Management of UNOLS Marine Technician Pool

Oceanographic facilities and equipment are supported by the National Science Foundation through the Integrative Programs Section (IPS) within the Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE), Directorate for Geosciences (GEO).  Awards are generally directed to support facilities that lend themselves to shared use within the broad range of federally-supported research and education programs. NSF support includes awards for the procurement, conversion and/or up-grade, enhancement or annual operation of research vessel platforms in the ocean, coastal, near-shore and Great Lakes. The vessels are either state or federally owned, and operated by academic institutions within the University National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS).  Most of these platforms and their associated facilities also receive partial support from other federal agencies, state and local governments, and private sources on a proportional basis.

The scientific productivity of research programs conducted by the U.S. Academic Research Vessel Fleet is enhanced by providing technical support services to all users of the facility. Maintaining availability of qualified Technicians for ship-based research is a long-standing and proven method of optimizing technical support. Individual Operating Institutions employ and assign permanent Technicians to research vessels under their purview.  However, there are frequent occasions in which it is necessary and desirable to hire temporary or part-time Technicians to meet unexpected or surge demands across the fleet.  Procedures for meeting this requirement vary between Operating Institutions and are frequently inconsistent, complex and time consuming.

This solicitation seeks to streamline the inherent inefficiencies in meeting varying demands for technical support by establishing a centrally managed Pool of Temporary and Part-time Technicians that can be made readily available to vessel Operating Institutions across the US Academic Research fleet.  A single award is anticipated for Management of a centralized, UNOLS Technician Services Pool by a Technician Pool Host Institution (TPHI).