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RESEARCH CAN BE MANAGED MORE EFFECTIVELY 



Research to improve estimates of sea level rise should 

 have three primary objectives: 



o Establish Interdisciplinary Teams of Sufficient Size 



Progress will be impeded if interdisciplinary teams 

 are not developed and brought to work together on a 

 long-term basis. They must be large enough to address 

 difficult long-term problems. 



o Provide Long-Term and Secure Financial Support 



Interdisciplinary scientific teams will not evolve 

 unless financial support is secure. The development 

 and maturation of research efforts depends on a steady 

 source of funding. These teams should be directed by 

 eminent scientists. 



o Develop Long-Term and Geographically Extensive Data 

 Sets 



Efforts to collect data must ensure that geographically 

 extensive data sets are collected over long periods of 

 time without interruptions. The greater the extent 

 and detail of the data, the more scientists can test 

 their models for realism. 



Although success in scientific research cannot be guaranteed, 



it can easily be thwarted by failing to develop the conditions 



that make it possible. The interdisciplinary nature of projecting 



sea level rise makes management of research a particularly 



important part of ensuring progress. The opportunity exists; 



the decision facing society is whether or not to employ the 



resources needed to meet this challenge. 



