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On this page
- Mission: NSF OPP promotes creative and innovative scientific research, engineering and education in and about the polar regions, catalyzing fundamental discovery and understanding of polar systems and their global interactions to inform the nation and advance the welfare of all people.
- OPP receives advice through a variety of channels, including:
- The Advisory Committee for Geosciences and the associated subcommittees.
- The National Academy of Science's Polar Research Board provides scientific guidance on polar science.
- OPP Organization Chart: Visit the OPP website for the latest organization chart.
- OPP Budget: The OPP budget can be found as part of the larger NSF budget.
For the latest list of OPP funding opportunities, visit the NSF funding webpage.
NSF supports the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). NCSES is a principal statistical agency mandated to collect, interpret, analyze and disseminate objective data on the science and engineering enterprise.
OPP also supports open-access data from NSF-supported projects. Data from polar-related projects can be found at:
A list of polar program policies can be found on the OPP Policies, Reports and Resources webpage.
The Antarctic Artists and Writers program is now part of the Polar Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (Polar STEAM) initiative. Please check the Polar STEAM webpage for more information.
Unfortunately, no. NSF has a strict policy that prevents staff from participating in interviews in studies, dissertation research projects, outside research and other similar activities. NSF staff receive many inquiries and are unable to respond to all of them. Thus, in the spirit of fairness and to avoid the appearance of endorsement, the agency policy does not allow staff to participate in such activities.
Polar job opportunities
Equal Opportunity: NSF and its contractors and grantees are equal-opportunity employers.
Currently, the Antarctic Support Contract is comprised of several companies that hire employees to work in Antarctica. The primary contractor is Leidos. The list of employers can be found on the U.S. Antarctic Program website. Hiring opportunities through contract companies can be found on each contractor's website.
Battelle Arctic Research Operations (ARO) is the primary contractor for Arctic science and is comprised of several companies that hire support personnel for work in the Arctic. Information on jobs and opportunities is found on the Battelle website.
All full-time positions at NSF are posted on USAJobs. These positions include opportunities for scientific personnel, support staff and rotators.
Additionally, OPP has positions for scientists, engineers and educators as temporary program directors, known as rotators, and short-term science assistants. Information on the rotator program and other job types are found on the NSF careers webpage.
Interns are hosted at NSF and hired through other organizations. Two organizations that hire interns are the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and the Quality Education for Minorities Network (QEM). NSF and OPP occasionally host interns from these organizations.
Information for students
What opportunities are there for students to participate in polar research?
OPP works with multiple organizations that focus on high school students. The Joint Science Education Project takes students to Greenland, and the Joint Antarctic School Expedition takes students to Antarctica.
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REUs) is a great way to get involved in polar research. There are different opportunities each year for Polar REUs, and information about REUs can be found on the NSF REU webpage. From the REU page, you can search for polar-specific opportunities.
The Juneau Icefield Research Program has excellent opportunities for undergraduate students to gain experience working in glacial environments.
If you are interested in internship opportunities, please see the question above, titled Jobs at NSF.
There are many opportunities for graduate students. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) can assist students pursuing graduate degrees. Additionally, the OPP Arctic Science Section supports Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIG).
If you wish to join a team conducting research in the polar regions, we recommend contacting principal investigators (PIs) or co-PIs currently funded by NSF. The NSF Awards Database allows you to explore recent awards to find a project and PI working on research that is of interest to you. You can also look specifically at recent Antarctic awards and recent Arctic awards.
The Polar Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (OPP-PRF) provides opportunities for early-career scientists, including social scientists, to accomplish one or more of the following goals:
- Expand their work across traditional disciplinary lines.
- Develop new partnerships connecting the polar regions and/or non-polar research communities.
- Provide entry to researchers who have traditionally had limited access to polar research resources, sites and facilities.
All other scientists should explore the funding opportunities in the FAQ titled Where can I find information about funding opportunities?
Information for media
Update: There are currently no 2025-26 media visits to the Arctic and Antarctic.
Each year, NSF endeavors to host members of the press and media to observe and report on U.S. activities in the Arctic and Antarctic via the NSF Polar Media Program. Selection is based on the ability to understand and present scientific subjects, written commitment from the organization and the expected size of the audience. There is an annual application deadline several months before research seasons begin. For information about applications for participation during a field season, please contact nsfpolarmedia@nsf.gov.
If you are interested in interviewing a researcher of someone in OPP, please contact media@nsf.gov.
OPP is unable to connect media with research teams. If you are interested in teaming up with a research team for a project, we encourage you to check OPP's currently funded awards webpage and contact the principal investigator directly. Additionally, the Arctic Research Mapping Applications Viewer shows scientific research projects across the Arctic, most of which are funded by OPP.
OPP receives frequent requests to assist with photos and videos for various projects, and we do our best to accommodate each requester's needs. Please send any photo and video requests to oppcomms@nsf.gov. We also recommend you look at the NSF multimedia gallery and the USAP Photo Library.
General questions about Antarctica and the Arctic
Through USAP, NSF manages all U.S. scientific research and related logistics in Antarctica as well as aboard ships in the Southern Ocean. In 1982, former President Ronald Reagan, in Presidential Memorandum 6646, confirmed NSF's management role for the nation's scientific presence in Antarctica. OPP, in the NSF Directorate for Geosciences, is responsible for the direct management of USAP.
USAP website: https://www.usap.gov/
Communication with researchers in Antarctica is challenging; unfortunately, we cannot accommodate all requests. Any events with researchers will be advertised on the Office of Polar Programs events page, and Antarctic-specific events will also be posted on the USAP website.
You can also follow NSF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for information about upcoming events and check out videos of previous events on the NSF YouTube Channel.
Numerous resources for various audiences can be found on the Educational Resources: Arctic and Antarctic webpage.
Traveling to Antarctica and the stations are for USAP participants only. Personal or private trips can be arranged through private travel companies.
Explore job opportunities in the FAQ titled Polar Job Opportunities.
The U.S. government's policy on private expeditions to Antarctica does not allow us to offer logistics support for nongovernmental expeditions. Thus, the government cannot provide flights or other logistics support for your planned expedition. The full policy can be found here: U.S. Policy on Private Expeditions to Antarctica.
USAP does not give out contact information of program participants.
USAP receives many requests for involvement in all types of projects. However, it is impossible to fulfill all requests. These requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and should be directed to oppcomms@nsf.gov.
USAP is funded and managed by the U.S. National Science Foundation, a federal government agency. While we appreciate the offers, we cannot accept donations.
We welcome photos, slides, videos and items from previous operations in Antarctica but cannot take all that is offered. Please send information about your items to oppcomms@nsf.gov.
For additional information about the Antarctic Service Medals and eligibility through USAP, please see the Antarctic Service Medal page on the USAP website.
Please be aware that there are scams of people impersonating NSF employees or USAP participants living in Antarctica. They will befriend you and then ask you to send them money. You should never assume that they are an NSF employee or USAP participant, and USAP cannot confirm if they are employed by the program.
Unfortunately, the number of requests and logistical considerations necessary to obtain flags flown in Antarctica have made fulfilling these requests unachievable. If you, or the person from whom you are requesting the flag, are a current or former member of the military, please reach out to the current OPP Department of Defense Liaison.
For more information, visit the Philatelic mail from Antarctica page.
