Schauer	Alfred-Wegener-Institut for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven
Dr. Franz Tessensohn	Federal agency for Geosciences and natural resources, Hannover
Prof. Dr. Jörn Thiede	Alfred-Wegener-Institut for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven