Ship Operations - R/V ROBERT GORDON SPROUL

University Of California-San Diego Scripps Inst Of Oceanography, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

Overview: Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) proposes to continue operating the research vessel Robert Gordon Sproul to support NSF-funded scientific research for the five-year period 2018 -2022. Robert Gordon Sproul is a capable, well-equipped general-purpose Coastal Class research vessel that is owned by the University of California and has been operated by SIO since the ship's introduction into the US Academic Research Fleet in 1985. As a large shared-use facility scheduled within the collaborative framework of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), Robert Gordon Sproul will host scientists from across the United States to undertake research in a variety of disciplines. The ship will be operated in a manner that promotes safety, capability and efficiency in order to maximize NSF's investment in the ship and in programs that are conducted on board. SIO employs a disciplined approach to vessel maintenance, regulatory compliance, foreign clearance, crewing and logistics so that scientific missions can be completed successfully and on schedule. Intellectual Merit: The observation, measurement, and collection of samples and data are accomplished on the US West Coast by scientific missions aboard Robert Gordon Sproul. SIO-operated ships have played a critical role in the exploration of our planet since 1907, and continue to contribute significantly to the U.S. ocean research effort. SIO's ship operations department supports NSF core values of scientific excellence, organizational excellence, learning, inclusiveness and accountability. The vessel management and operations proposed here enable transformative scientific research in physical and biological processes in the natural environment upon which human well-being depends. The intellectual merit of this proposal is amplified by the combined merit of research projects undertaken by scientists on board. Robert Gordon Sproul is currently scheduled to conduct three different NSF-sponsored programs in 2018 in benthic ecology, ocean chemistry, paleoceanography, marine ecology, and ocean instrument research and development. Each scientific program contributes its own distinctive intellectual merit. NSF-sponsored projects as currently scheduled will account for 20% (10 days) of Robert Gordon Sproul's work this year. The remainder of the work will be supported by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (28 days, 54%), the Navy (12 days, 24 %), and NOAA (1 day, 2%). SIO's management of Robert Gordon Sproul enables research, education and training that advance discovery and understanding while achieving far-reaching broader impacts. The proposed management supports strongly collaborative, multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional use of the vessel. Through UNOLS, SIO coordinates the shared use of Robert Gordon Sproul with scientists and funding agencies so shipboard capabilities meet the current and anticipated needs of the community. SIO is committed to promoting a climate of fairness, cooperation, and professionalism on board that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential ingredients of discovery, technical development, and learning. SIO's operation of Robert Gordon Sproul leverages institutional programs that complement NSF's mission to promote achievement and progress in science, engineering and education for the benefit of the nation. For example, SIO's UC Ship Funds Program enables graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and early career faculty to pursue independent research and instruction aboard Robert Gordon Sproul via an internal peer-reviewed competitive process for ship time. The vessel is integral to SIO's K- 12 education program. In the Footsteps of Robert Gordon Sproul, which uses oceanography to teach physical science to economically disadvantaged seventh- and eighth-grade students. As a broadly subscribed shared-use facility, Robert Gordon Sproul similarly contributes to the education, training and outreach missions of scientists from institutions across America who conduct their research and educational programs on board. As proposed here, Robert Gordon Sproul will continue to serve NSF by safely, capably and efficiently facilitating multi-disciplinary scientific research to advance our understanding of our oceans and Earth. The Statement of Merit Review This proposal supports peer-reviewed science through NSF evaluation process. The renewal of this cooperative agreement included an external review panel. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.