Ocean Observatories Initiative: Project Office to Coordinate Ocean Observing Activities

The processes that actively shape the earth and ultimately impact society must be investigated over the spatial and temporal scales at which they occur. To characterize the temporal processes occurring in the ocean, new types of infrastructure are needed that are capable of providing long-term, high-resolution observations of critical environmental parameters. Such infrastructure will provide a long-term ocean presence that will make available novel platforms for oceanographic discovery and facilitate cutting-edge oceanographic investigations. Emerging technological capabilities are enabling the investigation of complex earth and ocean processes and the inter-linkages among them with a new intellectual approach: adaptive "observatory" science for sustained time-series measure­ments. This approach will allow the study of multiple inter-related properties, variables, and processes over a range of time scales. 

With funding from the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) account, the Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) plans to initiate construction of an integrated observatory network that will provide the oceanographic research and education communities with a new mode of access to the ocean. The OOI has three elements: 1) a regional cabled network consisting of interconnected sites on the seafloor spanning several geological and oceanographic features and processes, 2) relocatable deep-sea buoys that could also be deployed in harsh environments such as the Southern Ocean, and 3) new construction or enhancements to existing facilities leading to an expanded network of coastal observatories. The scientific problems driving the need for the OOI are broad in scope and encompass nearly every area of ocean science. Once established, the observatories constructed as part of this initiative will provide earth and ocean scientists with unique opportunities to study multiple, interrelated processes over timescales ranging from seconds to decades; to conduct comparative studies of regional processes and spatial characteristics; and to map whole-earth and basin scale structures.

The Division of Ocean Sciences requests proposals from interested groups for the establishment of a Project Office to coordinate and assist with activities related to ocean observing systems leading to the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). Proposals will be accepted from U.S. universities and colleges, U.S. non-profit, non-academic organizations, and for-profit organizations. The Ocean Observatories Project Office will be expected to successfully complete the following tasks: 

Identify and facilitate committees for continued refinement of the OOI network design: An advisory structure must be established that provides the scientific leadership required by the community to define user needs for a research observing system that includes global, regional, and coastal systems. This advisory structure will also have committees targeted to address technical and engineering issues related to the implementation of this research observing system.

Develop a consensus vision for the OOI organizational structure, governance, and operating plans: The Project Office will develop a Science Plan for the OOI based on input and recommendations from the advisory structure and then use this Science Plan to develop the various component of a Project Execution Plan for the construction phase of the OOI as outlined in NSF's "Facilities Management and Oversight Guide" (https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/lfp/). 

Identify and engage all constituencies of the ocean science research community in consensus-building activities: The Project Office will lead, coordinate and serve as the community focal point for research observatories in the ocean sciences and will report to NSF regarding these activities. Activities should include those that promote the development of integrated experimentation, computation, theory, and model-based simulation. 

Operate an interactive web site for communicating with the ocean science community in regards to OOI activities and planning: The Project Office will develop an interactive website that will serve as the definitive source of information about the OOI for not only the ocean science community but also for operational oceanographers, the wider scientific community, and the public. 

The operation of the Ocean Observatories Project Office will require a small team whose credentials must demonstrate expertise and past accomplishments in ocean science, development of organizations, committee organization and management, and interactive web site development, usage, and maintenance. Expertise must also be provided for technical report editing and web-based publications. A Principal Investigator (PI) must be designated that will have day-to-day involvement with this effort. Office and meeting facilities must be available for the project, including Internet communications capabilities and institutional meeting space necessary to conduct planned activities.

The Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) plans to initiate construction of an integrated observatory network that will provide the oceanographic research and education communities with a new mode of access to the ocean. The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) has three elements: 1) a regional cabled network consisting of interconnected sites on the seafloor spanning several geological and oceanographic features and processes, 2) relocatable deep-sea buoys that could also be deployed in harsh environments such as the Southern Ocean, and 3) new construction or enhancements to existing facilities leading to an expanded network of coastal observatories. The scientific problems driving the need for the OOI are broad in scope and encompass nearly every area of ocean science. Once established, the observatories constructed as part of this initiative will provide earth and ocean scientists with unique opportunities to study multiple, interrelated processes over timescales ranging from seconds to decades; to conduct comparative studies of regional processes and spatial characteristics; and to map whole-earth and basin scale structures.

The primary infrastructure for all components of the OOI include both dedicated fiber-optic cables to shore and moorings capable of two-way communica­tions with a shore station. Moorings are envisioned to be both freestanding, as for the global array of buoys, and they will also be attached to fiber optic cables to provide the capability for water column investigations. Seafloor junction boxes connected to this primary infrastructure will support individual instruments or instrument clusters at varying distances from cables as well as the moorings. These junction boxes include undersea connectors that provide not only the power and two-way communication needed to support seafloor instru­mentation, but also the capability to exchange instrumentation in situ when necessary for conducting new experiments or for repairing existing instruments.

The scientific problems driving the need for an ocean observing system are broad in scope and encompass nearly every area of ocean science: Ecological Characterizations, The Role of the Ocean in Climate, Fluids, Chemistry, and Life in the Oceanic Crust, Dynamics of the Oceanic Lithosphere and Imaging the Earth's Interior, Seafloor Spreading and Subduction, Organic Carbon Fluxes, Turbulent Mixing and Biophysical Interaction, Coastal Ocean Processes, Real-Time Regional Modeling and Forecasting.      

The new observational capabilities outlined here will have significant impacts upon the U.S. ocean research community by providing the means to carry out fundamental research on natural and human-induced change on timescales ranging from seconds to decades. This system will also establish the foundation for new discoveries and major advances in ocean science. As such, the initiative directly addresses NSF's three strategic goals:

People: Scientific discoveries arising from the OOI will provide new opportunities for ocean education and outreach through the capabilities for real-time data transmission and, particularly, real-time display of visual images from the seafloor. This initiative will be a source of inspiration and innovation through the combination of cutting-edge technology and research to study the complex interactions of processes on, above, and below the seafloor. In addition, with the planned establishment of a National Integrated Ocean Observing System, there will be an unprecedented need for oceanographers skilled in the use and manipulation of large, oceanographic, time-series datasets. The facilities comprising the OOI will provide the ideal platforms to train this new generation of oceanographers. 

Ideas: The establishment of a seafloor observatory network will stimulate a philosophical and intellectual reorientation within the oceanographic community. This new mode of investigation will build on and enhance the more traditional shipboard expeditionary approach by providing the means to collect unique, sustained, time-series data sets as well as providing the means to respond to environmental events as they occur. The perspectives these data will provide will stimulate new paradigms in our understanding of the dynamic biological, chemical, physical and geological processes in the sea. 

Tools: The newly available power, bandwidth and real-time instrument control provided by the systems of the OOI will lead to revolutionary advances in the technology and instrumentation needed to conduct ocean research. The availability of these observational platforms will stimulate the development of innovative biological and chemical sensors to collect the long time-series data needed to understand changes in biogeochemical systems. Furthermore, the OOI will enable whole new strategies for adaptive sampling and observation using 'intelligent' instrumentation and autonomous vehicles. The infrastructure provided through this initiative will allow integration across all GEO-related disciplines and activities and permit investigators to undertake research projects that were previously not possible.

Within the FY04 President's Budget Request to Congress, the OOI was listed as a priority new start for FY06. In order to ensure that a well functioning project management structure is in place prior to the initiation of this major construction program, the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences is soliciting proposals from interested groups for the establishment of a Project Office to coordinate research and development activities leading to the construction of this network of research observatories. Proposals will be accepted from U.S. universities and colleges, U.S. non-profit, non-academic organizations, and for-profit organizations.

The Ocean Observatories Project Office will be expected to successfully complete the following tasks: 

Identify and facilitate committees for continued refinement of the OOI network design: An advisory structure must be established that provides the scientific leadership required by the community to define user needs for a research observing system that includes global, regional, and coastal systems. This advisory structure will also have committees targeted to address technical and engineering issues related to the implementation of this research observing system.

Develop a consensus vision for the OOI organizational structure, governance, and operating plans: The Project Office will develop a Science Plan for the OOI based on input and recommendations from the advisory structure and then use this Science Plan to develop the various component of a Project Execution Plan for the construction phase of the OOI as outlined in NSF's "Facilities Management and Oversight Guide" (https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/lfp/). 

Identify and engage all constituencies of the ocean science research community in consensus-building activities: The Project Office will lead, coordinate and serve as the community focal point for research observatories in the ocean sciences and will report to NSF regarding these activities. Activities should include those that promote the development of integrated experimentation, computation, theory, and model-based simulation. 

Operate an interactive web site for communicating with the ocean science community in regards to OOI activities and planning: The Project Office will develop an interactive website that will serve as the definitive source of information about the OOI for not only the ocean science community but also for operational oceanographers, the wider scientific community, and the public. 

Planning for the OOI is being coordinated with a parallel effort organized through the National Ocean Partnership Program (NOPP) to develop an ocean observing system for operational oceanographic needs. This system, the National Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) will focus on measurements in support of operational missions of agencies such as NOAA, NASA and the Navy. The outcomes of research and technology development, that are an integral part of the OOI, will provide essential support for the IOOS. For example, the cabled and moored buoy systems of the OOI will function as test beds and incubator sites for the development of new technologies (sensors, power sources, data telemetry) as well as advanced modeling capabilities (data assimilation, nowcasting, forecasting) essential to the evolution of the sustained IOOS. The OOI Project Office will be expected to liaise with the Ocean.US office to ensure optimal coordination of these two efforts.

Duties of the Ocean Observatories Project Office

The operation of the Ocean Observatories Project Office requires a small team of dedicated investigators to plan and conduct its activities. The project staff credentials must demonstrate expertise and past accomplishments in ocean science, development of organizations, committee organization and management, education and outreach, and interactive web site development, usage, and maintenance. Expertise must also be provided for technical report editing and web-based publications.

A lead Principal Investigator (PI) must be designated that will have direct day-to-day involvement in this effort. The PI may be assisted by co-PIs, consultants who bring additional expertise needed to conduct the duties of the office, and administrative/clerical staff. An experienced webmaster must budget a minimum half-time effort annually over the project period. Office and meeting facilities must be available for the project, including Internet communications capabilities and institutional meeting space necessary to conduct planned activities. The PI will work closely with the cognizant NSF Program Manager to keep NSF informed of Project Office activities and also to solicit input on aspects related to program planning.

The Ocean Observatories Project Office will be expected to successfully complete the following tasks:

Identify and facilitate committees for continued refinement of the OOI network design. 

The Project Office, in consultation with the research community and NSF, will establish an advisory structure that provides the scientific leadership required by the community to define user needs for a research observing system that includes global, regional, and coastal systems. This advisory structure will also have committees targeted to address technical and engineering issues related to the implementation of this research observing system as described in the Science Plan, which must include cyber infrastructure needs of this system as well as issues related to standardization of observing system components. Proposals should describe how committees will be organized, led, operate, interact, reach consensus, and disseminate their discussions and findings.

The Project Office, through consultation with NSF, Ocean.US, and other participating agencies, will formulate the most efficient mechanism to facilitate interactions between the IOOS and NSF's research-based OOI. 

Develop a consensus vision for the OOI organizational structure, governance, and operating plans. 

A significant task of the Project Office will be to develop a Science Plan for the OOI based on input and recommendations from the advisory structure. The Project Office, will then use this Science Plan to develop the various component of a Project Execution Plan for the construction phase of the OOI as outlined in NSF's "Facilities Management and Oversight Guide" (https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/lfp/). These components include the following:

This plan will be developed in response to recommendations from the community-based advisory structure established by the Project Office. As part of the baseline project definition, the Project Office will be expected to independently assess costs for the implementation of the OOI. While developing this plan, the Project Office will be expected to also develop appropriate plans for any funding hiatuses between the current development phase of the OOI and the expected appropriation of funding for the construction phase in 2006. Intellectual property related to the Project Execution Plan will remain the property of the NSF. If operations of the Project Office, as determined by periodic reviews by NSF, are deemed to be successful, this Office will be encouraged to prepare and submit proposals for the construction and interim operations of the OOI. In parallel to this proposal process, the Project Office must also prepare Request for Proposals for the coastal, regional, and global components of the OOI. Selection of awardees for these components will be made in close coordination with NSF.

Identify and engage all constituencies of the ocean science research community in consensus-building activities 

It is expected that the Ocean Observatories Project Office will lead, coordinate and serve as the community focal point for research observatories in the ocean sciences and will report to NSF regarding these activities. It is expected that this office will work with NSF to organize activities to encourage increased community participation in the design, construction, and eventual use of OOI facilities. Activities should include those that promote the development of integrated experimentation, computation, theory, and model-based simulation. As planning for the OOI progresses, an important role of the office will be to help foster interactions between other existing and planned observing systems both nationally and internationally, including other appropriate NSF research initiatives such as Earthscope and IODP. 

Operate an interactive web site for communicating with the ocean science community in regards to OOI activities and planning 

Within six-months after the award, the Project Office will be expected to make operational an interactive website that will serve as the definitive source of information about the OOI for not only the ocean science community but also for operational oceanographers, the wider scientific community, and the public. This web site will be used to inform on project activities and will be the source for meeting minutes, workshop announcements, and reports. The site will also have an important role in education and outreach for activities related to the OOI and will be the source for educational materials created in relation to this initiative.

Although proposals for the Ocean Observatories Project Office must address the duties outlined above, proposers are encouraged to identify additional tasks that they feel are important to complete prior to the OOI construction phase.

Proposals under this program announcement/solicitation will be accepted from U.S. universities and colleges, U.S. non-profit organizations, non-academic organizations, and for-profit organizations. 

Letters of intent are required and should be submitted by the principal investigator via email to aisern@nsf.gov by September 29^th, 2003. The letter of intent should include: names and affiliations of the Principal Investigator and co-Principal Investigator(s); the telephone and facsimile numbers and email addresses of the Principal Investigator and an authorized organizational representative of the submitting institution/organization, a list of participating institutions and organizations, and a brief description (not more than 500 words) of the vision for the Ocean Observatories Program Office. Letters of intent will not be evaluated or used to decide on funding. They are requested to assist NSF in planning the review process. The submission of a letter of intent enables NSF to begin identifying potential panelists before the proposal submission deadline. Letters of intent are treated with the same confidentiality as NSF proposal submissions. NSF will acknowledge receipt of the letter of intent via email to the principal investigator.

The following information supplements guidelines in the Grant Proposal Guide.

The Project Description section must not exceed 25 pages. Figures, including charts, graphs, maps, photographs, and other pictorial representations can be submitted as supplemental documentation and are not included in this 25-page limit. Non-conforming proposals will be returned without review. References cited and biographical sketches are also not included in this page limit. The Project Description section must contain the following sections, 1 through 8, in the sequence and with the headings shown below.

Section 1: List of All Project Personnel. For each project staff member, list name, professional title, department, organizational affiliation, and mailing address.

Section 2: Results from Prior NSF Support (up to 5 pages). If the principal investigator or co-principal investigator(s) have received NSF funding in the past five years, information on prior awards is required. Reviewers will be asked to comment on the quality of the prior work described in this section of the proposal.

Section 3: Vision for Development of the Ocean Observatories Project Office. Discuss the proposer's vision for the development of the Ocean Observatories Project Office as aligned with the concept for the OOI as articulated in this program solicitation. The proposal should include organizational structures for the administration, governance, and operation of the OOI that will be used to guide the development and construction effort and discuss why these would be appropriate structures. Discuss the important decision points in determining which options were used. 

Section 4: Project Milestones, Outcomes, and Activities. Identify and discuss all project milestones and outcomes. As part of the supplementary documentation submitted, in tabular form provide a concise list of project activities that are keyed to the milestones and outcomes. Provide rationale for why these activities are selected, who will organize, facilitate, and participate in them (cite types of backgrounds, disciplines, sectors, etc., rather than specific participant names), and the methods/metrics that will be used to evaluate their effectiveness to fulfill project milestones and outcomes. Describe the proposed plan, process, and activities during the project period that will be used to:

Section 5: Risks. Discuss any risks associated with the establishment of the OOI management and governance structure for the construction phase of the project and discuss the strategy planned to manage these risks. Discuss lessons learned by the proposing team from past experience in the development of organizations and consensus building for similar types of organizations and broad constituencies.

Section 6: Project Schedule. Provide a clearly organized Gantt chart with key milestones, outcomes, and major activities over the project period. Identify and discuss the critical path for development and incorporation of the OOI management and governance structure prior to the construction phase of the project. The schedule should show the sequencing of all major activities to be conducted in sufficient detail to justify the proposed budget.

Section 7: Management Plan, Organizational Structure, and Project Staffing. Provide a management plan for the Project Office. Discuss the administrative and organizational structure and qualifications of the project staff. Discuss why each member of the project staff, including all subawardees and consultants (if any), is needed. Provide a table that shows for each staff member, including all subawardees and consultants, the following: name, administrative position/title on the project, level of effort (monthly and annually), activities assigned, and responsibilities for achievement of key milestones and outcomes. Provide a functional project budget in tabular form showing how resources will be allocated for management and project milestones, outcomes, and activities. Provide a plan for annual project critical self-assessment that includes measurable metrics and discuss how the results of the self-assessment will be used for project improvement.

Section 8: Facilities. Describe office and meeting facilities that will be available for the project, including office equipment, communications capabilities, and institutional meeting space necessary to conduct project business.