[Flex] [Fwd: NSF OCE Update]

[Claire Reid]

Don't know how many of you are on this address list, but just in case 
you are not....  there are some tidbits of information here.

:-)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	NSF OCE Update
Date: 	Thu, 9 Dec 2004 12:56:55 -0500
From: 	Binkley, Kandace S. <kbinkley at nsf.gov>
To: 	Binkley, Kandace S. <kbinkley at nsf.gov>



Dear Colleagues,

 

For a change, I have little advice to impart on FastLane issues; 
everyone is doing a great job. I have just one reminder. Although we 
know that most people try to keep up with the latest versions of 
software (and usually this is a good idea), NSF currently recommends 
that you not use Acrobat 6.0 "Professional" and "StandardâEUR? if you 
create your own PDF files (see FastLane Advisory 08/01/04). If you have 
Acrobat 6.0 you are better off uploading your word processing file and 
letting FastLane create the PDF.

 

I apologize for the length of this email. There are a number of items 
that may not be applicable to all but there is a lot going on that might 
be of interest to many.

 

   1. OCE Staff Changes
   2. Important Information for Preparation of Proposals Requiring
      Seismic Surveys
   3. How Are Ship Costs Considered in the Review of Your Proposal
   4. CyberInfrastructure in Ocean Sciences
   5. AGU Town Hall Meetings of interest to the Ocean Sciences Community
   6. Upcoming proposal solicitation deadlines/target dates and program
      information

* *

*1. OCE Staff Changes âEUR"*

* *

*Office of Division Director -*

* *

On October 1, Jim Yoder returned to the University of Rhode Island 
following his three-year IPA appointment as Division Director. His 
leadership, wise counsel and sense of humor made significant 
contributions on behalf of NSF and the ocean community. At the time this 
letter âEURoegoes to pressâEUR? the process to identify JimâEUR^(TM)s 
successor is still underway. Larry Clark is the Acting Division Director.

 

Roxanne Nikolaus joins OCE in mid-December as staff associate to the 
Division Director. She succeeds Anne Tenney who left in July to get 
married and move to Germany. Roxanne comes to NSF from NOAA. Prior to 
that she worked at CORE and was on the staff of the US Commission on 
Ocean Policy.

 

*Biological Oceanography âEUR" *

 

Paul Kemp joined the Biological Oceanography Program as an Associate 
Program Director in August.  Paul is on assignment from Stony Brook 
University, NY, where he is an Associate Research Professor.  His 
research interests include the growth, activity and ecology of marine 
microbes in both water column and sediment.  He is always interested in 
methodological tool development, and recently has focused on the 
development of hybridization-based biosensors and microarrays to assess 
the abundance of particular microbial taxa, infer their growth rate, and 
evaluate which metabolic processes are currently being expressed.  Paul 
is also very interested and involved with the use of web resources for 
distance learning, information transfer and public outreach activities.

 

*Chemical Oceanography âEUR"*

 

Simone Metz has just rejoined OCE in the Chemical Oceanography program. 
She initially joined OCE as a rotator back in October of 1999 and left 
in October of 2003 to spend a year at the Ocean.US office.  Prior to 
moving to Washington, Simone was a Senior Research Scientist in the 
Department of Environmental and Marine Systems at Florida Institute of 
Technology.  Her research has focused on understanding the chemical and 
mineralogical influences on the trace metal concentrations of high 
temperature fluids from vent sites on the southern Juan de Fuca Ridge 
and the TAG Hydrothermal Field, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 26°N.

* *

*Ocean Drilling Program âEUR"*

 

Laura Snow joined us in February as a Science Assistant for the Ocean 
Drilling Program.  Laura received her Master's degree in Oceanography 
from Oregon State University and most recently served as a John A. 
Knauss Marine Policy Fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency. 

 

*Physical Oceanography âEUR" *

 

Pierre Flament joined the Physical Oceanography Program as an Associate 
Program Director in August. Pierre obtained his MSc in Physics from the 
University of Brussels in 1980, and his PhD in Oceanography from Scripps 
in 1986. After two years as postdoctoral investigator in Woods Hole, he 
joined the University of Hawaii, where he is presently a tenured 
associate professor. His interests are in observational mesoscale 
oceanography, instrumentation and remote sensing.

*Â *

*Ocean Education âEUR" *

 

Gisèle Muller-Parker joined OCE as Associate Program Director in Ocean 
Education.  Her responsibilities include CAREER and COSEE Programs as 
well as other education-related programs.  On a two-year assignment at 
NSF, she is Professor of Biology & Assistant Director, Shannon Point 
Marine Center at Western Washington University.  A marine biologist who 
has studied algal symbiosis in tropical coral reefs and in temperate sea 
anemones for twenty years, her main research interest is understanding 
the nature of interactions between intracellular symbiotic algae 
(zooxanthellae) and their animal hosts.  At Western she teaches a wide 
variety of classes, advises undergraduate and graduate (M.S.) research, 
and helps coordinate undergraduate programs at Shannon Point Marine 
Center. 

* *

*2. Important Information for Preparation of Proposals Requiring Seismic 
Surveys*

 

Although most seismic surveys supported by NSF have been conducted on 
R/V EWING and will be conducted on its replacement that should enter 
into service in early 2006, a significant number of cruises using 
smaller sound sources will continue to be conducted from other UNOLS 
ships. Recent experience has shown that considerably more effort and 
lead time are required to secure the appropriate approvals for cruises 
that involve seismic surveys and that therefore require NOAA-issued 
Incidental Harassment Authorizations (IHA) and, if within foreign EEZs, 
diplomatic and possibly foreign environmental clearances.  Failure to 
secure these documents in a timely fashion causes undesirable and often 
costly problems for PIs, schedulers, and the agencies involved. *The 
Division of Ocean Sciences has prepared a document, which clarifies 
responsibilities and procedures for obtaining permits and clearances, 
and it is available at 
*http://www.geo.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/geo/announce.pl?div=oce.*Â  
**Prospective PIs are encouraged to consult this document and contact 
their Program Officer with any questions.*

 

In order to obtain the required permits and authorizations for seismic 
research in a timely fashion, it has become necessary to increase cruise 
scheduling lead times and thus proposal submission target 
dates/deadlines. *All such cruises must be recommended for potential 
scheduling by the cognizant Program Officer no later than December of 
the year prior to the UNOLS summer ship scheduling meeting for 
operations in the following calendar year.*Â  Review panels typically 
occur about three months following proposal submission target dates 
(Division of Ocean Sciences - OCE) and deadlines (Division of Earth 
Sciences - EAR).  For proposals submitted to OCE this means that a 
proposal that could formerly be submitted, at the latest for the May 
panel, for a cruise in the following calendar year, must now be 
submitted at the latest, for the November panel of the previous year.  
We are presently completing review of proposals that could be scheduled 
in calendar year 2006 at the earliest. *Proposals requesting support for 
seismic studies in 2007 should be submitted in time for review by our 
November 2005 panels.*

 


  *3. How Are Ship Costs Considered in the Review of Your Proposal?*

 

Did you know that the efficient use of ships and other facilities, as 
well as the cost of ship time, are factors that NSF reviewers, panels 
and Program Managers have always been encouraged to consider along with 
other budget items during the science proposal evaluation process?  If 
this is new information to you, please carefully read the following memo.

 

One of the historical missions of the Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) 
is to support NSF-funded scientistsâEUR^(TM) sea-going field research.  
This responsibility includes coordinating access and providing a 
substantial financial commitment to ships and deep submergence 
vehicles.  NSF Principal Investigators (PIs) requiring ship time are 
normally scheduled on University-National Oceanographic Laboratory 
System (UNOLS) vessels (the 33-year old consortium of 
ship-operating/utilizing academic institutions).  These vessels meet 
rigorous safety standards and are inspected by the US Navy or an 
inspection team contracted by NSF.  Financial support for UNOLS vessel 
operations, maintenance and upgrades is provided by various federal 
agencies proportional to their funded requirements.  On average, NSF 
utilizes 60 âEUR" 65% of total UNOLS ship time (and thus costs), and 
close to 90% of deep submergence time and costs. OCE pays for the number 
of operating days it requires on each UNOLS vessel through cooperative 
agreements made with individual operating institutions. 

 

For comparison purposes, OCE spent approximately $40 Million in FY 2004 
to support ship time of a total budget of $320 Million (and an 
additional $26.5 Million for shipboard equipment, instrumentation, 
upgrades and marine technician support).  A daily operating cost can be 
calculated simply as the annual cost of operation and maintenance 
divided by the number of operating days.  On average it costs $22,000 
per day on Global Class vessels; $15,000 per day on Ocean Class vessels; 
$10,000 on Regional vessels; and $7,000 on Local Class vessels.  Use of 
Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin or Jason II adds approximately another 
$15,000 per day to the daily rates given above.

 

In addition to supporting core OCE program activities, the Division is 
often asked to support ship time for agency-wide programs such as 
Biocomplexity, as well as for research projects supported by other 
Divisions or Directorates requiring the use of ships and submersible 
assets.  When possible, we ask that on-going agency-wide programs and 
those of other divisions to set aside funds for ship time.  
Historically OCE has tried within its budget to accommodate occasional 
(one-off) requests to help support sea-going assets required by 
individual projects funded by other NSF programs. 

 

Contrary to the misconception of some in the community, there is no 
separate NSF fund that pays for ship time.  Thus, the more OCE spends 
on ship time and facilities, the fewer funds are available to science 
program managers to support ocean science research proposals. Â OCE 
tries to find the appropriate balance between science and facilities 
funding to avoid large year-to-year variations in the amount of funds 
needed for either category. 

 

Proposers to all NSF programs requiring ship time can help OCE control 
the cost of ship operations in two important ways by carefully 
considering (1) the number of days needed for a project, and (2) the 
size vessel that is required.  While it is important to select a 
platform that will satisfy your scientific needs, as noted above 
operational costs increase proportionally with vessel size.  In 
addition, transit days to reach field stations are also paid for out of 
NSF funds.  Some remote areas of field operations can result in costs 
equal to, and in some cases significantly larger than, the total science 
grant on which they are based. 

 

Although OCE does not require PIs to include ship time costs in proposal 
science budgets, it is in the proposerâEUR^(TM)s best interest to 
clearly explain and justify the cost, as reflected by ship size and 
number of days requested, particularly when the project requests many 
days at sea and/or long transits.  NSF science and operations Program 
Managers may negotiate the number of ship days that a PI is granted in 
an award, and ultimately this number is used in developing UNOLS ship 
schedules.  During the annual UNOLS ship scheduling meeting, scientific 
requirements with respect to ship selection, transit time issues, and 
other factors are considered in developing ship schedules.  This 
process works best when the PIs have taken care to provide realistic 
ship time requests. At the extreme, it is possible that a proposal rated 
highly on its science could be recommended for decline if the burden of 
facilities costs is too high relative to the science costs.  Also, a 
proposal calling for ship operations many thousands of miles distant 
from the home port may be deferred until other cruises can be 
co-scheduled in a cost effective manner, or a ship of opportunity can be 
located.

 

Please contact your Program Officers for additional guidance if you have 
specific concerns or questions.

* *

*4. CyberInfrastructure in Ocean Sciences *âEUR" proposals encouraged

 

Community discussions related to cyberinfrastructure needs for Ocean 
Sciences have taken place over the past seven years through a series of 
workshops and meetings. The findings and recommendations are congruent 
with those of the NSF Blue Ribbon Panel on Cyberinfrastructure report, 
the NCAR ERE workshop on Cyberinfrastructure report and parallel 
planning efforts in ATM and EAR and are summarized in three 
complementary reports:

 

Data Management for Marine Geology and Geophysics: Tools for Archiving, 
Analysis, and Visualization, 2001

http://www.geo-prose.com/projects/data_mgt_2.html

 

OITI Steering Committee, 2002: An Information Technology Infrastructure 
Plan to Advance Ocean Sciences.

http://www.geo-prose.com/oiti/report.html

 

Trends in Information Technology Infrastructure in the Ocean Sciences, 2004.

http://www.geo-prose.com/oceans_iti_trends/

 

The common theme that emerged in the OCE-sponsored workshops is the 
imperative for cyberinfrastructure projects that focus on 
domain-specific applications of new IT technology. To quote the latest 
report: âEURoeThe amount of sensor data and simulation data that is 
expected in the next �ve years will dwarf all current systems in size 
and diversity. The ocean sciences community needs to act now to develop 
the necessary data management infrastructure. The challenges that must 
be met include not only data management and preservation, but also data 
analysis to generate new knowledge. Information management technologies 
will be part of the emerging cyberinfrastructure. The generation of 
information and knowledge will require the ability to analyze entire 
data collections. The implication is that ocean information technology 
will need to be linked to the NSF Teragrid to support comprehensive 
analyses of ocean data and numerical models.

 

In order to build on the momentum provided by the three reports 
mentioned above, the Division of Ocean Sciences encourages the 
submission of pilot and precursor projects to its regular February 15, 
2005 target date. The projects should address important community-wide 
problems, build bridges between ocean sciences and computer sciences, 
and have a quick, substantial buy-in from the ocean sciences community. 
Precursor projects should achieve demonstrable success in two to three 
years by building upon existing systems that already support data 
collections and models for Earth systems science projects. For example, 
definition of metadata for oceanographic data could be one such 
precursor project. Pilot projects are based on more exploratory concepts 
where the research agenda of both ocean and computer sciences can be 
advanced. Many of the pilot projects should be demonstrations of either 
the integration of appropriate systems to provide better management and 
access, or the application of an existing system to a new collection to 
show generic utility.

 

As indicated in the workshop reports, examples of precursor and pilot 
projects include:

 

·         Integration of modern data-access mechanisms on top on 
emerging technologies for management of sensor data (looking toward 
observing systems of the future). The combined environment would 
demonstrate the integration of data-collecting technology with digital 
library technology for access, data grid technology for distributed data 
storage, and persistent archive technology for long-term preservation.

·         Integration of multiple existing collections through a common 
data federation
mechanism (example could be the integration of MGG and EAR databases)

·         Develop standard approaches for processing systems, e.g., 
multidisciplinary data assimilation, and nested models.

·         Development of standard services for analyzing and 
manipulating data. This would benefit efforts to bring research results 
to the classroom and facilitate real-time monitoring of remote instruments).

·         Development of âEURoeoff-the-shelfâEUR? modules that can be 
easily extended and provide simple-to-use interfaces.

·         Development of new methods for data preservation, especially 
for data sets not associated with federal archives.

·         Development of tools to foster knowledge discovery and 
collaboration.

 

Points of Contact:

 

Dr. David Epp, depp at nsf.gov <mailto:depp at nsf.gov>

Dr. Eric Itsweire, eitsweir at nsf.gov <mailto:eitsweir at nsf.gov>

* *

*5. **AGU** **Town Hall** Meetings - **Thursday December 16, 2004***

* *

*Petascale** Computing in the Earth Sciences*

6:30-7:15* *Moscone West, Room 3024

 

A consistent message that is emerging from a number of recent reports is 
that research on "grand challenge" problems in the atmospheric, solid 
earth, ocean, and space sciences is being impeded by a lack of high-end 
computing resources. To remedy this, community planning for a petascale 
facility for the geosciences is now under way. This town meeting will 
provide an opportunity for a broad discussion of the science that could 
be done with a national petascale facility dedicated to research in the 
atmospheric, solid earth, ocean, and space sciences, and the technical 
requirements of such a facility. To kick off the discussion, preliminary 
results from recent planning activities will be presented.


      *The New National Facility for 3-D Marine Seismic Acquisition*
      6:30 Moscone West, Room 3008

R/V Ewing, UNOLS ship of choice for NSF-funded marine seismic projects, 
will be replaced during calendar year 2005. The replacement vessel, a 
former exploration industry multistreamer seismic ship, has been 
purchased with NSF and Columbia University funding. Conversion of the 
new ship will occupy most of 2005 and will include the addition of a 1 x 
1 degree multibeam system and the ability to deploy and recover large 
numbers of ocean bottom seismometers, among other capabilities to be 
discussed at this meeting. The plan for science operations as a national 
facility will be presented, including tools and practices for quality 
control and mechanisms of community oversight. Additional topics will 
include the schedule for conversion, subsequent shakedown, and science 
operations; modes of 3-D seismic acquisition; planning for 3-D and other 
seismic surveys; and data archiving.


      *The MARGINS Database: Its Part in the Marine Geoscience Data
      Management System and Benefits of Integrated Data Access and
      Visualization to Researchers and Educators*
      6: 30 Moscone West, Room 3006


      *The MARGINS Database (DB) is an access point for all data
      collected under the MARGINS Program Initiatives. Within the Marine
      Geoscience Data Management System, MARGINS DB integrates with
      databases for RIDGE 2000, the Antarctic and RIDGE Multibeam
      Synthesis projects and the *Seismic Reflection Field Data Center.
      A focus on user-friendly access and interoperability with existing
      and developing databases provides seamless acquisition,
      manipulation and viewing across diverse data types and scales. The
      system will appeal to researchers and to educators seeking
      informative data-oriented ways to convey earth science "stories"
      to undergraduates and the public. All are invited to learn more
      about the benefits of the integrated data system and to discuss
      its potential and power in delivering sometimes complex data in a
      manner accessible and enlightening to researchers and educators
      alike. We will also discuss other exciting MARGINS Program
      developments, including education and outreach plans and the
      platform for progress presented by the Program's recent NSF Review.

* *


      *The State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR): Integrating
      Scientific Synthesis and Assessment With Stakeholders Interests
      and Issues*
      6:30 Moscone West, Room 3018

The Carbon Cycle chapter of the Strategic Plan for the U.S. Climate 
Change Science Program (CCSP) describes a plan to produce "a series of 
increasingly comprehensive and informative reports about the status and 
trends of carbon emissions and sequestration," each to be called a State 
of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR). The Carbon Cycle Interagency Working 
Group's (CCIWG) Terms of Reference ^1 
<http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm04/?town_hall=town_hall_h.htm&pageRequest=events#soccr_ref> 
for a first SOCCR envision "a series of reports on the state of the 
carbon cycle designed to provide accurate, unbiased, and policy-relevant 
scientific information concerning the carbon cycle to a broad range of 
stakeholders. The two broad objectives for a SOCCR are (1) to summarize 
scientific knowledge about carbon cycle properties and changes, and (2) 
to provide scientific information for decision support and policy 
formulation concerning carbon. The purpose of this Town Hall meeting is 
to inform the Earth science and global change community of the SOCCR 
(SAR 2.2), explain the process, project management, and time line, 
provide an update on progress to date, invite participation, and answer 
questions.


      *ORION/OOI Ocean Observatories and CoOP Science Activities*
      7:15 Moscone West, Room 3005
      Â 


      *Planning for the ORION (Ocean Research Interactive Observatory
      Networks)/OOI (Ocean Observatories Initiative) Ocean Observatory
      system is entering a very active stage. The OOI (implementation
      and installation phase) is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2005.
      Of foremost importance now is developing an initial implementation
      plan that will be the blueprint for initial asset allocations and
      locations. The process of gathering community input for this plan
      has already started, and the implementation plan is due to be
      completed during mid-2005. The purpose of this meeting is to
      explain the ORION/OOI planning process, to gather feedback, and to
      answer questions. The CoOP (Coastal Ocean Processes) program is
      about to begin a new activity on coastal benthic processes. This
      meeting will share information about this upcoming research
      opportunity, as well as about CoOP's overall status. *

* *

*6. Upcoming proposal announcement deadlines/target dates and program 
information - *

*Ocean Research Section and Marine Geosciences Section ***

Target dates: August 15 and February 15 âEUR" Merit review panel 
meetings occur about 3 months after these target dates. A target date is 
a cutoff date for the receipt of proposals after which date the 
proposals will still be reviewed, but they may be delayed until the next 
cycle.

Proposals for field programs that require the use of University-National 
Oceanographic Laboratory Systems (UNOLS) ships in the following calendar 
year must be submitted by the February 15 Target Date. For example, 
proposals requesting ship time in the Calendar year 2006 must be 
submitted by February 15, 2005.

*Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE)
Document* Number: nsf05503Â  
http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf05503

Proposals are due: March 02, 2005

 

*Human and Social Dynamics: Competition for FY 2005 (HSD)
Document* Number: nsf05520 http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf05520

Proposals are due:

 

February 9, 2005 - Exploratory Research Proposals, and HSD Research 
Community Development Proposals.

 

February 23, 2005 âEUR" Full Research Proposals

 

*Improvements in Facilities, Communications, and Equipment at Biological 
Field Stations and Marine Laboratories* *(FSML)*
Document Number: nsf04543 http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2004/nsf04543/nsf04543.htm

Proposals are due: check webpage for new date

** note changes in cost share requirements

 


  *Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI)
  Document* Number: nsf05515
  http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2005/nsf05515/nsf05515.htm

Proposals are due: January 27, 2005

** note changes in cost share requirements


  * *


  *Research in Biogeosciences 2005 (BioGeo) *

Document Number: NSF 05-511 
http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf05511 
<http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf05503>

Proposals are due: February 10, 2005

 

*Sensors and Sensor Networks (Sensors)
Document* Number: nsf05526 
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2005/nsf05526/nsf05526.htm

Proposals are due: March 03, 2005

 

*New Program Solicitations to watch for include:*

 

Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) should be out 
in February with mid-summer deadline.

 

*ADVANCE: Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in 
Academic Science and Engineering Careers** *

 

Faculty Early Career Development Program* *(CAREER)

 

GLOBEC Synthesis announcement, with NOAA, for work both in the North 
Atlantic and Coastal Gulf of Alaska regions.

 

Collaborations in Mathematical Geosciences (CMG) is expected to be 
announced in the latter half of December with proposals due in mid- to 
late March.

 

Development of Technologies for Coastal Observing Systems and the Study 
of Benthic Boundary Layer Processes is expected to be announced in early 
February with proposals due early June.

* *

*_Synthesis Projects in the Biological Oceanography _**_Program_**.*Â  
While the Program, and the Division at large, has been active in 
supporting synthesis science (e.g., as part of global change programs 
such as JGOFS and GLOBEC), we see very few requests for support for 
projects that are specifically synthesis oriented in the regular core 
program.  Please be aware that synthesis projects that will take 
existing data, information and knowledge, and use it in testing new 
ideas or developing new theory relevant to ocean ecology are fully 
appropriate for submittal to the Biological Oceanography Program. 

 

 

Best wishes for the Holidays,

 

 

Kandace Binkley

 

 

 

 

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