Oceanographic Technical Services, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2018-2022

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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. The ship is in her fourth year of operation. The Program received the proposal on 1/13/2018. As required, the report provided information regarding 2017 operations as well as outlining plans and a proposed budget for 2018. Research vessels in the Academic Fleet provide support for researchers from a variety of federal and state agencies, as well as some private sponsors. All users (or the appropriate funding agencies) share support for basic technical services on the vessel equally, via a day-rate, with each paying a share of the costs based on fractional usage of the vessel. The rates are negotiated annually with the NSF Program Manager. The budget in this proposal is for the first year of a five-year continuing grant. Out years are provided as estimates and the awards will be negotiated upon receipt of the annual report.Broader Impacts The principal impact of the present proposal 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.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.