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Chapter 06
Climate and Study of Glaciers
East Asia as well as within the Asia-Pacific region. This demands an integrated approach and a profound understanding of the evolution of the plateau and the interplay and feedback of the three major driving forces tectonics, climate, and man. TiP will provide an overall bracket for joint proposals of German and Chinese researchers. Each individual proposal must be based on interdisciplinary cooperation of at least two German Pis plus at least one Chinese PI. Joint field work campaigns will be obligatory and there will be training for young researchers for the specific requirements before starting the field campaigns. Comprehensive field work and lab management will enable the testing and development of innovative approaches and new combinations of methods. At present, the main obstacles for scientific work on the Tibetan Plateau are being eliminated. With relaxation in bureaucratic restrictions, improved logistic infrastructure, the opening of the Chinese scientific community to international collaborations, and political support, the general framework for addressing scientific questions related to the Tibetan Plateau is better than ever before. This framework is also being improved continuously. With the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research as the main Chinese partner institution the pathway for successful future joint Sino-German cooperation is being prepared. By installing the proposed Priority Programme Tip, Germany has the chance to take an active role in Tibetan Plateau research, and getting into a leading position in an internationally competitive research field. 4.2 Multidisciplinarity and networking (national) The proposed Priority Programme TiP will combine the existing knowledge of scientists from geoscience, bioscience, and atmosphere research in order to address specific questions related to the formation of the Tibetan Plateau and its effects on climate and ecosystems, at different time scales, in a holistic approach. Thus the scope of TiP is clearly multi-disciplinary. Ca. 70 scientists from universities and state-funded German research institutions (HGF and MPI) have shown their interest in participation. Close cooperation of these institutions will provide an easy access to major instrumentation and guarantee an efficient use. There will be a mixture of experienced Tibetan Plateau researchers, already well linked and systematically prepared by earlier projects (e.g. running DFG bundle projects) for starting a priority programme. "Newcomers" will get competent logistic support and guidance to provide best premises for starting their work under the prevailing challenging conditions. TiP will integrate the various aspects related to the Tibetan Plateau in one comprehensive programme for the first time. The expected synergy effects have already been proved during the initial phase of the running DFG bundle projects. These projects have a preparatory character for Tip. To emphasise and further strengthen the multidisciplinarity, proposals submitted within Tip must focus on integrated studies, and - on average - three PhD students, or one PhD student and one PostDoc researcher, should work closely together. Furthermore national networking across the individual proposals and quality assurance of research and management will be supported by:
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Tibetan Plateau: Formation-Climate-Ecosystems
