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Arctic Marine Science Support in 2001
Dear Colleague:
The UNOLS Arctic Icebreaker Coordinating Committee (AICC) is an NSF/USCG-sanctioned committee, presently chaired by Jim Swift, UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography <jswift@ucsd.edu>. The purpose of the AICC is to provide Arctic marine science projects with planning and scheduling assistance and to facilitate communications among scientists, science funding agencies and facility providers. Particular concerns of this committee at present are the USCG Icebreakers Polar Sea, Polar Star, and Healy. Additional information about the AICC is available on the UNOLS (http://www.gso.uri.edu/unols.html) or Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (http://www.arcus.org/aicc/index.html) websites.
The AICC here announces to the community that after construction, outfitting, extensive tests, and training, the new Arctic research vessel, USCGC Healy, is expected to be available beginning early 2001 for up to 200+ days of Arctic marine science support (its primary mission) during that year. Advance assessment of scientific interest in use of Healy during 2001 indicates a likelihood of work in the eastern Arctic, for example including the Nansen-Gakkel Ridge, during mid-late summer 2001. Additional marine science programs in the western or eastern Arctic are also logistically feasible earlier that year.
Scientists planning to submit to funding agencies proposals requiring use of Healy during 2001 may wish to consider this long-range cruise planning prospect, but are in no way obligated to do so. Agency requirements for proposal submission are paramount, but the AICC urges that all proposals requiring US Arctic icebreaker support during 2001 be submitted to the appropriate agencies no later than February 2000, and that a UNOLS Ship-Time Request Form (available from the UNOLS web site noted above) accompany every such proposal.
For proposals to NSF involving US Coast Guard icebreaker support for Arctic research it is not necessary to include ship support costs in the submitted science budget, so long as an NSF Form 831 (or other logistics form approved by NSF Office of Polar Programs) is attached which clearly indicates the ship time requirements. Also, Arctic operations which potentially require additional escort or multiple icebreakers should be specified.
This notice does not constitute an "announcement of opportunity". Instead, it serves to invite the community to participate in the long-range process of advising on science use of USCGC Healy, to provide a temporal and regional palette of science missions, options, and requirements from which the Coast Guard and agencies can draw science and funding scenarios. To expand this planning process for the years 2002 and beyond, and to help prepare a 5-year "rolling plan" for US Coast Guard Arctic marine support, the AICC plans to hold annual Arctic vessel long-term planning workshops in San Francisco one day before the AGU Fall Meeting, beginning in December 1999. Announcements of these meetings will be widely circulated.
The AICC would like to hear your ideas and wishes to provide a forum where long-term planning is ongoing. Information concerning Healy vessel use and plans will soon be posted on the UNOLS web site. There, investigators may learn of compatible plans, form consortia to advance particular regional or science foci, and coordinate with national or international programs. This should help to strengthen and streamline activities at the annual planning workshops. The AICC notes the excellent response to date and invites continued submissions, and/or updates to previous submissions, at any time.
Although additional information is welcome, the following information is needed for long-term planning:
Investigator name:
Investigator email address:
Investigator telephone:
Working title of research project:
Likely support agency:
Region:
Year(s) preferred:
Season(s) preferred:
Approx. number of in-Arctic days needed
(not including transits):
Approx. size of science party:
Foreign EEZs in which you need to work:
Short description of seagoing activities:
Escort or multiple icebreakers required?
Please submit Arctic icebreaker long-term plans by writing to the UNOLS Office (unols@gsosun1.gso.uri.edu), with a copy to jswift@ucsd.edu.
James H. Swift, Chair
UNOLS Arctic Icebreaker Coordinating Committee