Dear Colleague Letter
Regarding Proposals for Antarctic Research
National Science Foundation
The original February 2014 Dear Colleague Letter is available at:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/nsf14035/nsf14035.jsp?org=PLR
A Dear Colleague Letter regarding proposals for Antarctic research has
been issued to reassure the research community that the National Science
Foundation and the U.S. Antarctic Program continue to encourage the
development and submission of proposals in response to the Antarctic
Sciences Solicitation (NSF 13-527).
To read the letter, please see below.
Community members with any questions about proposals they are developing
for submission are encouraged to not hesitate in contacting the Program
Director of the appropriate program in Antarctic Sciences Section or
Research Support Managers in Antarctic Logistics and Infrastructure
Section.
To view the staff directories for these sections, please click on
"Section for Antarctic Sciences" or "Section for Antarctic
Infrastructure and Logistics" at the bottom of the Division of Polar
ProgramsStaff Directory page, found at:
http://www.nsf.gov/staff/staff_list.jsp?org=PLR&from_org=PLR.
The original February 2014 Dear Colleague Letter is available at:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/nsf14035/nsf14035.jsp?org=PLR.
Dear Colleagues:
Despite recent challenges, we wish to reassure the research community
that the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Antarctic
Program (USAP) continue to encourage the development and submission of
proposals in response to the Antarctic Sciences Solicitation (NSF
13-527).
In October 2013, NSF was required to suspend certain activities in
Antarctica as a result of the partial government shutdown just as the
austral summer season began. When funding under a continuing resolution
was established, staff members at both NSF and the Antarctic Support
Contractor (ASC) worked hard to restore as much of the planned
activities as was safely possible. While all parts of the USAP were
affected to some degree, the greatest effects were on projects based
from McMurdo Station. Some projects were de-scoped so that fieldwork
required fewer resources this season and fieldwork for other projects
has been wholly deferred to future seasons. Going forward, deferred
fieldwork will have to be accommodated within the framework of projects
that were already planned for next season. Staff from the Antarctic
Infrastructure and Logistics (AIL) and Antarctic Sciences (ANT) Sections
are working closely with affected researchers and the ASC to revise
existing out-year logistical plans to achieve this goal to the maximum
extent practicable.
In parallel with these efforts, the USAP remains committed to
implementing the Foundation's response to the Blue Ribbon Review of the
USAP that was completed in 2012. This report highlighted the need for
NSF to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of logistical support
across the USAP.
While restoring deferred projects and making progress on Blue Ribbon
Panel activities affects our capacity for fieldwork, ANT continues to
encourage submission of high quality proposals for Antarctic research.
Although much of the existing science support resources are committed to
some degree for the next few seasons, capabilities remain for additional
future fieldwork.
As noted in our proposal solicitation, ANT also strongly encourages
submission of research proposals that do not require fieldwork in the
Antarctic. For example, proposals for development of robust autonomous
observing systems that would enable key observations while reducing the
need for logistical support or traditional boots-on-the-ground fieldwork
are strongly encouraged. In addition, experimental, modeling, and
synthesis proposals that take advantage of the significant investment
made in acquiring Antarctic samples, cultures, and data from previously
supported research are also strongly encouraged. To assist researchers
who wish to use these existing data sets and samples, ANT is supporting
the Antarctic-Arctic Data Consortium (A2DC.org), which provides
investigators with a "one stop shop" for many of these datasets.
Thank you for your patience and understanding in our efforts to support
the important science that comprises the USAP. Should you have any
questions regarding proposals that you are developing for submission,
please do not hesitate to contact the Program Director of the
appropriate program in Antarctic Sciences or Research Support Managers
in Antarctic Logistics and Infrastructure.
Scott Borg
Head, Antarctic Sciences Section
Brian Stone
Head, Antarctic Infrastructure and Logistics Section
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