June 04, 2003

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, two research icebreakers, 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 2004-2005 austral summer and into the 2005 winter, the period in which most proposals submitted in response to this solicitation 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 that could result in increased winter access. The workshop report, Year-Round Access to the McMurdo Region: Opportunities for Science and Education, 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 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 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 off the west coast of 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 (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 (AGOs) for unmanned collection of data at remote locations. Investigators wishing to use these facilities or the resulting data should contact an Office of Polar Programs science program manager (roster).

Under NSF sponsorship, the University of Wisconsin has placed automatic weather stations (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, California. 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.

Research ships

For capabilities and schedules of research icebreakers, visit the Marine Operations 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 (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.  A mission in 2002 mapped the perimeter of the continent and studied surface velocity of ice.

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, 202-358-0746).

For more information about SAR data, contact the Alaska SAR Facility. NASA's Earth Science Enterprise offers related opportunities. For U.S. Antarctic Program information, contact the OPP program officer for your area of research.

Polar ice core drilling services

The University of Wisconsin 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) 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, 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, 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 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 handles the collection under a cooperative agreement with NSF. NSF-sponsored polar investigators continue to deposit specimens and data.

Maps, aerial photographs, and related information

An Antarctic Resource Center 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 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 or harm associated ecosystems      
• 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 01-151.

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:

1. domestic animals and plants      
2. 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:

1. pesticides (except those required for science or hygiene: a permit is needed)      
2. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)      
3. nonsterile soil      
4. 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

If NSF funds your proposal, you may require an Antarctic Conservation Act permit for the proposed activities. You are the person who initially decides if a permit is needed.  If there is any doubt, contact an Office of Polar Programs science program manager, the permit officer, or the environmental officer (see roster).

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.  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.

New investigators

If you have not performed research in Antarctica, the results of an NSF workshop for potential new investigators may be useful.

Operational requirements package

A researcher proposing field work in the Antarctic must prepare Operational Requirements Worksheets in Polar Ice, referenced in the above instructions.

The worksheets were devised by antarctic research-support specialists who have years of experience in helping investigators plan field work. 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.

Later, 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 Operational Requirements Worksheets you submit via Polar Ice.  This action by the contractor does not constitute NSF approval, and you should not infer that an NSF award is necessarily forthcoming.

The Antarctic Conservation Act Application and Permit Form is on the NSF home page and is not a part of Polar Ice.

Environmental protection and waste management

You must convince the Foundation that your project, if approved, can be performed in compliance with antarctic environmental regulations. Operational Requirements Worksheets in Polar Ice will help you 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 summary of the Antarctic Conservation Act in this document should be enough information for most projects. However, do not hesitate to review the Antarctic Conservation Act book (NSF 01-151) to be sure you understand your responsibilities for environmental protection and waste management. Fill out the Environmental Assessment Questionnaire.   If necessary, plan to fill out and submit an Antarctic Conservation Act permit application (discussed at the end of chapter 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) 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 (800-688-8606). 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 Polar Ice. 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. Budget for this in your proposal, 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 Polar Ice. 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.

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 Worksheets, 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 Worksheets 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 completion of the project as described in the proposal, and should have a direct interest in its outcome.

Parties must have field safety expertise that is appropriate for the anticipated activities, conditions, and hazards. Examples of potentially hazardous situations include mountaineering, 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.  Feel free to consult with NSF (see roster) during proposal preparation.

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, etc.

Don't forget the no-fieldwork worksheet if you're not proposing fieldwork.

Don't forget the Polar Ice Operational Requirements Worksheets if you're proposing fieldwork.

Don't forget to give your NSF proposal number to Polar Ice if you're proposing fieldwork.

Don't inflate the budget.

June 04, 2003