WP0 Coordination and Administration
Lead: University of Bonn, Prof. Clemens Simmer
WP0 takes over the coordinating and administrative activities. These include, for example, the planning and implementation of the annual meetings, preparation and creation of the annual reports, communication with the VW Foundation, creation and maintenance of the newsletter and the social networks and mailing lists, communication with and support of all other WPs, monitoring of progress and harmonizing the distribution of tasks, representation of UPAS to the outside, e.g. at conferences.
WP1 Attracting suitable students
Lead: University of Cologne, Prof. Susanne Crewell
The main task of WP1 is to recruit suitable students who are interested in natural sciences. This includes making meteorology better known as a (study) subject, especially among students and teachers, and conveying a realistic picture of meteorology. This will be done with the creation of information material in the form of e.g. flyers, planned lessons for teachers, templates for class visits by students and meteorologists, information films for social media platforms and much more. Outreach activities such as workshops, school visits, citizen science projects and other information events are organized in cooperation with WP4. Better networking between the universities and close cooperation with student bodies and the young DMG is also part of the tasks of WP1.
WP2 Excellent education
Lead: Universität Hamburg, Prof. Felix Ament
The goal of WP2 is to realize an excellent university education in meteorology at both BSc, MSc and PhD level. A core curriculum as a guideline for all locations will be reintroduced and further developed which will facilitate the exchange of students between universities on the national and international level. A more efficient use of teaching equipment should be promoted, e.g. through the joint use and sharing of teaching materials such as lecture scripts, equipment and materials, modern teaching methods and jointly conducted excursions and internships. Lectures and courses are to be opened up to students from other locations in order to enable broader specialization even at small locations. In addition, freely accessible online learning material will be created with which the students can close any gaps and check their learning status. In order to be as well prepared and broadly positioned as possible for the future job market, contact with possible employers is not only intensified in the field of science and research, but also with business, industry and authorities, and the required skills are integrated into the curriculum. Thus, meteorology graduates with their broad bases in physics, mathematics and computer science and the specialized and state-of-the-art knowledge of atmospheric issues will be important experts, especially in times of climate change and renewable energies.
WP3 Synergies for successful science
Lead: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Prof. Peter Knippertz
The individual small university institutes or institute sections for meteorology can significantly increase their scientific potential by sharing their often high-end but, because very expensive and highly specialized, rather scattered instruments and materials. WP3 is dedicated to this task. The available instruments for observation and measurement campaigns of the individual UPAS partners should be used more efficiently by first collecting information about equipment and availability and making it accessible to everyone. Furthermore, existing and newly generated data sets are collected in order to make them available to a broader mass of users. Planned measurement campaigns will also be better communicated and made accessible to the other locations, as well as larger joint field campaigns. This requires a uniform and coherent framework for the execution, which includes an agreement on use and financing as well as further support.
Good networks already exist in the area of modelling, e.g. for the ICON model of the DWD. Here, especially for job starters and newcomers, an overview of the models should be created, which also lists contact points and contact persons.
WP4 Social and community outreach
Lead: Leibniz University Hannover, Prof. Gunther Seckmeyer
The focus of WP4 is to give university meteorology an audible and sustainable voice, both to raise public awareness of university research and its results, and to become a respected partner for media inquiries. In contrast to the PR work of the large non-university institutions such as the Max Planck Institute, Helmholz Society or DWD, the individual university institutes for meteorology do not have the opportunities and resources for great media effectiveness and perception in society. Therefore, UPAS will fill this void by maintaining a database of the distributed expertise as well as by gathering and bundling material for societal outreach. Media inquiries can then be directed to experts. WP4 also develops guidelines for successful handling of media requests and collects and shares best practices for outreach in a variety of fields, from school visits to citizen science projects. WP4 supports the individual locations in their respective public outreach activities, external communication and the distribution of information, but also develops and creates new concepts and templates for activities such as Citizen Science and school class projects, which will then be actively supported, and forms a central point of contact for inquiries from the media, schools or other institutions, such as Fridays for Future. In addition, workshops will be hosted for interested students, staff and faculty.
