This is an award to support the Space Weather Enterprise Forum (SWEF), which brings together members of government at all levels, the private sector and academia, to raise awareness, improve understanding, and to educate all participants on opportunities, needs and priorities related to space weather. The forum focuses on the costs of space weather impacts and the benefits of improved space weather services with an emphasis on the anticipated needs of the user community from 2011 to 2020. Space weather scientists and service providers seek to better understand and serve society's needs for space weather information. The desired outcome is actionable information to drive improved space weather science, products, services, and applications to serve a broad user community.
2011 theme: Solar Maximum: Can We Weather the Storm? As we approach the next peak of solar activity expected in 2013, our nation faces many uncertainties resulting from our increasing reliance on space weather-affected technologies for communication, navigation, security, and other activities, many of which underpin our national infrastructure and economy. We also face increasing exposure to space weather-driven human health risk as trans-polar flights and space activities, including space tourism and space commercialization, increase. The conference focused on sharing information and raising awareness for new users, decision makers, and policymakers in the following areas:New research resultsNew transitions of research into operationsNew products and servicesIntegrated, unified space weather operational capabilitiesInternational activities and cooperationCommercial space weather users and providersIntegration of social science into space weather services Attendees identified effective approaches to build resilience across society, particularly in critical infrastructure protection and support. They also collected information to support a new National Space Weather Program Implementation Plan. The Space Weather Enterprise Forum brought together the space weather community to share information and ideas among policymakers, senior government leaders, researchers, service- provider agencies, private-sector service providers, space weather information users, media, and legislators and staff from Capitol Hill to raise awareness of space weather and its effects on society. The focus of the 2011 Space Weather Enterprise Forum was critical infrastructure protection, with the necessary underpinnings of research, improved products and services, and applications to serve a broad and growing user community. The ultimate goal of the Space Weather Enterprise Forum is to improve the Nation’s ability to prepare for, avoid, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the potentially devastating impacts of space weather events on health, economy, and national security. Last Modified: 10/11/2012 Submitted by: Meg Austin The 2011 Space Weather Enterprise Forum (SWEF) was held in Washington, D.C., on June 21, 2011. The workshop was attended by approximately 220 representatives of the research and academic communities, industry, international stakeholder agencies, media, the Federal government and the military. Attendees collected information to support a new National Space Weather Program Implementation Plan. The workshop included four sessions dedicated to the following topics: 1. Critical infrastructure vulnerability to space weather 2. Human safety and response preparedness 3. Space weather warnings and prediction services 4. Strategic communications, education, and outreach Key speakers included: Mr. Samuel P. Williamson, Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research; The Honorable Yvette D. Clarke, (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies ; Dr. Margaret Cavanaugh, Deputy Assistant Director, Geosciences (GEO) Directorate, National Science Foundation (NSF); Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction, NOAA; and Mr. David Jones, President, StormCenter Communications, Inc. The outcome of the workshop was a report that offers assessments and specific recommendations in many topical areas. The results and findings from the 2011 SWEF will serve as input to the new National Space Weather Program Implementation Plan. Findings included the following: 1. Due to our heavy reliance on a technological and space-enabled infrastructure, there is virtually no aspect of our lives that is not potentially affected by space weather. 2. Significant impacts can occur any time during the solar cycle, not just at solar maximum. It is important to not overemphasize the low frequency/high impact events. 3. Improved prediction capabilities are needed to provide adequate warnings of potential impacts and enable government and civil leaders to make informed decisions. 4. Greater emphasis on education and public outreach is needed. Preparedness campaigns need to focus on the risks of space weather and then recommend risk reduction strategies and identify mitigation opportunities. 5. Interagency and international collaboration is needed to significantly improve space weather observing and prediction capabilities. To this purpose, the Unified National Space Weather Capability, an interagency collaboration, will be developed. The finished 2011 SWEF report, including all of the presentations given, can be found at: www.ofcm.gov/swef/2011/SWEF%20Summary%20report%20final.pdf Several print and internet reporters attended the 2011 SWEF, as well as video crews from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) TV and the National Public Television Network of Japan (NHK). The press releases from the NOAA and NASA generated several telephone interviews. The workshop is important to the Nation because it brings together the space weather community to share information among policymakers, senior government leaders, researchers, service-provider agencies, private-sector service providers, space weather information users, media, and legislators and staff from Capitol Hill. Its findings will contribute to improving the Nation’s ability to prepare for, avoid, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the potentially devastating impacts of space weather events on our health, economy, and national security.
