UNOLS: Management of Marine Technical Support

德克萨斯农工大学（Texas A&M University）提议继续管理自2016年以来一直在运营的海洋技术人员库，为期五年。小组成员将继续作为独立承包商雇用，按国家科学基金方案经理和联卢观察团技术服务经理确定的经验费率支付报酬。责任保险和工人赔偿保险将通过单独的合同继续承保，就像目前所做的那样，与IODP的技术人员所使用的合同类似。其中包括培训每年工作超过100天的游泳池成员的规定，提案载有往返船舶的旅费以及培训和年度RVTEC会议的估计。TAMU、联卢特派团和首席科学家之间的联络将确保在需要时为巡航提供具备适当技能的技术人员。更广泛的影响本提案的主要影响是根据提案指南（NSF 19-602）的优点评审标准2。它为科学家提供基础设施支持，以使用该船及其共享使用的仪器来支持他们的国家科学基金会资助的海洋学研究项目（这些项目单独接受国家科学基金会相关研究计划的单独审查）。共享使用仪器的获取、维护和操作允许来自任何美国大学或实验室的nsf资助的研究人员为他们的研究访问工作、校准仪器，降低研究成本，并扩大潜在研究人员的基础。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。

Texas A&M University proposes to continue the management of the pool of marine technicians that has been operating since 2016 for a further five-year period. Pool members will continue to be employedas independent contractors, paid at rates based on experience as determined by the NSF ProgramManager and UNOLS Technical Services Manager. Coverage for liability and workmen’s’ compensation insurance will be continued through separate contracts as is done at present and issimilar to those used for technicians with the IODP. Included are provisions for training thosepool members who will be working more than 100 days per year, and the proposal containsestimates for travel to and from ships and for the training and the annual RVTEC meeting. Liaison between TAMU, UNOLS and chief scientists will ensure that technicians with the correct skill set will be available for cruises as needed.Broader ImpactsThe principal impact of the present proposal is under Merit Review Criterion 2 of the Proposal Guidelines (NSF 19-602). 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.