R/V SIKULIAQ Oceanographic Technical Services - Year 1 of 2

University Of Alaska Fairbanks Campus, Fairbanks AK

Investigators

Abstract

University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF) proposes to support technical services on R/V Sikuliaq, a new, 261-foot, general purpose research vessel operated as part of the US Academic Research Fleet. The vessel is owned by NSF and operated by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. For basic technical services, UAF will provide three shipboard technicians on each cruise on R/V Sikuliaq to support seagoing research projects and to maintain, calibrate and provide for qualified users items from their pool of shared-use research instrumentation. This is the first proposal written for technical services for this vessel. Ordinarily, the various institutions that support vessels in the Academic Fleet operate under 5-year continuing grants. In order to maintain the same proposal cycle among the various institutions, this award will be the first of a two-year continuing grant. Broader Impacts The principal impact of the present report is under Merit Review Criterion 2 of the Proposal Guidelines (NSF 13-589). It provides infrastructure support for scientists to use the vessel and its shared-use instrumentation in support of their NSF-funded oceanographic research projects (which individually undergo separate review by the relevant research program of NSF). The acquisition, maintenance and operation of shared-use instrumentation allows NSF-funded researchers from any US university or lab access to working, calibrated instruments for their research, reducing the cost of that research, and expanding the base of potential researchers,