This award supports US-participation in the China/US Conference Research Roundtable "Securing the Legacy of the International Polar Year through China-US Cooperation", which will be held in Beijing, China, October 22-23, 2009, as the part of the "George Bush China-U.S. Relations Conference: 2009 China-U.S. Relations Conference: Looking Ahead After 30 Years". It is the fourth in a series, hosted by Texas A&M University (Bush School of Government and Public Service and George Bush Presidential Library Foundation) and the Chinese People?s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The conference will involve thematic sessions and research roundtables in which distinguished academic scholars from both countries will discuss collaborative research opportunities in a variety of strategic areas, such as environmental sustainability, energy, and education. The research roundtable proposed here would be a part of these discussions. In terms of broader impacts, this proposal is strong in that the roundtable discussion will foster international collaboration, broaden the perspective of U.S. scientists, and provide an opportunity for proposing joint projects in the Arctic and Antarctic. Following the formal conclusion of the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008 in March 2009, efforts are now focused on formulating a framework for securing the legacy of this international event.
