THIS PROPOSAL REQUESTS FUNDING IN SUPPORT OF THE TENTH GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE (GRC) AND THE FOURTH GORDON RESEARCH SEMINAR (GRS) ON RADIATION AND CLIMATE TO BE HELD AT BATES COLLEGE IN LEWISTON MAINE FROM 16-21 JULY AND 15-16 JULY 2017 RESPECTIVELY. THE TITLE OF THIS YEAR'S GRC IS "CONNECTING OBSERVATIONS TO GLOBAL CIRCULATION MODELING CHALLENGES" AND THE ASSOCIATED GRS IS SIMILARLY TITLED "CHALLENGES IN USING MODELS AND OBSERVATIONS FOR UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE PROCESSES". THE 2017 GRC IS CHAIRED BY DAVID TURNER (NOAA / EARTH SYSTEM RESEARCH LABORATORY) AND DARGAN FRIERSON (UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON). THE 2017 GRS IS CHAIRED BY EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS CHRISTOPHER TERAI (LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY) AND EDWARD GRYSPEERDT (IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON).THE GOAL OF THE 2017 RADIATION AND CLIMATE GRC/GRS WILL BE TO BRING MODELERS AND THEORISTS TOGETHER WITH OBSERVATIONALISTS TO IDENTIFY AND TACKLE OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS AND SIGNIFICANT UNCERTAINTIES THAT ARE PRESENT IN CURRENT GLOBAL CIRCULATION MODELS. EACH OF THE EIGHT SESSIONS IN THE GRC WILL START WITH ONE OR TWO PRESENTATIONS FROM A GLOBAL MODELER AND/OR THEORIST OUTLINING IMPORTANT UNCERTAINTIES AND UNKNOWNS IN A PARTICULAR RESEARCH AREA. THIS TALK WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A PRESENTATION FROM AN EXPERT IN OBSERVATIONAL TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTING OUR CURRENT MEASUREMENT CAPABILITIES AND FUTURE MEASUREMENT NEEDS FOR ADDRESSING THE UNCERTAINTIES. THESE TALKS WILL THEN SPUR DISCUSSION ON HOW BOTH MODELS AND OBSERVATIONS CAN BE USED TO ADDRESS THE OPEN SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS.THE GRC AND GRS EXPLICITLY FOCUS ON PROVIDING AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPANTS TO INTERACT DURING ALL MEALTIMES AND EVERY AFTERNOON OF THE CONFERENCE. WE ANTICIPATE THE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN BOTH MODELERS AND OBSERVATIONS TO LEAD TO PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSIONS OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING HALLS. THE FRAMEWORK OF THE GRC ALSO PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS TO INTERACT WITH MORE SENIOR RESEARCHERS THROUGHOUT EACH DAY OF THE CONFERENCE. A FOCUS OF THIS YEAR'S GRC AND GRS WILL BE TO INCREASE THE DIVERSITY OF CONFEREES BY ADVERTISING THE CONFERENCE WIDELY AND PROVIDING TRAVEL SUPPORT FOR THOSE OTHERWISE UNABLE TO ATTEND DUE TO FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS.FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR REGISTRATION AND TRAVEL COSTS OF INVITED SPEAKERS AND DISCUSSION LEADERS AND FOR SCHOLARSHIPS TO COVER REGISTRATION COSTS FOR STUDENTS POSTDOCTORAL AND EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS. THE RADIATION AND CLIMATE GRC HAS A STRONG HISTORY OF SUPPORTING THE REGISTRATION COSTS OF STUDENT ATTENDEES WHICH HAS HELPED IT REMAIN A VIBRANT AND DIVERSE MEETING AND LED TO A SUCCESSFUL GRS IN 2015 THAT ATTRACTED MORE THAN 40% MORE ATTENDEES THAN THE GRS AVERAGE. WE ARE HOPING FOR APPROXIMATELY 170 ATTENDEES FOR THE 2017 GRC WITH AT LEAST ONE-THIRD OF THEM EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS.