University of Washington: R/V Thompson and R/V Carson Oceanographic Technical Support - Year 1 of 4 (2019 - 2022)

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University of Washington proposes to support technical services on R/V Thompson, a 274? general purpose, global class research vessel, and R/V Rachael Carson, a newly outfitted 72-foot coastal research vessel, both operated as part of the US Academic Research Fleet (ARF). The proposal requests support for basic services. They will provide at least two shipboard technicians on each cruise of R/V Thompson to support seagoing research projects and to maintain, calibrate and provide for qualified users items from their pool of shared-use research instrumentation. As part of the basic services, they will maintain and operate the multibeam sonar systems on R/V Thompson. For R/V Carson, a technician is available to sail if desired by the chief scientists, though (s)he will occasionally not sail due to space limitations. The technician will provide shared-use instrumentation for use by the scientists, and provide remote support as needed if a technician does not sail. The budget included with this proposal is for the first year of a 4-year continuing grant.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.