International CLIVAR Project Office (ICPO)

The primary function of the CLIVAR-IPO is to provide overall support to planning and implementation of CLIVAR-IPO priorities and overall governance, to ensure appropriate international coordination and communication between the CLIVAR SSG and groups withing the CLIVAR structure, and collaboration with related WCRP and other international programmes. Overall management and coordination of the ICPO is the responsibility of the ICPO Executive Director who also acts as the primary interface with the CLIVAR SSG co-chairs and the Director, WCRP.

Contact Address

Staff location and contact details:

ICPO is transitioning to a new office. More info would be available soon.

ICPO staff


Jing Li
Interim Director
Qingdao, China

Former ICPO Directors


Dr. Michael Coughlan
Director
1995-1997


Dr. Lydia Dümenil Gates
Director
1997-1998


Dr. John Gould
Director
1998-2002


Dr. Howard Cattle
Director
2002-2010


Dr. Robert Molinari
Director
2010-2012


Dr. Roger Barry
Director
2012-2014


Dr. Valery Detemmerman
Director
2014-2017


Dr. Jose Santos
ICPO Executive Director
2017-2023

Roles and Responsibilities of the ICPO

Distribution of roles and responsibilities will be the responsibility of the Executive Director, in consultation with the CLIVAR SSG. ICPO staff will meet together on a regular basis, in person or virtually, to review their work and to coordinate and make adjustments in the assignment of tasks and responsibilities as appropriate. 

Qian Zhao

Tasks of the ICPO

Tasks of the ICPO include, but are not limited to:

  • Support to CLIVAR panels, task forces and working groups, including organization of meetings, participation in meetings, writing reports, follow up on action items, maintaining web pages, liaison between panels tand with other relevant activities;

  • CLIVAR communications and outreach; preparation of articles and special issues for the CLIVAR newsletter (CLIVAR Exchanges) and news updates for the CLIVAR and WCRP ezines and web pages; liaison with other WCRP communication officers;

  • Support to CLIVAR capacity development activities and coordination with other relevant WCRP capacity development activities;

  • Support for development and implementation of the WCRP Grand Science Challenge and other cross-cutting activities;

  • Representation of CLIVAR at international fora and to partner/sponsoring organizations;

  • Development of CLIVAR panel and SSG membership proposals for approval by SSG and WCRP JSC, respectively;

  • Fund raising for CLIVAR activities and ICPO staff and operations;

  • Support of the SSG, including organization of annual SSG meetings, writing the meeting report, follow up on SSG action items;

  • Oversight and maintenance of CLIVAR website;

  • Final editing and publication of CLIVAR documents;

  • Liaison between the CLIVAR SSG Chairs and the WCRP JPS on issues and activities of relevance to activities in other WCRP projects and partners.