"Survey on the web? Survey at major institutions and universities?" ^†

"Not a very useful exercise in directing science. Forums are probably good socially and provide an opportunity to provide a patina for good ideas, but this is not how scientific programs get started. A committee or a forum rarely has a good scientific idea; they can manage the exploration, but they can't initiate them."†

"I think this is an excellent start. Up until now there has been no comprehensive assessment of these projects. Any document coming out of these efforts will be sure to have an impact."

"Agency-sponsored workshops on specific topics (e.g., the current NSF-sponsored initiative on ocean data assimilation, with participation of WOCE, JGOFS, GLOBEC, CoOP, coordinated through the WOCE Office)."†

"Perhaps more cross-distribution of their newsletters as a start. Perhaps some evening meetings (like NSF town meetings at AGU last year) to make people aware of upcoming major developments."†

"Open meetings/workshops as well as periodic meetings in DC where the chairs of the MOPs and agency reps discuss potential coordination between programs. Perhaps review papers or symposia where authors/speakers are challenged to say what the big programs can and can not do with regard to some broader goals. For example, where does JGOFS really stand with regard to the grand question of predicting where C goes in the ocean and how this will change as the ocean changes. Very likely, the limitations will, at least in some cases, be related to gaps between programs."†