ANTARCTIC RESEARCH

Aeronomy & Astrophysics, Biology & Medicine, Environmental Research,
Geology & Geophysics, Glaciology, Ocean & Climate Sciences

[*Program Solicitation*](#TOC)

*NSF 02-086*

 

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="1.2604166666666667in"
height="1.2604166666666667in"}  **OFFICE OF POLAR PROGRAMS**

 

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="1.3888888888888888in"
height="1.3888888888888888in"}**NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION**

 

![](media/image3.png){width="1.1972222222222222in"
height="1.1895833333333334in"}

 

The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific
progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and
cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences,
mathematics, and engineering.

To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download
copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit the
NSF Web Site at:

[http://www.nsf.gov](http://www.nsf.gov/)

 

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

GENERAL INFORMATION

**Program Title:** ANTARCTIC RESEARCH

**Synopsis of Program:**

The National Science Foundation funds and manages the United States
Antarctic Program and invites scientists at U.S. institutions to submit
proposals -

\- to perform research in Antarctica

\- to perform related research and data analysis in the United States

For field work in the Antarctic, successful candidates will be provided
laboratory support and operational support in addition to award of
funding through home institutions.

This document -

-   summarizes antarctic research opportunities      

-   describes support available in Antarctica      

-   explains how to prepare a proposal for research project
    support      

-   connects to an online system (the Electronic Support Planner) to be
    used in preparing an operational support package if your proposed
    project would involve field work in Antarctica      

-   links to further information

Use this document with NSF\'s *Grant Proposal Guide*.

**Cognizant Program Officer(s):**

-   See Office of Polar Programs roster on the NSF web site or contact
    Desiree Marshall, Antarctic Sciences Section, Lead Program
    Assistant, room 755, telephone: 703-292-8033, e-mail:
    <Ant2001@nsf.gov>.

**Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):**

-   47.078 \-\-- Office of Polar Programs

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

-   **Organization Limit:** None

-   **PI Eligibility Limit:** None

-   **Limit on Number of Proposals:** None

AWARD INFORMATION

-   **Anticipated Type of Award:** Standard or Continuing Grant

-   **Estimated Number of Awards:** 110

-   **Anticipated Funding Amount:** \$11-million in FY 2003 pending
    availability of funds (see section IV)

PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

***A. Proposal Preparation Instructions***

-   **Full Proposals:** Supplemental Preparation Guidelines

-   The program announcement/solicitation contains supplements to the
    standard Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) proposal preparation guidelines.
    Please see the full program announcement/solicitation for further
    information.

***B. Budgetary Information***

-   **Cost Sharing Requirements:** Cost Sharing is not required.

-   **Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:** Not Applicable.

-   **Other Budgetary Limitations:** Other budgetary limitations apply.
    Please see the full program announcement/solicitation for further
    information.

***C. Deadline/Target Dates***

-   **Letters of Intent (*optional*):** None

-   **Preliminary Proposals (*optional*):** None

-   **Full Proposal Deadline Date(s):** June 3, 2002

***D. FastLane Requirements***

-   **FastLane Submission:** Required

-   **FastLane Contact(s):**

-   Desiree Marshall, Lead Program Assistant, Antarctic Sciences
    Section, room 755, telephone: 703-292-8033, e-mail:
    <Ant2001@nsf.gov>.

PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION

-   **Merit Review Criteria:** National Science Board approved criteria.
    Additional merit review considerations apply. Please see the full
    program announcement/solicitation for further information.

AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

-   **Award Conditions:** Additional award conditions apply. Please see
    the program announcement/solicitation for further information.

-   **Reporting Requirements:** Standard NSF reporting requirements
    apply.

[]{#TOC .anchor}I. INTRODUCTION

The National Science Foundation invites scientists at U.S. institutions
to submit proposals ---

\- to perform research in Antarctica

\- to perform related research and data analysis in the United States

For field work in the Antarctic, successful candidates will be provided
laboratory support and operational support in addition to award of
funding through home institutions.

This document ---

-   summarizes antarctic research opportunities    

-   describes support available in Antarctica    

-   explains how to prepare a proposal for research project support    

-   connects to an online system (the Electronic Support Planner) to be
    used in preparing an operational support package if your proposed
    project would involve field work in Antarctica    

-   links to further information

Use this document with NSF\'s [*Grant Proposal
Guide*.](http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg)

II\. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

**RESEARCH AREAS**

Scientific research, and operational support of that research, are the
principal activities supported by the United States Government in
Antarctica. The goals are to expand fundamental knowledge of the region,
to foster research on global and regional problems of current scientific
importance, and to utilize the region as a platform from which to
support research. The U.S. Antarctic Program supports only that research
that can be done exclusively in Antarctica or that can be done best from
Antarctica. The research is performed by investigators from universities
and, to a lesser extent, from Federal agencies and other organizations.

The program has been in continuous operation since the 1957-1958
International Geophysical Year; continuation into the foreseeable future
is anticipated. U.S. activities in Antarctica support the Nation\'s
adherence to the Antarctic Treaty, which reserves the region for
peaceful purposes and encourages international cooperation in scientific
research. At present, 45 nations adhere to the treaty, and about 27 of
them participate in antarctic field activities. The United States
cooperates scientifically and operationally with many of the Antarctic
Treaty nations.

The National Science Foundation funds and manages the U.S. Antarctic
Program. The Foundation\'s antarctic proposal to the Congress for FY
2003 is discussed in the [OPP budget
request](http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/budget/budstart.htm) and the \
[NSF budget request](http://www.nsf.gov/home/budget/).

The Foundation supports antarctic research in these areas:

**Aeronomy and astrophysics**

The polar regions have been called Earth\'s window to outer space. This
term originally applied to study of aurora and other phenomena related
to interaction of solar plasmas and fields. In this context the polar
upper atmosphere is a screen on which the results of such interactions
can be viewed and through which other evidence of space physics
processes can pass. Today, this concept of Earth\'s polar atmosphere as
a window includes research in other fields as well. With discovery of
polar stratospheric ozone depletions, a window previously thought
\"closed\" (the ultraviolet window) is now known to \"open\" in certain
seasons. In astronomy and astrophysics, favorable atmospheric conditions
and the unique location of the South Pole enable scientists to use this
window to probe the structure of the Sun and the universe with
unprecedented precision.  Antarctica\'s deep, clear ice sheet also is a
window, providing a medium for detection of neutrinos that pass through
Earth, and a neutrino detector is installed in the ice sheet at the
South Pole.

The aeronomy and astrophysics program supports studies of three regions:

-   the stratosphere and the mesosphere. Current research focuses on
    stratospheric chemistry and aerosols, particularly in the context of
    the ozone hole. The polar stratosphere is expected to be a field of
    continued interest and growth.                                 

-   the thermosphere, the ionosphere, and the magnetosphere. These
    regions derive many of their characteristics from the interplay of
    ionized plasmas and energetic charged particles with geomagnetic and
    geoelectric fields. The upper atmosphere, particularly the
    ionospheric portion of it, is the ultimate sink of solar wind energy
    that is transported into the magnetosphere. Energy dissipates in the
    ionosphere because of particle precipitation, which is the result in
    part of resonant wave-particle interactions, and because of the
    Joule heating that is a result of currents driven by electric
    fields.                                 

-   astronomy and astrophysical studies of the regions of the universe
    outside the magnetosphere, including solar astronomy and cosmic ray
    physics. Astrophysical studies are primarily conducted at South Pole
    station or on long-duration balloon flights launched from McMurdo.

Major goals are to sponsor research that requires or would benefit from
the unique conditions of the Antarctic, to contribute to understanding
of the role of the Antarctic in global environmental change, to
participate in interdisciplinary studies of geosphere-biosphere
interactions in the middle and upper atmosphere, and to improve
understanding of the coupling of the Earth\'s polar atmosphere with the
magnetosphere and of the ways in which both are affected by solar
activity.

**Biology and medical research**

The goal of antarctic biology and medical research is to improve
understanding of life phenomena and processes. The program supports
projects directed at all levels of organization from molecular,
cellular, and organismal to communities, ecosystems, and global
processes. Investigators should apply recent theory and technology to
understanding how organisms, including humans, adapt and live in high
latitude environments and how ecosystems may respond to global change.
Support is focused on these areas:

-   Marine ecosystem dynamics. Understanding the natural variability of
    marine ecosystems is the goal. An important focus is an
    understanding of complex interactions among biotic and physical
    systems in marine environments, including the structure and function
    of the marginal ice-zone as well as shelf , polyna, and open-ocean
    systems. Topics include the interactions among trophic levels,
    factors influencing primary production, and the role of
    phytoplankton in carbon dioxide cycling. Remote sensing techniques
    and long-term observations are appropriate tools to enhance this
    area of research.       

-   Terrestrial and limnetic ecosystems. Organisms in ice-free areas and
    in perennially ice-covered lakes show remarkable adaptations. The
    presence of relatively few species eases study of ecosystem dynamics
    and interpretation of experiments. Research is needed on adaptive
    mechanisms and evolutionary processes in the context of the physical
    environment. The McMurdo Dry Valleys of southern Victoria Land are
    of particular interest. Research in support of future field
    exploration of subglacial lakes is encouraged.       

-   Population biology and physiological ecology. Research is supported
    in population dynamics, especially metabolic, physiological, and
    behavioral adaptations of krill and other invertebrate, zooplankton,
    and fish species. Marine mammals and birds have been the object of
    much research and merit further attention in some areas. Long-term
    observations are needed to improve understanding of manmade or
    natural changes.       

-   Adaptation. The extremes of light, temperature, and moisture have
    resulted in unusual adaptations. Research topics include
    low-temperature photosynthesis and respiration, enzymatic
    adaptations, adaptive strategies such as development of antifreeze
    compounds and modifications to circulation systems, and the response
    of organisms to increased UV-B from the ozone hole. The techniques
    of molecular biology and genomics offer unique approaches to
    addressing questions involving adaptation, and such applications are
    of special interest.       

-   Human behavior and medical research. Antarctica\'s extreme climate
    can induce social, psychological, and physiological stresses,
    particularly during the winter isolation, which can exceed 8 months.
    Research has applications to human health and performance both in
    the Antarctic and in other isolated environments such as space.
    Studies can focus on topics such as epidemiology, thermal
    regulation, immune system function, individual behavior, and group
    dynamics.

**Geology and geophysics**

Antarctica represents about 9 percent of Earth\'s continental crust and
has been in a near-polar position for more than 100 million years. It is
covered by a continental ice sheet with an average thickness of 3 km.
There is unequivocal evidence that for a long period after the continent
arrived at its high-latitude position, extensive continental ice sheets
did not exist there. The ice sheets, through their interaction with and
effect on oceanic and atmospheric circulation, play a key role in
modulating global climate.

Some important program goals include:

-   determining the tectonic evolution of Antarctica and its
    relationship to the evolution of the continents from Precambrian
    time to the present                                

-   determining Antarctica\'s crustal
    structure                                

-   determining the effect of the dispersal of antarctic continental
    fragments on the paleocirculation of the world oceans, on the
    evolution of life, and on global paleoclimates and present
    climate                                

-   reconstructing a more detailed history of the ice sheets,
    identifying geological controls to ice sheet behavior, and defining
    geological responses to the ice sheets on regional and global
    scales                                

-   determining the evolution of sedimentary basins within the continent
    and along continental margins

All of these problems involve the need for an improved understanding of
where, when, and how Antarctica and its surrounding ocean basins were
accommodated in the interplate movements inferred from studies of global
plate kinematics. In short, the program encourages investigation of the
relationships between the geological evolution of the antarctic plate
and paleocirculation, paleoclimate, and the evolution of high-latitude
biota.

In geophysics, the continent and its environs have a central role in the
geodynamic processes that have shaped the present global environment.
The tectonic role of the antarctic continent in the breakup of
Gondwanaland, the close interaction of the antarctic crust and ice sheet
with their attendant effects on the planet\'s fluid systems, and
Antarctica\'s present-day seismically quiescent role defines the
important thrusts of geophysical research in the high southern
latitudes. 

**Ocean and climate systems**

Antarctic oceanic and tropospheric studies focus on the structure and
processes of the ocean-atmosphere environment and their relationships
with the global ocean, the atmosphere, and the marine biosphere. As part
of the global heat engine, the Antarctic has a major role in the
world\'s transfer of energy. Its ocean/atmosphere system is known to be
both an indicator and a component of climate change.

Research sponsored by the ocean and climate systems program is intended
to improve understanding of the oceanic environment at high latitudes,
including global exchange of heat, salt, water, and trace elements,
sea-ice dynamics, and tropospheric chemistry and dynamics. Major program
elements include-

-   Physical oceanography, concerned with understanding the dynamics and
    kinematics of the polar oceans, the effects of interface driving
    forces such as wind, solar radiation, and heat exchange, water mass
    production and modification processes, ocean dynamics at the pack
    ice edge, and the effect of polynyas on ventilation.  

-   Chemical oceanography, concerned with chemical composition of sea
    water and its global speciation, reactions among chemical elements
    and compounds in the ocean, fluxes of material within ocean basins
    and at their boundaries, and the use of chemical tracers to study
    time and space scales of oceanic
    processes.                                

-   Sea ice dynamics, including study of the material characteristics of
    sea ice down to the individual crystal level and the large-scale
    patterns of freezing, deformation, and melting. These processes have
    implications for both atmospheric and oceanic \"climates.\" Advances
    in instrumentation, including remote sensing or telemetering of ice
    type, thickness, motion, and growth, should enable large scale
    dynamics of sea ice to be monitored over long
    periods.                                

-   Meteorology, concerned with atmospheric circulation systems and
    dynamics. Research areas include the energy budget; atmospheric
    chemistry; transport of atmospheric contaminants to the Antarctic;
    and the role of large and mesoscale systems in global exchange of
    heat, momentum, and trace constituents.

**Glaciology**

Snow and ice are pervasive elements of high latitude environmental
systems and have an active role in the global environment. The
glaciology program is concerned with the study of the history and
dynamics of all naturally occurring forms of snow and ice, including
floating ice shelves, glaciers, and continental and marine ice sheets.
Program emphases include paleoenvironments from ice cores, ice dynamics,
numerical modeling, glacial geology, and remote sensing of ice sheets.
Some specific objectives are:

-   Correlation of climatic fluctuations evident in antarctic ice cores
    with data from arctic and lower-latitude ice cores, and integration
    of the ice record with the terrestrial and marine
    record.                                

-   Documentation of the geographic extent of climatic events noted in
    paleoclimatic records; and the extension of the ice core time series
    to provide information on astronomical forcing of
    climate.                                

-   Establishment of more precise dating methodologies for deep ice
    cores.                                

-   Determination of the Cenozoic history of antarctic ice sheets and
    their interaction with global climate and uplift of the
    Transantarctic Mountains; response of the antarctic ice sheets to
    the Pliocene warming.                                

-   Investigation of the physics of fast glacier flow with emphasis on
    processes at glacier beds.                                

-   Investigation of ice-shelf
    stability.                                

-   Identification and quantification of the feedback between ice
    dynamics and climate change.

**Environmental research**

Environmental research is integrated into the disciplinary programs
described above. An emphasis is research to help reduce the
environmental impact of activities in Antarctica. Areas of inquiry might
include effects of past practices, materials and waste management,
current impacts, resilience of ecosystems, and promising technologies.
The goal is to foster and maintain Antarctica\'s natural conditions
while supporting the range of scientific research that can be done best
in Antarctica.

**Education; NSF review criterion 2**

Placing research and learning hand in hand is NSF\'s highest priority. A
strategy is to foster integration of research and education through the
activities NSF supports at academic and research institutions.

Antarctica presents exceptional opportunities to integrate education
and outreach into research projects. Scientists preparing research
proposals have a rich variety of ways to respond to NSF\'s proposal
evaluation criterion 2 \-- \"What are the broader impacts of the
proposed activity\" \-- that asks how well the proposed activity will
advance understanding while promoting teaching and learning; how well it
will broaden the participation of underrepresented groups; to what
extent it will enhance the research and education infrastructure
(facilities, instruments, networks, partnerships, etc.); how well the
results will be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and
technological understanding; and what may be the benefits to society of
the proposed activity.

The Foundation\'s Advisory Committee for Polar Research, Working Group
on Implementation of criterion 2, has produced a document, [Criterion 2
Background and List of Representative
Activities](http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/opp_advisory/oaccrit2.htm), that
proposers may want to consider when addressing the broader-impacts
review criterion.

The NSF-supported *[Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the
Arctic](http://tea.rice.edu/) \--* itself an opportunity for
investigators to put motivated K-12 teachers on their field
teams \-- has a web site with two topics that may help a proposal
respond effectively to these newer NSF objectives: a list of [Current
Polar Research Community Outreach
Projects](http://tea.rice.edu/science_education/researcher_opprojects.html) and
a tutorial, [Educational Outreach and the Polar Research
Community](http://tea.rice.edu/science_education/researcher_index.html),
intended to help polar scientists identify and leverage opportunities
for integrating educational outreach into their research.

While proposers are encouraged to develop criterion-2 activities that
are specific to their own research, awareness of or collaboration with
two other Foundation programs may be helpful in achieving broader
impact.  They are the [Antarctic Artists and Writers
Program](http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/opportun.htm), which deploys scholars
in the humanities to help record the U.S. antarctic heritage, and the
annual program for [media
representatives](http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/media/01/ma0106.htm) to
visit and interview research teams and others in the U.S. Antarctic
Program.

**FACILITIES, LOGISTICS, AND SUPPORT**

Facilities for research in Antarctica include three year-round research
stations with scientific equipment and laboratories, helicopters,
ski-equipped airplanes, surface vehicles, a wide array of additional
research facilities and temporary (usually summer) camps, an
ice-strengthened research ship, a research icebreaker, and a logistics
icebreaker. These facilities are operated under the guidance of NSF\'s
Polar Research Support Section (703-292-8032) by a prime antarctic
support contractor, its subcontractors, and other contractors, by
military units of the Department of Defense, and by the U.S. Coast
Guard.

During the 2003-2004 austral summer and into the 2004 winter, the period
in which most proposals submitted in response to this announcement will
first be fielded, approximately 140 research projects \-- some
continuing from the prior year and some being initiated as a result of
new NSF awards for which field work has been approved \-- are likely to
be active in the U.S. Antarctic Program at numerous locations throughout
the continent and the Southern Ocean.

**McMurdo Station (77°53\'S 166°40\'E)**

McMurdo, on Ross Island, is the hub of the U.S. Antarctic Program.
Persons en route to South Pole and field camps pass through McMurdo. In
the U.S. program, only Palmer Station is operationally separate. McMurdo
is the largest station in Antarctica, accommodating up to 1,200 people
in summer and 250 in winter. 

McMurdo is the globe\'s farthest south land accessible by ship. It has a
natural harbor, Winter Quarters Bay, accessed by a freighter and a
tanker with Coast Guard icebreaker escort once a year in late summer. 

U.S. antarctic air operations are centered at McMurdo. Nearby sea ice
supports a runway for large transport planes between late September and
early December, when flights are made between New Zealand and McMurdo
several times per week. A second runway on groomed glacial ice (the
Pegasus runway) can accept wheeled landings year-round.   In mid-August
it receives flights from New Zealand over several days to initiate
preparations for the summer season, and typically in late February a
series of round-trip flights from New Zealand provides for the
transition back to winter operations. A skiway on the adjacent Ross Ice
Shelf can be used at any time of year by LC-130s \-- ski-equipped,
four-engine transports. LC-130s operated by the New York Air National
Guard are stationed at McMurdo throughout the austral summer.

In winter the station historically has been isolated except for
emergencies. However, scientific interest led to an NSF-sponsored
workshop in 1999 that could result in increased winter access. The
workshop report, [Year-Round Access to the McMurdo Region: Opportunities
for Science and
Education,](http://www.homepage.montana.edu/~lkbonney/DOCS/Links.html)
discusses the winter potential. It is intended to stimulate further
consideration by the community, but does not have specific Foundation
endorsement.  Research might include extending summer measurements into
the dark months; winter \"access\" may include virtual access through
remote instrumentation as well as transportation improvements and likely
would extend to the McMurdo Dry Valleys.

Communications between McMurdo and the rest of the world, available
year-round, 24 hours a day, include telephone, electronic mail, and the
Internet. Regular U.S. mail service is provided in the austral summer.

McMurdo is a major research center. Science facilities include the
Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center (more familiarly, the
Crary lab), opened in 1991. The laboratory is a large, state-of-the-art
facility that enables sophisticated procedures in the disciplines
appropriate to Antarctica.

The lab\'s five wings total 4,320 square meters of working area for
information, computing, and telecommunications including Internet;
biology; earth sciences; atmospheric sciences; and an aquarium and wet
lab. The lab has flexible-use laboratory space, environmental rooms,
equipment rooms, microscope rooms, offices, facilities for handling
hazardous chemicals including radioisotopes, and conference rooms. Most
lab spaces have single-pass air and fume hoods. The facility has
specialized benchtop equipment for use both in the building and
remotely. It is stocked with scientific supplies, chemicals, and other
consumables. It also supports environmental and ecological
investigations, bioassays, industrial hygiene surveys, chemical
analyses, and snow and ice mechanics and engineering. A meteorology
center has AVHRR, HRPT, DMSP, and other data archives and an interactive
data access system.

Additional McMurdo facilities provide direct support to science
involving diving, balloon launches, field party training and outfitting,
upper atmosphere investigations, etc. In summer, portable shelters and
equipment aid research on and under the sea ice of adjacent McMurdo
Sound. Helicopters support projects and camps within 150 kilometers of
the station; and surface vehicles provide local transportation and
support for traverses.

The McMurdo region has been the object of vigorous scientific attention.
An abundant literature presents questions for further study in marine
biology, earth sciences, and other areas. A [McMurdo-Based Research
Support
Prospectus](http://www.polar.org/science/prospectus/mcm_home.htm) contains
text and visual descriptions of capabilities for U.S. Antarctic Program
researchers based out of McMurdo Station.

**Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station (90°S)**

Opened in 1957, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station was rebuilt in 1975 as
a research facility under a geodesic dome and steel arches. In recent
years it has undergone substantial renovation and improvement to handle
increased research needs. The station is undergoing a far-reaching
modernization that by 2006 will substantially improve or replace
existing structures and systems.

South Pole Station is at an elevation of 2,835 meters on the continental
ice sheet and has a mean temperature of minus 49.3°C.

Flights between McMurdo and South Pole are frequent from late October to
mid-February; the station is isolated at other times.
February-to-October (austral winter) population is about 50, but more
than 200 can be accommodated in the summer; these numbers include
construction personnel for the modernization program.

The station has an Atmospheric Research Observatory, the Martin A.
Pomerantz Observatory for astrophysics, and computer systems for
research and communication including Internet access. It has collected
the longest continuous set of meteorological data from Antarctica\'s
vast interior ice plateau, and it is well located for studies of the
cusp region of the magnetosphere. Astronomy and astrophysics have
flourished in recent years, taking advantage of excellent optical
properties of the atmosphere (resulting from its high elevation, low
temperature, and low humidity) and, for neutrino detection, the
extremely clear and homogeneous thick ice below. A small biomedical
research facility is present. Other areas of interest include
geophysics, upper atmosphere sciences, and glaciology.

**Palmer Station (64°46\'S 64°03\'W****)**

Palmer, on Anvers Island near the Antarctic Peninsula, has been in
operation since 1965. It is operated in conjunction with the icebreaking
research ship Laurence M. Gould. Small boats are available for sampling
in the sea and at nearby islands. Access to Palmer, which is year-round,
generally is by ship from the southern tip of South America.

The climate at Palmer is less severe than that at the other U.S.
stations, and the fauna and flora are diverse. There are many
opportunities for biology at or near the station; other disciplines
(e.g., meteorology, upper atmosphere physics) also are represented.
Palmer has extensive biology laboratories, including wet lab areas and
sea water aquaria. Palmer\'s population has ranged from 8 to 12 in
winter to 43 in summer.

The Palmer Station area since 1990 has been a National Science
Foundation [Long Term Ecological Research](http://lternet.edu/) (LTER)
site. For information contact the biology program manager at OPP.

**Temporary camps**

In the austral summer, aircraft from McMurdo can place scientific
parties almost anywhere on the continent. Tents or heated shelters and
snowmobiles can be provided. Helicopters sometimes are deployed to
remote locations for close support of research parties. Substantial
camps remote from McMurdo Station can be established for large research
groups. Camps can be placed by ship in the Antarctic Peninsula area.

**Automated data gatherers (AGO and AWS)**

The program supports [automated geophysical
observatories](http://www.polar.umd.edu/ago.html) (AGOs) for unmanned
collection of data at remote locations. Investigators wishing to use
these facilities or the resulting data should look at the web site or
contact an Office of Polar Programs science program manager
([roster](http://staff.nsf.gov/subdiv.cfm?key=287)).

Under NSF sponsorship, the University of Wisconsin has placed [automatic
weather stations](http://uwamrc.ssec.wisc.edu/amrchome.html ) (AWSs) at
locations in Antarctica for research and operations. Information and
data are freely available.

**UV radiation monitoring network**

The U.S. Antarctic Program supports the operation of precision
spectroradiometers optimized for measuring solar ultraviolet radiation
at South Pole, Palmer, and McMurdo in Antarctica and at Ushuaia,
Argentina; Point Barrow, Alaska; and San Diego. Data are distributed
regularly in support of seasonal research and are available annually on
CD-ROM. The data include irradiance scans and databases of integrated UV
exposure and a variety of dosages. Contact [Biospherical
Instruments](http://www.biospherical.com/ ).

**Research ships**

For capabilities and schedules of research icebreakers, visit
the [Marine
Operations](http://www.polar.org/science/marine/index.html) home page. 
Ship schedules are updated regularly.  If your proposed field work
conflicts with an already scheduled cruise, please contact your OPP
science program manager or the ocean projects manager.

***Laurence M. Gould*. **This icebreaking research and resupply ship
accommodates 28 researchers and support technicians, most in double
rooms with bathrooms. Another eight people can be accommodated in
berthing vans for crossing the Drake Passage. It is equipped for marine
biology, physical and chemical oceanography, and marine geophysics. It
operates typically along the Antarctic Peninsula and in the South
Shetland Islands; research cruises can be made elsewhere as required.
Several trips are made between South American ports and Antarctica each
austral summer; the ship regularly transports people and supplies
between southern South America and Palmer Station. It entered into U.S.
Antarctic Program service in 1997 under a 10-year charter from the
builder and operator, Edison Chouest Offshore**.**

The hull has an ice classification of ABS-A1 rated for light
icebreaking. The ship is thus permitted to perform missions in moderate
pack ice, but must stay clear of heavy ice and consolidated pack to
avoid besetment.

Research equipment includes a seismic system, a portable isotope
laboratory, and dedicated oceanographic instrumentation (e.g., CTD). The
ship has a deep sea trawl winch and hydrographic winches, cranes, an
interior staging area with telescoping side boom, and starboard and aft
A-frames. It has satellite navigation, radar, and precision depth
recorders.

The ship\'s name commemorates Laurence M. Gould (1896-1995), chief
scientist and second in command on Richard E. Byrd\'s first antarctic
expedition, president of Carlton College, leader of the U.S. delegation
to planning meetings for the antarctic portion of the International
Geophysical Year, member of the National Science Board, and chairman of
the National Academy of Sciences Polar Research Board, among other
things.

***Nathaniel B. Palmer*. **A research vessel with icebreaking
capability, *Nathaniel B. Palmer *began antarctic operations in 1992
under a 10-year lease with the builder and operator, Edison Chouest
Offshore.  The lease has been extended to 2008 with an option to extend
further to 2012.  The ship is a first-rate platform for global change
studies, including biological, oceanographic, geological, and
geophysical components. It can operate safely year-round in antarctic
waters that often are stormy or covered with sea ice. It accommodates 37
scientists and support technicians, has a crew of 22, and is capable of
up to 75-day missions. It has 4,100 sq ft (380 sq m) of working deck
area, 4,000 sq ft (370 sq m) of laboratory spaces, and modern
oceanographic equipment. 

Research equipment includes a seismic system, a portable isotope
laboratory, and dedicated oceanographic instrumentation (e.g., CTD). The
ship has a deep sea trawl winch and hydrographic winches, cranes, an
interior staging area with telescoping side boom, and starboard and aft
A-frames. It has satellite navigation, radar, precision depth recorders,
multichannel and single channel seismic system, Seabeam bottom profiler,
and acoustic doppler current profiler.

The ship is named *Nathaniel B. Palmer* to commemorate the American
sealer credited with first seeing Antarctica, in 1820. Nathaniel Palmer
later led a prosperous career as a sea captain and a designer and
builder of clipper ships.

*Underway measurements*. Instruments on *Nathaniel B.
Palmer *and *Laurence M. Gould *are available for not-to-interfere
underway measurements on behalf of investigators who do not join a
cruise. Instruments include Seacat 21 thermosalinograph, Turner model 10
fluorometer, Simrad EK500 scientific echo sounder and other acoustic and
bathymetric systems, LaCoste-Romberg gravity meter, XBTs, and
meteorological sensors. A Seabeam wide-swath bottom mapping system is
installed on the *Nathaniel B. Palmer*. Proposals for management of
long-term measurements and data archiving will be considered. Identify
technician staffing and other shipboard support both in the proposal and
on the *Nathaniel B. Palmer *worksheet.

*Other ships***. **University-National Oceanographic Laboratory Systems
ships operate in the Southern Ocean in some years; see also the NSF
Division of Ocean Sciences Web page . The Coast Guard icebreaker that
provides operational support near McMurdo can provide underway research
support in the Southern Ocean and the Ross Sea; direct a proposal for
such support to the NSF Office of Polar Programs. Research ships of
other Antarctic Treaty nations operate in antarctic waters (see
\"Non-U.S. facilities; international cooperation\").

**High precision GPS**

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a worldwide, all-weather
navigation and positioning system operated by the Department of Defense.
GPS has been used in Antarctica for several years. The use of GPS for
high precision antarctic surveying (1 mm-10 m) is increasing, with
applications including geodetic surveying, glacial flow measurement,
aircraft position, velocity and acceleration determination, mapping,
seismic instrument positioning on moving ice sheets, glacial geology,
isostasy, and sample positioning.

The U.S. Antarctic Program has an agreement with [University Navstar
Consortium](http://www.unavco.ucar.edu/) (UNAVCO) for GPS support
including equipment and predeployment support. Support includes (1) a
pool of geodetic quality receivers for the field season, (2) in-field
equipment repair, (3) in-field engineering support, (4) in-field and
predeployment training in the use of GPS receivers, (5) training in GPS
data processing, (6) archiving of GPS data, and (7) assistance in
project planning and experiment design.

UNAVCO\'s assistance in the design of projects includes advice about
both field support and data processing. Resources are limited, and
investigators who have their own receivers and field staff are
encouraged to use them. Investigators who do not have access to
geodetic-quality GPS receivers and are contemplating their use for
high-precision surveying as part of their proposed work should contact
UNAVCO to discuss the requirements. In general, proposals should build
GPS expertise into the science project plan and the budget.

On the Operational Requirements worksheets (see section with this
title), specify the number of receivers required, the time needed to
complete the GPS field work, and the in-field engineering required from
UNAVCO. Describe how the work will be done, including any need for
permanent markers. Contact UNAVCO if you need help developing this
information.

**Synthetic aperture radar**

NSF encourages proposals for use of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data
in oceanography, sea-ice research, glaciology, and geology. Under an
agreement between NASA and NSF, an earth station has been put into
operation at McMurdo, enabling SAR data to be acquired from a large part
of Antarctica.

For areas north of 79° S, data are available from the European Remote
Sensing Satellites ERS-1 and ERS-2 and the Canadian satellite RADARSAT.
Opportunities exist for interferometric studies using ERS-1 and -2 data
collected with a 1-day separation between images. The first antarctic
imaging campaign was completed with RADARSAT on 20 October 1997, and a
mosaic map was completed in 2001.

Access to data is regulated according to international agreements
between NASA and the foreign flight agency responsible for the
satellite. For ERS-1 and ERS-2, data received through McMurdo are
available through the Alaska SAR Facility (ASF) at the University of
Alaska, Fairbanks, which is sponsored by NASA. All other antarctic SAR
data from ERS-1 and ERS-2 must be requested through the European Space
Agency.

Antarctic RADARSAT data are available through the ASF to NASA-approved
investigators. Agreements between NASA and the space agencies require
you to be an approved user to obtain ASF\'s SAR-related data.
Investigators submitting proposals to the U.S. Antarctic Program for
analysis of SAR data must also submit a copy of the proposal to NASA to
receive data credits in accordance with the appropriate memorandum of
understanding. The contact for such proposals is Waleed Abdalati,
manager of NASA\'S cryospheric sciences program
([wabdalat@hq.nasa.gov]{.underline}, 202-358-0746).

For more information about SAR data, contact the [Alaska SAR
Facility](http://www.asf.alaska.edu/). NASA\'s [Earth Science
Enterprise](http://www.earth.nasa.gov/) offers related opportunities.
For U.S. Antarctic Program information, contact the [OPP program
officer](http://staff.nsf.gov/subdiv.cfm?key=287 ) for your area of
research.

**Polar ice core drilling services **

The [University of
Wisconsin](http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/A3RI/icds/) provides ice coring and
drilling under NSF contract to meet technological requirements of
glaciologists and others. Services include design, fabrication, and
operation of ice drilling equipment in Antarctica, Greenland, and high
alpine areas. Direct support to science parties as tasked by the Office
of Polar Programs can include coordination of science support
requirements, collection and dissemination of data, facilities and
equipment, information systems, and logistics. Ice drilling and
technical services include electro-mechanical ice core drills, hot water
drill for deep access holes and shot holes, and sub-ice sampling. Notify
the relevant NSF program manager
(see [roster](http://staff.nsf.gov/subdiv.cfm?key=287)) when you are
requesting ice coring support.

**Specimens for research**

Specimens collected in the Antarctic are available to qualified
investigators for study. For information, including the policies and
procedures for obtaining samples, contact the facilities listed below.

**Ice cores. **The U.S. [National Ice Core
Laboratory](http://nicl.usgs.gov/index.html), supported by USGS and NSF,
houses approximately 12,000 meters of ice cores recovered from Greenland
and Antarctica that are available for study.

**Ocean-bottom sedimentary cores and grab samples; continental
cores. **Shipboard coring supported by the U.S. Antarctic Program over
four decades has produced the world\'s largest collection of antarctic
piston cores, housed at the [Antarctic Research
Facility](http://www.arf.fsu.edu/), Florida State University.
Investigators planning proposals that would result in collection of new
marine sediment cores should contact the curation facility during
proposal development. The facility can provide information about core
handling protocols and, in special cases, can provide assistance to
projects if planned and justified in the proposal. It should be
considered the final repository for core material remaining from a
project unless other specific arrangements are made. 

**Meteorite samples. **More than half the world\'s meteorites available
to science have been recovered from Antarctica since
1969. [Samples](http://www-curator.jsc.nasa.gov/curator/antmet/antmet.htm) are
managed, described, curated, and made available for research at Johnson
Space Center, NASA, under an interagency agreement between NSF, NASA,
and the Smithsonian Institution. 

**Biological specimens. **Some 20,000 samples comprising hundreds of
thousands of specimens of antarctic benthic invertebrates, plankton,
algae, and fish collected by U.S. Antarctic Program researchers are
available for study and identification. The Smithsonian
Institution [Department of Invertebrate
Zoology](http://www.nmnh.si.edu/iz/usap/) handles the collection under
a [cooperative
agreement](http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/servlet/showaward?award=9509761) with
NSF. NSF-sponsored polar investigators continue to deposit specimens and
data.

**Maps, aerial photographs, and related information**

An [Antarctic Resource Center](http://usarc.usgs.gov/) at the U.S.
Geological Survey maintains the Nation\'s most comprehensive collection
of antarctic maps, charts, satellite images and photographs. Formerly
the United States SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research)
Library, the center is managed through an interagency agreement with the
National Science Foundation that also supports USGS mapping and geodesy
in the Antarctic.

**Antarctic Bibliography**

The [*Antarctic Bibliography*](http://www.coldregions.org/) covers all
the world\'s research literature regarding the region back to 1951.  It
is produced by the American Geological Institute under a cooperative
agreement with the National Science Foundation and is available for
searching and full-document retrieval. Proposers are encouraged to use
the bibliography to broaden awareness of past research results relevant
to their interests.  Investigators are encouraged to provide copies of
their published papers and to check the bibliography for completeness in
their areas of expertise.

**Non-U.S. facilities; international cooperation**

The United States cooperates in research with other Antarctic Treaty
nations. U.S. scientists wishing to do research with other nations\'
programs are asked to contact an Office of Polar Programs program
manager before submitting a formal proposal.

The U.S. Antarctic Program is enthusiastically open to cooperation with
other Antarctic Treaty nations when mutually beneficial. These projects
often occur because of initiative taken by individual scientists. In
your discussions, remember that individuals cannot commit U.S. Antarctic
Program resources. Your acceptance of a generous offer from another
nation\'s antarctic program could be construed as commitment of U.S.
resources for some later project.

Do not hesitate in your collaboration with overseas colleagues, but
please contact an OPP program manager (703-292-8033) upon commencing
discussions that could lead to U.S. Antarctic Program involvement.

**ANTARCTIC CONSERVATION ACT (ACA) OF 1978**

Public Law 95-541, the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, requires your
involvement from the time you write a proposal to the time you leave
Antarctica.

The law protects native mammals, birds, and plants and their ecosystems.
The law applies to all U.S. citizens, whether or not they go to
Antarctica with the U.S. Antarctic Program. It applies to all
expeditions to Antarctica that originate from the United States.

The Act makes it unlawful, unless authorized by permit --- 

-   to take native mammals or birds              

-   to engage in harmful interference               

-   to enter designated special areas               

-   to introduce species               

-   to introduce substances designated as pollutants               

-   to discharge designated pollutants               

-   to import certain antarctic items into the USA

The Act provides penalties of up to \$25,000 and 1-year imprisonment for
each violation. Other penalties could include removal from Antarctica,
rescission of a grant, or sanctions by your employer.

A Protocol on Environmental Protection signed in 1991 by representatives
of the United States and other Antarctic Treaty nations entered into
force in 1998. The protocol strengthens antarctic environmental
standards, and recent U.S. regulations under the Antarctic Conservation
Act bind U.S. citizens to the Protocol.

The book *Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-541), with
Regulations, Management Plans With Maps for Special Areas, Permit
Application Form, and Protocol on Environmental Protection* (NSF 01-151)
is free from NSF.

The following paragraphs discuss major provisions of the Antarctic
Conservation Act and the Protocol on Environmental Protection.

**Taking native mammals or birds**

It is unlawful, unless authorized by permit, to take antarctic native
mammals or birds. To *take* means to remove, harass, molest, harm,
pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, restrain, or tag a
native mammal or bird or to try to do so.

If you are on the sea ice near McMurdo and try to hustle a Weddell seal
into position for a photograph, you are breaking the law. If you are an
ornithologist with a grant to band giant petrels, you may not do so
until you apply for and receive a permit. A grant and a permit are two
different things.

*Mineral samples* for scientific purposes normally may be collected and
removed from Antarctica without an Antarctic Conservation Act permit.
However, the Act requires a permit for \"any activity that results in
the significant adverse modification of habitats of any species or
population of native mammal, bird, plant, or invertebrate.\" The
Antarctic Protection Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-594) states, \"it is
unlawful for any person to engage in, finance, or otherwise knowingly
provide assistance to any antarctic mineral resource activity.\"

**Entering designated special areas**

A number of precisely defined places in Antarctica are designated under
the Antarctic Treaty, and in the U.S. law, as Specially Protected Areas
or Sites of Special Scientific Interest. You must have a compelling need
to enter one of these areas, and you must have a permit to do so.

Some of these special areas are near stations, such as Arrival Heights
next to McMurdo or Litchfield Island near Palmer. Other special areas
like the Barwick Valley are in remote locations in which geologists, for
example, may want to work. The areas and their *management plans*, with
which you must comply if you are permitted to enter, are described in
publication [NSF 95-154](http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf95154).

**Introducing species**

Introducing nonindigenous species to Antarctica (*i.e.*, south of 60°S
latitude) generally is prohibited. However, if your work requires it, a
permit may be issued for the following species under controlled
conditions:

a.  domestic animals and plants               

b.  laboratory animals and plants including viruses, bacteria, yeast,
    and fungi

Living nonindigenous species of birds may not be introduced into
Antarctica.

If you are uncertain whether the species you need to take to Antarctica
is considered an introduced species, please contact the antarctic
biology program at NSF (see roster in the NSF Web site).

**Introducing substances designated as pollutants**

The Antarctic Conservation Act regulates what types of materials can be
taken to Antarctica and specifies how these materials must be used,
stored, and disposed of.

**\*Banned substances.** These substances are banned from Antarctica:

a.  pesticides (except those required for science or hygiene: a permit
    is needed)               

b.  polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)               

c.  nonsterile soil               

d.  polystyrene beads and plastic chips

**Designated pollutants.** This category is large and will require
attention if you get a grant to work in Antarctica. Then, the
Foundation\'s prime antarctic contractor will help you report the
materials that fall in this category.

At the proposal stage, it is enough to think about how to *minimize* the
types and amounts of substances you need, to *substitute* benign
substances for designated pollutants wherever possible, and
to *handle* the designated pollutants that you must take. In the
proposal and, if you get a grant, in your later dealings with the prime
antarctic support contractor, err on the side of *disclosure*. In the
proposal\'s *Operational Requirements* package (see section with this
title below), use the worksheet to list major amounts of waste you
expect to generate.

Designated pollutants include any substance listed by name or
characteristic (flammable, corrosive, reactive, toxic) in the Clean Air
Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act,
and other U.S. regulations. Waste containing designated pollutants
is *antarctic hazardous waste*, and it has to be used, stored, and
disposed of in controlled ways.

Many research and industrial supplies and common substances like lighter
fluid and fingernail polish remover at U.S. antarctic stations are
designated pollutants. Designated pollutants must be *permitted* to
enter Antarctica. NSF\'s prime antarctic support contractor annually
compiles an application for a master permit to cover common items. The
task obviously requires the cooperation of grantees; this chore is part
of preparing for research in Antarctica.

**Discharging designated pollutants**

Some categories of waste must be removed from Antarctica. The list
includes radioactive materials, batteries, fuel, heavy metals,
lubricants, treated timbers, plastic (except low density storage bags),
solid noncombustibles, and drums that held oil or chemicals.

The U.S. Antarctic Program employs specialists to handle and remove
designated pollutants in accordance with the regulations. Grantees
receive assistance and instructions in the Antarctic, but are required
to keep track of the designated pollutants they use, to sort and store
them according to instructions provided, and to turn the waste over to
U.S. Antarctic Program officials in accordance with specified
procedures.

Open burning is prohibited in Antarctica. If your proposal will include
the operation of a remote field camp, plan to haul all your trash back
to the station or ship from which you began your sortie.

**Import into and export from the USA**

In the United States it is unlawful, unless authorized by regulation or
permit, to have or sell, or to import or export, antarctic plants from
Specially Protected Areas, antarctic mammals, or antarctic birds. An
application for a permit must demonstrate that the import or export
would further the purposes for which the species was taken or collected,
demonstrate that the import or export is consistent with the purposes of
the Antarctic Conservation Act, and state which U.S. port will be used.
There are seven designated ports: New York, Miami, Chicago, San
Francisco, New Orleans, Seattle, and Honolulu.

Mailing items to or from the United States constitutes import or export.

**Applying for a permit**

You are the person who initially decides if an Antarctic Conservation
Act [permit](http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/antarct/aca/aca.htm) will be
needed for your proposed activities. If there is any doubt, contact an
Office of Polar Programs science program manager, the permit officer, or
the environmental officer
(see [roster](http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/oppstaff.htm)).

If a permit appears necessary, send the *Antarctic Conservation Act
Application and Permit Form* to the National Science Foundation at the
address shown on the permit. Do *not *send it to the prime support
contractor. You may send the permit application to NSF with
the *Operational Requirements* package described below, or you may send
it separately. Be sure NSF gets it no later than 90 days before field
work is to start. During the 90 days, a summary of your application is
published in the *Federal Register* so that any member of the public can
comment on it. The Foundation evaluates the public comments and performs
an internal review. It then approves the application, approves it with
modifications, or disapproves it. NSF will not allow work in Antarctica
until a permit either has been approved and issued or is found to be not
required. You may not conduct research or other activities that require
a permit unless you have a permit. An application cannot be made
retroactive.

III\. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

The categories of proposers identified in the [Grant Proposal
Guide](http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2001/nsf012/nsf0102_1.html#whomaysubmit)
are eligible to submit proposals under this program
announcement/solicitation.

Federal agencies may submit proposals subject to NSF policy and Office
of Polar Programs procedure. Please consult the relevant [program
manager](http://staff.nsf.gov/subdiv.cfm?key=287) for further
information.

IV\. AWARD INFORMATION

In the U.S. Antarctic Program, NSF expects each year to fund
approximately 110 new standard and continuing research awards (see
definitions in chapter V.A. of the [Grant Proposal
Guide](http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg)) up to 3 years in duration
depending on the quality of submissions and the availability of funds.
In exceptional cases, awards for up to 5 years may be considered if the
justification and promise are compelling. Approximately \$11 million may
be available for new awards to scientists at research institutions in FY
2003. If the award is a continuing award, additional amounts will be
forthcoming in future fiscal years.  In addition, and separate from the
award to your institution, field and laboratory support will be
available in Antarctica for those projects for which field work has been
proposed and approved. Anticipated date of awards: no earlier than
October 2002.

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

**A. Proposal Preparation Instructions**

**Full Proposal:**

Proposals submitted in response to this program
announcement/solicitation should be prepared and submitted in accordance
with the general guidelines contained in the NSF *Grant Proposal Guide*
(GPG). The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the
NSF Web Site at:\
<http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg>. Paper copies of the GPG may be
obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301)
947-2722 or by e-mail from <pubs@nsf.gov>.

Every investigator submitting an antarctic proposal must also submit a
separate, formatted statement regarding field work in the Antarctic:

-   If the proposed project does *not* require field work in the
    Antarctic, fill out the [Worksheet for Proposals With No Fieldwork
    in Antarctica](http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/antarct/nofldwrk.doc).
    Place the worksheet in the Supplementary Docs section of your
    FastLane proposal to NSF.              

-   If the project you are proposing requires field work in the
    Antarctic, use the instructions that follow in the rest of Section
    V.A. to submit an operational requirements package.  

-   Also if the project requires field work, use the instructions
    in Section V.B. to prepare the budget that you submit to NSF.

**New investigators**

If you have not performed research in Antarctica, the results of a
[workshop for potential new
investigators](http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/antarct/newpiwrk.htm) that NSF
conducted in 2001 may be useful.

**Operational requirements package**

A researcher proposing field work in the Antarctic prepares a separate
operational requirements document, not submitted on FastLane, using the
U.S. Antarctic Program [Electronic Support
Planner](http://esp.polar.org/) (ESP).

The ESP contains mandatory worksheets, other worksheets, and a way to
attach tables, sketches, or anything clear and organized that will help
NSF evaluate your operational needs. *Details* of operational matters
are not required, but NSF needs to know the *scope* of your plan so
research-support specialists can evaluate how to support it.

The worksheets were devised by antarctic research-support specialists
who have years of experience in helping investigators plan field work.
Some of the worksheets are not required. Use the ones that are relevant
to your needs and that, in your judgment, help to present your
operational needs. If a worksheet is not germane to your work, don\'t
complete it.

The U.S. Antarctic Program is committed to the principle that scientific
needs should determine the research conducted in Antarctica, with
logistics deriving from and supporting the research rather than
dictating it. Prepare your proposal to NSF with the presumption that
science can be supported operationally, even if it has not been done
before.

To the extent that it is technologically and financially possible, this
principle is reflected in the field program. However, at any given time
some proposals, highly meritorious scientifically, are not feasible
operationally. The antarctic support system and sometimes the proposed
field research itself must be modified.

Prior discussion with a science program manager in the Office of Polar
Programs (703-292-8033) can help define research objectives that match
the operational realities at any given time and will help NSF plan
changes in operational support to meet research needs. For investigators
who have not previously worked in Antarctica, contact with the Polar
Research Support section of the Office of Polar Programs (703-292-8032)
during proposal preparation also can be helpful.

Operational capabilities of the U.S. Antarctic Program have evolved
greatly in response to scientific requirements and will continue to do
so, motivated primarily by dialog between the U.S. Antarctic Program
staff and the research community.

If the proposal appears likely to be approved, NSF\'s prime antarctic
support contractor will solicit details formally by means of a Support
Information Package - a SIP - that is based on the information and
worksheets you submit via the ESP.

The Antarctic Conservation Act [*Application and Permit
Form*](http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/antarct/aca/aca.htm) is on the NSF home
page and is not a part of the Electronic Support Planner.

Other considerations for the operational requirements package

Candidates, particularly those who have not participated in the U.S.
Antarctic Program, are invited to contact science program managers or
operations specialists at the Foundation\'s Office of Polar Programs
(see [roster](http://staff.nsf.gov/subdiv.cfm?key=287)). The reason for
these contacts is to help assure an effective research proposal that is
supportable operationally and to help NSF match the program\'s
operational support capabilities with projected science requirements.
While the formal proposal is intended to achieve that end, Office of
Polar Programs staff have observed that informal discussion with
scientists in advance of a proposal can help to develop field support
that is responsive to science while satisfying safety, environmental,
and health requirements.

**Environmental protection and waste management**

Your operational requirements package must convince the Foundation that
your project, if approved, can be performed in compliance with antarctic
environmental regulations. The worksheets will help you think through
and define your plans. Much of your conservation planning will involve
common sense - minimizing pollution, avoiding interference with
animals - but the regulations are complex, and you cannot rely on common
sense unassisted. Failure to provide for conservation and waste
management in your proposal could change the Foundation\'s decision from
award to declination.

The section in this document on the Antarctic Conservation Act contains
summary information that should be enough for most projects. However, do
not hesitate to review the Antarctic Conservation Act book ([NSF
95-154](http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf95154)) to be sure you
understand your responsibilities for environmental protection and waste
management. Fill out the Environmental Assessment Questionnaire and, if
necessary, an Antarctic Conservation Act permit application (discussed
at the end of section II).

By attending to these matters in your planning you will enable NSF staff
to start to plan support of these aspects in time to avoid delaying or
interrupting your field work. Neither the planning nor the
implementation need be overwhelming. NSF and investigators have learned
that diligence at the proposal stage prevents headaches later.

**Safety and health**

A project that involves work in Antarctica must consider aspects of the
research that may pose safety and health risks. Current U.S. Antarctic
Program policies regarding safety and health are consistent with U.S.
laws and regulations affecting research in the USA. 

Office of Polar Programs safety and health specialists will review your
proposal and operational requirements carefully. They have found that
most proposed antarctic research can be carried out without undue risk.
However, advance planning is essential, often in collaboration with the
proposer. Your full and careful attention to safety and health aspects
will help to make the planning efficient and effective. During review
you may be asked for more information. 

Grants are made only if questions regarding a project\'s safety and
health risks can be resolved.

Two Office of Polar Programs staff are assigned full time
responsibilities in safety and health. Please feel free to call or write
them (see [roster](http://staff.nsf.gov/subdiv.cfm?key=287)) during
proposal preparation.

**Underwater diving**

The U.S. Antarctic Program supports a scientific diving program similar
to those of institutional members of the American Academy of Underwater
Science. Scientific divers are expected to comply with guidelines in the
*Antarctic Scientific Diving Manual* (NSF 99-22), available from the
support contractor's dive coordinator (303-790-8606). Funded researchers
intending to conduct underwater diving in support of their research will
be asked to document their dive plans and diver credentials (including
polar diving experience). If the research team does not have
accomplished scientific divers, the support contractor can provide a
limited amount of such support.

If your proposed research involves underwater diving, check the
appropriate box on the Safety, Environment, and Health worksheet in the
[Electronic Support Planner](http://esp.polar.org/). If your proposal
receives funding, you will be asked to complete worksheets detailing
your diving plans and the credentials of your dive team for review and
approval by NSF. Only approved dive plans and divers will be authorized
to dive in Antarctica.

If your proposed research requires underwater diving that is not
consistent with NSF\'s scientific diving program (e.g., your diving
involves commercial or construction type diving), you will be expected
to comply with pertinent OSHA requirements.

**Radioactive materials and waste**

If you wish to use radioactive materials (open or sealed sources) in
Antarctica, you need to do so under your institution\'s radiation use
license and with the approval of the U.S. Antarctic Program. Buy the
materials through your institution, and register as a radioisotope user
with its radiation safety committee. You also must abide by requirements
imposed by the U.S. Antarctic Program, in particular radioactive waste
generation and packaging criteria for proper disposal of low-level
radioactive waste generated during the research.

If your research involves use of radioactive materials in Antarctica
(open or sealed sources), complete the Radioactive Materials worksheets
in the Operational Requirements package. Investigators who have
completed that worksheet will receive an additional questionnaire, after
the proposal has been funded, requesting details of their proposed
radioisotope usage. Proposed use of radioisotopes needs to be consistent
with your institutional license and U.S. Antarctic Program policies. An
institutional Radiation Safety Officer will be required to endorse your
use of radioisotopes in Antarctica. Submit the worksheet in
the *Operational Requirements* package.

**Research ship EEZ clearances**

Any research that is north of 60°S and involves work in the Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) of another nation (typically within 200 nautical
miles of the coast of that nation), including underway measurements such
as collecting multibeam data, gravity data, or surface water samples,
requires an appropriate research clearance from the nation involved.

Justify any EEZ work in the operational reqirements package, and provide
information needed for a permit application. NSF\'s prime antarctic
contractor submits the application to the Department of State, which
must receive it no later than 6 months before the cruise.

**Composition of field teams**

Identify in your operational requirements package the number of people
who will be involved in the prospective field project. Team members
should be scientists, technicians, students, or others with experience
or strong interests in the goals of the project, should be necessary
to the conduct of the project as described in the proposal, and should
have a direct interest in its outcome.

Parties that intend to work in remote areas must have field safety
expertise that is appropriate for the anticipated activities,
conditions, and hazards. Examples of potentially hazardous situations
include mountaineering activities, working in crevassed terrain, and
working on sea ice. Investigators should consider augmenting their teams
with persons experienced in field safety, particularly if the group is
inexperienced in antarctic field work. Training of field party members
in first aid is highly recommended. 

**Physical and psychological screening**

Because medical facilities in Antarctica are not equipped to deal with
all possible medical emergencies, and because immediate medical
evacuation may be impossible, it is important that all persons deploying
to Antarctica be in good health. Before deploying, participants must
meet physical and dental health criteria established for the program.
Candidates for work during the austral winter isolation also must pass a
psychological screening.

Prospective travelers to the Antarctic with the U.S. Antarctic Program
will be provided medical and dental examination forms by the antarctic
support contractor. Travelers are responsible for completing their
physical and dental examinations and sending the completed forms to the
support contractor. Candidates for the winter isolation period will be
provided instructions for the psychological screening.

**PROPOSAL DOs AND DON\'Ts**

A proposal must convince skeptics (reviewers, panelists, NSF) that the
public good will be served by giving you public money. Suggestions:

**Do** read and follow this document and the *Grant Proposal Guide*.

**Do** keep text short.

**Do** state the problem, the plan, and the anticipated results. Answer
the \"so what?\" and \"why do this?\" questions early. 

**Do** give credit where credit is due; cite your colleagues\' work
(include titles) where appropriate.

**Do** give results of research resulting from your previous NSF grants.

**Do** check and review the proposal with a colleague. *Reviewers may
equate error with sloppy research.*

**Don\'t** assume that everyone reviewing your proposal is expert in all
aspects of your research. *Some reviewers may be chosen for their
knowledge of just part of the proposal.*

**Don\'t** leave out vitae of major investigators, budget explanation,
other-grant-support list, whole pages, etc.

**Don\'t** forget the operational requirements package if you\'re
proposing field work.

**Don\'t** inflate the budget.

Proposers are reminded to identify the program solicitation number
(NSF-02-086) in the program announcement/solicitation block on the
proposal Cover Sheet. Compliance with this requirement is critical to
determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure to
submit this information may delay processing.

**B. Budgetary Information**

Cost sharing is not required in proposals submitted under this Program
Solicitation.

***Other Budgetary Limitations:***

**Budget provisions for field services in Antarctica**

In Antarctica, most support services are provided and paid for by the
NSF-funded U.S. Antarctic Program. NSF does not provide funds in
antarctic research grants for acquisition of all needed field items and
services. Instead, common-use items are bought and shipped to Antarctica
in bulk. This practice, while affecting the way an investigator plans
for field work, lowers the cost of acquiring and, especially, of
shipping things to Antarctica.

Investigators use their proposals, and pertinent worksheets (see
Operational Requirements section), if they are useful, to specify
services and items of equipment that are required for their research. To
plan and budget for acquisition of these things, NSF must know well in
advance what they are and approximately how much they cost.

Describe and budget in your proposal as necessary for these items:

1.  equipment and supplies required at home institutions or unique to
    the field project     

```{=html}
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```
1.  radioisotopes and specialized supplies required in Antarctica     

2.  physical and dental examinations for all persons going to Antarctica
    (including those who have been before)     

3.  field equipment that is unique to a field project, such as climbing
    boots and eye protection (the Foundation issues polar clothing
    including insulated underwear, mukluks, thermal boots, parka,
    insulated overalls, gloves, and other extreme-cold-weather
    gear)     

4.  shipment of your gear between home institution and port of
    embarkation (usually a West Coast port; see worksheets)     

5.  cost of shipping equipment and samples back home (the antarctic
    program provides northbound sea shipment to a U.S. port without cost
    to the grantee, but onward transport to the home institution is paid
    for using your grant funds)     

6.  living expenses (per diem) during travel to and from Antarctica.
    Budget under foreign travel.     

7.  mountaineering guide, if warranted, for field work.

**Commercial air travel**

Do *not* budget in your proposal for commercial air travel between your
home institution and the departure point for Antarctica (normally
Christchurch, New Zealand, or Punta Arenas, Chile). The Foundation\'s
antarctic support contractor will issue tickets at no cost to your
grant. Accompanied excess baggage authorized by NSF in advance also will
be covered by the contractor. *Do* budget in the proposal for per diem
during this travel \[see (7) above\] and for any travel not involving
deployment to Antarctica.

**Insurance**

NSF does not provide insurance for grantee personnel in Antarctica, and
it does not fund acquisition of this insurance in its research grants.
Persons traveling to Antarctica are expected to have insurance
appropriate to their normal life situations so that any needed health
care, compensation for property loss, worker\'s compensation, or
survivor benefit will be provided for. Medical care for USAP
participants in Antarctica is provided in clinics at the year-round
stations. Persons who may need care beyond the capabilities of these
clinics will be transported to health care facilities in New Zealand,
South America, or the United States, at which point they or their
sponsors will be responsible for medical costs.

All research staff (paid or volunteer) should be affiliated in some
manner with your institution(s), so any worker compensation issues
arising from injuries sustained while deployed can be addressed. Most
health insurance policies cover travel to Antarctica, but some may not.
Policies should be examined.

**C. Deadline/Target Dates**

Proposals must be submitted by the following date(s):

**Full Proposals *by 5:00 PM local time*:** June 3, 2002

To provide time for proposal review and for operational planning,
proposals normally will be considered for field work beginning no sooner
than a year later. For example, properly prepared proposals received
by 3 June 2002 and approved for award typically will be provided funds
for performance periods as follows:

-   for research in Antarctica: the 2003-2004 austral summer and
    extending through the winter of 2004        

-   for research in the United States: starting as early as 6 months
    following receipt of your proposal

Complicated projects, or those requiring lots of equipment in
Antarctica, could require more lead time. Projects that are easily
fielded may be able to deploy more quickly than the schedule suggests,
and NSF strives to make that happen. The rule of thumb, however, is that
it takes 15 to 18 months to get ready for field work, and attempts to
beat that schedule introduce uncertainties.

**D. FastLane Requirements**

Proposers are required to prepare and submit all proposals for this
Program Solicitation through the FastLane system. Detailed instructions
for proposal preparation and submission via FastLane are available at:
<http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm>. For FastLane user support,
call the FastLane Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail
<fastlane@nsf.gov>. The FastLane Help Desk answers general technical
questions related to the use of the FastLane system. Specific questions
related to this Program Solicitation should be referred to the NSF
program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this
announcement/solicitation.

*Submission of Electronically Signed Cover Sheets*. The Authorized
Organizational Representative (AOR) must electronically sign the
proposal Cover Sheet to submit the required proposal certifications (see
[Chapter II, Section
C](http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2001/nsf012a/nsf0102_2.html#IIC) of the Grant
Proposal Guide for a listing of the certifications). The AOR must
provide the required electronic certifications within five working days
following the electronic submission of the proposal. Proposers are no
longer required to provide a paper copy of the signed Proposal Cover
Sheet to NSF. Further instructions regarding this process are available
on the FastLane website at:
[http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov](http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/).

VI\. PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION

**A. NSF Proposal Review Process**

Reviews of proposals submitted to NSF are solicited from peers with
expertise in the substantive area of the proposed research or education
project. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with
the oversight of the review process. NSF invites the proposer to
suggest, at the time of submission, the names of appropriate or
inappropriate reviewers. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no
conflicts with the proposer. Special efforts are made to recruit
reviewers from non-academic institutions, minority-serving institutions,
or adjacent disciplines to that principally addressed in the proposal.

The two merit review criteria are listed below. The criteria include
considerations that help define them. These considerations are
suggestions and not all will apply to any given proposal. While
proposers must address both merit review criteria, reviewers will be
asked to address only those considerations that are relevant to the
proposal being considered and for which he/she is qualified to make
judgements.

> **What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?**\
> How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and
> understanding within its own field or across different fields? How
> well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the
> project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of
> the prior work.) To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and
> explore creative and original concepts? How well conceived and
> organized is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to
> resources?
>
> **What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?**\
> How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while
> promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed
> activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g.,
> gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will
> it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as
> facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the
> results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and
> technological understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed
> activity to society?

NSF staff will give careful consideration to the following in making
funding decisions:

> ***Integration of Research and Education***\
> One of the principal strategies in support of NSF\'s goals is to
> foster integration of research and education through the programs,
> projects, and activities it supports at academic and research
> institutions. These institutions provide abundant opportunities where
> individuals may concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers,
> educators, and students and where all can engage in joint efforts that
> infuse education with the excitement of discovery and enrich research
> through the diversity of learning perspectives.
>
> ***Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and
> Activities***\
> Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all
> citizens \-- women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons
> with disabilities \-- is essential to the health and vitality of
> science and engineering. NSF is committed to this principle of
> diversity and deems it central to the programs, projects, and
> activities it considers and supports.
>
> **Additional Review Criteria**
>
> In addition to external peer review, proposals involving field work in
> the Antarctic are evaluated by the U.S. Antarctic Program for
> operational feasibility, which includes environmental protection and
> waste management provisions, safety and health measures, and
> safeguards of radioactive materials. All field participants must meet
> specified health and dental requirements. Candidates for wintering at
> the year-round stations are screened for psychological fitness.  
>
> For examples of activities that address the standard review criterion
> 2, \"What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity,\"
> proposers are encouraged to consult the [report of the OPP Advisory
> Committee](http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/opp_advisory/oaccrit2.htm) on
> this topic. See also \"Education\" in Section II of this program
> announcement.

A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and
submitted by each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as
confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the
identities of reviewers, are sent to the Principal Investigator/Project
Director by the Program Director. In addition, the proposer will receive
an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.

**B. Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard**

All proposals are carefully reviewed by at least three other persons
outside NSF who are experts in the particular field represented by the
proposal. Proposals submitted in response to this
announcement/solicitation will be reviewed by Mail and/or Panel Review.

Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation to either support
or decline each proposal. The Program Officer assigned to manage the
proposal\'s review will consider the advice of reviewers and will
formulate a recommendation.

NSF is striving to be able to tell applicants whether their proposals
have been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The
time interval begins on the closing date of an announcement/solicitation
or the date of proposal receipt (whichever is later). The interval ends
when the Division Director accepts the Program Officer\'s
recommendation.

In all cases, after programmatic approval has been obtained, the
proposals recommended for funding will be forwarded to the Division of
Grants and Agreements for review of business, financial, and policy
implications and the processing and issuance of a grant or other
agreement. Proposers are cautioned that only a Grants and Agreements
Officer may make commitments, obligations or awards on behalf of NSF or
authorize the expenditure of funds. No commitment on the part of NSF
should be inferred from technical or budgetary discussions with a NSF
Program Officer. A Principal Investigator or organization that makes
financial or personnel commitments in the absence of a grant or
cooperative agreement signed by the NSF Grants and Agreements Officer
does so at one\'s own risk.

VII\. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Notification of the Award

Notification of the award is made to *the submitting organization* by a
Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements. Organizations
whose proposals are declined will be advised as promptly as possible by
the cognizant NSF Program Division administering the program. Verbatim
copies of reviews, not including the identity of the reviewer, will be
provided automatically to the Principal Investigator. (See section VI.A.
for additional information on the review process.)

B. Award Conditions

An NSF award consists of: (1) the award letter, which includes any
special provisions applicable to the award and any numbered amendments
thereto; (2) the budget, which indicates the amounts, by categories of
expense, on which NSF has based its support (or otherwise communicates
any specific approvals or disapprovals of proposed expenditures); (3)
the proposal referenced in the award letter; (4) the applicable award
conditions, such as Grant General Conditions (NSF-GC-1)\* or Federal
Demonstration Partnership (FDP) Terms and Conditions;\* and (5) any
announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference
in the award letter. Cooperative agreement awards also are administered
in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions
(CA-1). Electronic mail notification is the preferred way to transmit
NSF awards to organizations that have electronic mail capabilities and
have requested such notification from the Division of Grants and
Agreements.

\*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF\'s Web site at
<http://www.nsf.gov/home/grants/grants_gac.htm>. Paper copies may be
obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301)
947-2722 or by e-mail from <pubs@nsf.gov>.

More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions is contained in
the NSF *Grant Policy Manual* (GPM) Chapter II, available electronically
on the NSF Web site at <http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpm>. The GPM
is also for sale through the Superintendent of Documents, Government
Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402. The telephone number at GPO
for subscription information is (202) 512-1800. The GPM may be ordered
through the GPO Web site at [http://www.gpo.gov](http://www.gpo.gov/).

**Special Award Conditions**

**Data deposition requirement.**  The Office of Polar Programs requires
submission of OPP-supported data, derived data products, samples,
physical collections, and other supported materials to national data
centers and other specified repositories. It expects investigators to
share these things with other researchers at no more than incremental
cost and within a reasonable time. The office also considers metadata
(information about data or data sets) as vital to the exchange of
information on polar research; archives of OPP-supported projects should
include easily accessible information about the holdings including
quality assessments, supporting ancillary information, and guidance for
locating and obtaining the data. Investigators should use national and
international standards to the greatest extent possible for collection,
processing, and communication of OPP-sponsored data sets. See the Office
of Polar Programs [Guidelines and Award Conditions for Scientific
Data](http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?opp991).  

These guidelines are in addition to the requirement in NSF\'s [Grant
General
Conditions](http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf98gc1a) (section 20) to
acknowledge NSF support in your publications. This document also asks
that two copies of every publication developed under the award, labeled
with the award number, be sent to NSF.  Instead, the Office of Polar
Programs invites you to send just one copy to the American Geological
Institute, 4229 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22302-1502, to assure
its citation in the [Antarctic
Bibliography](http://www.coldregions.org/).

**C. Reporting Requirements**

For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing
grants), the PI must submit an annual project report to the cognizant
Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget
period.

Within 90 days after the expiration of an award, the PI also is required
to submit a final project report. Approximately 30 days before
expiration, NSF will send a notice to remind the PI of the requirement
to file the final project report. Failure to provide final technical
reports delays NSF review and processing of pending proposals for that
PI. PIs should examine the formats of the required reports in advance to
assure availability of required data.

NSF has implemented an electronic project reporting system, available
through FastLane. This system permits electronic submission and updating
of project reports, including information on project participants
(individual and organizational), activities and findings, publications,
and other specific products and contributions. PIs will not be required
to re-enter information previously provided, either with a proposal or
in earlier updates using the electronic system.

VIII\. CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

General inquiries regarding  ANTARCTIC RESEARCH  should be made to:

-   See Office of Polar Programs roster on the NSF web site or contact
    Desiree Marshall, Antarctic Sciences Section, Lead Program
    Assistant, room 755, telephone: 703-292-8033, e-mail:
    <Ant2001@nsf.gov>.

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

-   Desiree Marshall, Lead Program Assistant, Antarctic Sciences
    Section, room 755, telephone: 703-292-8033, e-mail:
    <Ant2001@nsf.gov>.

IX\. OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST

The NSF *Guide to Programs* is a compilation of funding for research and
education in science, mathematics, and engineering. The NSF *Guide to
Programs* is available electronically at
<http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gp>. General descriptions of NSF
programs, research areas, and eligibility information for proposal
submission are provided in each chapter.

Many NSF programs offer announcements or solicitations concerning
specific proposal requirements. To obtain additional information about
these requirements, contact the appropriate NSF program offices. Any
changes in NSF\'s fiscal year programs occurring after press time for
the *Guide to Programs* will be announced in the NSF
[E-Bulletin](http://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin), which is updated daily
on the NSF web site at <http://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin>, and in
individual program announcements/solicitations. Subscribers can also
sign up for NSF\'s [Custom News
Service](http://www.nsf.gov/home/cns/start.htm)
(<http://www.nsf.gov/home/cns/start.htm>) to be notified of new funding
opportunities that become available.

**NSF crosscutting programs**

::: Definition-Term
A big part of NSF\'s budget supports research and education that cross
traditional disciplinary boundaries. Typically, more than one NSF office
or directorate funds these programs; other Federal agencies provide
funds for some of them. Because the Antarctic is appropriate to research
in several disciplines, these [crosscutting
programs](http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/#programs) can be
particularly attractive to investigators planning antarctic
research.    
:::

::: Definition-Term
The Office of Polar Programs strongly encourages scientists to know
these programs and to consider submitting proposals that respond to the
special opportunities that they present to participate in some of the
forefront areas of science.
:::

Note especially those programs on the crosscutting website that include
the Office of Polar Programs as a sponsor.  For example, the Major
Research Instrumentation (MRI) program is appropriate for proposals for
instrument acquisition and development needed to advance polar research
but beyond the scope of the regular research programs. The Biocomplexity
in the Environment (BE) program also has opportunities relevant to polar
research.

**Other opportunities to participate in the U.S. Antarctic Program**

As the Federal agency responsible for representing the Nation in
Antarctica, NSF provides opportunities for field participation in the
U.S. Antarctic Program that go beyond its traditional role of supporting
research and education in the sciences and engineering.
See [Opportunities for
Participation](http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/opportun.htm).

 

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in
most fields of science and engineering. Awardees are wholly responsible
for conducting their project activities and preparing the results for
publication. Thus, the Foundation does not assume responsibility for
such findings or their interpretation.

NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers and
educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities and
persons with disabilities to compete fully in its programs. In
accordance with Federal statutes, regulations and NSF policies, no
person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin or
disability shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the
benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or
activity receiving financial assistance from NSF (unless otherwise
specified in the eligibility requirements for a particular program).

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities
(FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable
persons with disabilities (investigators and other staff, including
student research assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the
program announcement/solicitation for further information.

The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD)
and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable
individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation
about NSF programs, employment or general information. TDD may be
accessed at (703) 292-5090, FIRS at 1-800-877-8339.

The National Science Foundation is committed to making all of the
information we publish easy to understand. If you have a suggestion
about how to improve the clarity of this document or other NSF-published
materials, please contact us at <plainlanguage@nsf.gov>.

PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS

The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is
solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of
1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in
connection with the selection of qualified proposals; project reports
submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting
within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested
may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of
the proposal review process; to applicant institutions/grantees to
provide or obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award
decisions, or the administration of awards; to government contractors,
experts, volunteers and researchers and educators as necessary to
complete assigned work; to other government agencies needing information
as part of the review process or in order to coordinate programs; and to
another Federal agency, court or party in a court or Federal
administrative proceeding if the government is a party. Information
about Principal Investigators may be added to the Reviewer file and used
to select potential candidates to serve as peer reviewers or advisory
committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50, \"Principal
Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records,\" 63 Federal Register
267 (January 5, 1998), and NSF-51, \"Reviewer/Proposal File and
Associated Records,\" 63 Federal Register 268 (January 5, 1998).
Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and
complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving
an award.

Pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(b), an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a
person is not required to respond to an information collection unless it
displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this
collection is 3145-0058. Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including
the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this burden
estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Suzanne Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, Information Dissemination Branch, Division of
Administrative Services, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA
22230, or to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB,
Attention: Desk Officer for National Science Foundation (3145-0058), 725
17th Street, N.W. Room 10235, Washington, D.C. 20503.

*OMB control number:* 3145-0058.