A Mid-Term Assessment of NSF Progress on the 2015 ‘Strategic Vision for Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research’

极地研究委员会将开展一项共识研究，评估其2015年报告《国家科学基金会投资南极和南大洋研究的战略愿景》中概述的研究目标的进展情况。这项研究将确定科学认识和技术能力方面的重大进展，这些进展为解决美国国家科学基金会南极科学部的任务提供了重要的新机会。此外，对于2015年报告中的三个优先研究主题（冰盖变化、生物和生态系统的进化和适应以及宇宙微波背景），该研究将解决当前推进这些研究领域的实施挑战，并提出克服这些挑战的策略。该研究的总体目标是为美国国家科学基金会提供一个客观的进展评估，以推进2015年报告的建议和加速这一进展的战略。这项活动还将有助于科学界继续参与确定优先事项的过程，并了解国家科学基金会如何执行该过程中提出的建议。这项活动将考虑各种各样的研究计划和主题，每个研究计划和主题都是科学知识的前沿。除了适合核心基金支持的主题外，本研究还涉及(1)南极冰盖快速变化的动力学及其对全球海平面上升的影响，(2)环境变化对南极独特生物和生态系统的进化和适应的影响，以及(3)宇宙微波背景辐射的观测作为了解宇宙起源和最终命运的手段。拟议的活动将通过帮助国家科学基金会和研究界了解自2015年报告以来取得的研究进展，哪些障碍可能限制这些进展，以及存在哪些机会来推进这些努力，从而增加对这些和其他南极研究主题的现有知识的价值。这项活动将由一个由大约8至10名成员组成的特设委员会规划。委员会将在一年内召开2至3次会议。委员会将举行初步会议，收集NSF代表的信息和观点。随后的信息收集步骤将涉及一套混合的虚拟外展方法，以达到整个研究界。委员会将提出一份简短的报告，其中包括调查结果和建议。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Polar Research Board will conduct a consensus study to assess progress in addressing research goals outlined in its 2015 report: A Strategic Vision for NSF Investments in Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research. The study will identify significant recent advances in scientific understanding and technical capabilities that present important new opportunities for progress in addressing the mission of NSF’s Antarctic Sciences Section. In addition, for the three priority research topics from the 2015 report in particular (on changing ice sheets, evolution and adaptation of organisms and ecosystems, and cosmic microwave background), the study will address any current implementation challenges in advancing these research areas and suggest strategies to overcome these challenges. The overall goal of the study is to provide NSF with an objective assessment of progress in advancing the recommendations of the 2015 report and strategies to accelerate this progress. This activity will also help the scientific community to stay engaged in the priority-setting process, and to understand how NSF is pursuing the recommendations emerging from this process. This activity will consider a diverse array of research initiatives and topics that are each advancing frontiers of scientific knowledge. In addition to topics that are suitable for core-funding support, this research also relates to (1) the dynamics of the rapidly changing Antarctic ice sheet and its implications for global sea-level rise, (2) the consequences of environmental change for the evolution and adaptation of unique Antarctic organisms and ecosystems, and (3) observations of cosmic microwave background radiation as a means to understand the origin and ultimate fate of the universe. The proposed activity will add value to current knowledge of these and other Antarctic research topics by helping NSF and the research community understand what research progress has been made since the 2015 report, what impediments may be limiting this progress, and what opportunities exist to advance such efforts going forward. This activity will be planned by an ad hoc committee of approximately 8 to 10 members. The committee will convene 2 to 3 meetings over a period of one year. The committee will hold an initial meeting to gather information and perspectives from NSF representatives. The subsequent information-gathering steps will involve a mixed set of virtual outreach methods to reach the research community at large. The committee will produce a short report with findings and recommendations.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.