April 15, 2004 - June 04, 2004 Later annual deadlines: June 2, 2005; June 7, 2006

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

The United States Antarctic Program, National Science Foundation, invites proposals --

• to perform research in Antarctica
• to perform related research and data analysis in the United States

This document --

• summarizes antarctic research opportunities
• describes facilities and support in Antarctica
• details how to write a successful antarctic proposal
• links to an online system you must use to request field support in Antarctica
• links to further information

Important:

1. To request field support, use the Polar Ice worksheets as instructed in section V.  You must finish this substantial task before you submit your proposal to NSF.  Start on it 2 weeks or more before you plan to submit the proposal.
2. To confirm to NSF that field support is not required, use the no-fieldwork worksheet described in section V.
3. An antarctic proposal that does not contain fieldwork worksheets or the no-fieldwork worksheet is subject to return without review.

4. Use this Antarctic Research document with the NSF-wide Grant Proposal Guide.

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. For projects involving fieldwork, 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 program also supports analytical research performed at home 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 29 of them are involved 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, which supports research in the areas described in chapter II.

research 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 major domains:

• 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 domains 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 Universe, 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 medicine

The goal of the antarctic biology and medicine program 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, polynya, and open-ocean systems. Topics include the interactions among trophic levels, factors influencing primary production, and the role of phytoplankton in biogeochemical 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. 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 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 ozone depletion. The techniques of molecular biology and genomics offer unique approaches to addressing questions involving adaptation, and such applications are of special interest.   
• Genomics. "Genome-enabled" biology provides opportunities to examine polar questions related to structure and function in the environment and to do so with extraordinary depth and precision. A National Research Council report addresses some of these opportunities.

• 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 Gondwana 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 as well as recovering and deciphering paleoenvironmental records

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.  

In the U.S. Antarctic Program, NSF expects each year to fund approximately 110 new standard and continuing research grants (see definitions in chapter V.A. of the Grant Proposal Guide) with durations averaging 2 to 4 years depending on the quality of submissions and the availability of funds. In exceptional cases, awards for longer than 4 years may be considered if the justification and promise are compelling. Approximately $15 million per year may be available for new awards in FY 2005 and following years. If the award is a continuing grant, 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 of the year in which the proposal is received.

The following instructions supplement the Grant Proposal Guide guidelines.

Page limit:

Single-investigator proposals must not exceed 15 pages in the project description section (see Grant Proposal Guide for details).

Multi-investigator proposals may add one page per additional investigator to the project description section.

Proposals not following these instructions are subject to return without review:

PROPOSALS WITH NO FIELDWORK

1. Prepare, but do not yet submit, the proposal in FastLane.  Follow instructions in the Grant Proposal Guide and in Antarctic Research (this document).

2. Read Worksheet for Proposals With No Fieldwork in Antarctica. 

3. Does the worksheet apply to you?  If yes, fill it out and go to step 4.  If no, stop.  Use "Proposals with fieldwork," below. 

4. Put the completed worksheet in the “Additional Single Copy Documents” section of the FastLane proposal before you submit the proposal to NSF.  External reviewers won’t see it.

5. Submit the FastLane proposal.

6. You are done!

PROPOSALS WITH FIELDWORK

1. Prepare, but do not yet submit, the proposal in FastLane.  Follow instructions in the Grant Proposal Guide and in Antarctic Research (this document).

2. Read Worksheet for Proposals With No Fieldwork in Antarctica.

3. Does the worksheet apply to you?  If yes, stop.  Use “Proposals with no fieldwork” above.  If no, go to step 4 below.

4. Log on to Polar Ice.  Click on "Launch POLAR ICE."  Apply for a new account.  You will be issued a password within 1 business day.

5. Fill out the Operational Requirements Worksheets (discussed below) in Polar Ice.  This substantial task involves carefully considering how your research will be performed in the Antarctic.  It will define your field requirements to the U.S. Antarctic Program.

6. Takes time, doesn’t it?  Aren’t you glad you started at least 2 weeks early?

7. Make a pdf file of the completed worksheets (Polar Ice tells how).

8. Put the pdf file in “Additional Single Copy Documents” in the FastLane proposal.  External reviewers won’t see it.  If you want external reviewers to know about the proposed fieldwork, describe it in the proposal itself.

9. Submit the FastLane proposal now.

10. You are NOT done!

11. Now you know your NSF proposal number.  Click again on Polar Ice.  Follow the instructions there for providing your NSF proposal number.

12. You are done! 

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 worksheets

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 builds on the Operational Requirements Worksheets you submitted 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 research results from your one previous NSF grant most closely related to the new proposal.

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

Do put the number of this program solicitation in the top line of the proposal cover sheet.

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 forget to apply to NSF for an Antarctic Conservation Act permit if needed.

Don't inflate the budget.

April 15, 2004 - June 04, 2004 Later annual deadlines: June 2, 2005; June 7, 2006

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. Properly prepared proposals received by the first Wednesday of June in a given year and approved for award typically will be provided funds for performance periods as follows:

• for research in Antarctica: the austral summer beginning approximately 15 months later and extending through the next winter
• 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.

NSF crosscutting programs

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 can be particularly attractive to investigators planning antarctic research. 

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.

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:

• The Antarctic Artists and Writers Program provides opportunities for scholars in the humanities (painting, photography, writing, history, and other liberal arts) to be in Antarctica or on the Southern Ocean--at research stations, camps, ships, and wilderness areas--to make observations needed to complete their proposed projects. The purpose of the program is to enable serious writings and the arts that increase understanding of the Antarctic and help document America's antarctic heritage. 
• The Foundation's Office of Legislative and Public Affairs conducts a separate annual competition to select television, radio, newspaper, and magazine reporters to visit and report on U.S. facilities in the Antarctic.  See NSF Invites Media to Report on U.S.-Sponsored Antarctic Research.

For other categories, see Opportunities for Participation.