[Flex] [Fwd: [Whoi-mcg] NSF OCE Update]

Tue Dec 15 01:17:51 EST 2009

Dear Flexers -
I'm not clear on who all received this Kandygram, but judging from the 
"Whoi-mcg" in the address, I think it might only be Chemistry folk.  It 
is slanted toward Chem, but I think there are several nuggets in here 
that other Departments might find useful.
Best Regards,
Sheila

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[Whoi-mcg] NSF OCE Update
Date: 	Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:26:49 -0500
From: 	Binkley, Kandace S. <kbinkley at nsf.gov>
To: 	Binkley, Kandace S. <kbinkley at nsf.gov>

Colleagues:

Here is some information that we hope you will find useful:

1.   OCE Division Director's Message

2.   New Grant Proposal Guide NSF 10-1, effective 4 January 2010

3.   FastLane Updates

4.     Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force

5.     Ridge 2000 Update

6.     Funding Opportunities for Proposals that Cross between the 
Geosciences and Biology or between the Geosciences and Social Science

7.     Ocean Drilling Program Update

8.     UNOLS Marcus Langseth Science Oversight Committee (MLSOC) Meeting 
Announcement

9.     AGU Events

10.  Staff Changes

11.  Positions Available

12.  Upcoming NSF proposal announcement deadlines/target dates and 
program information

* *

*1.    **OCE Division Director's Message*

The 2009 Fiscal Year was a good one for NSF and the Ocean Sciences, both 
in terms of budget and. Congressional and Executive actions linking 
ocean-related basic science, education and technology to the wellbeing 
of our nation.  In June 2009, President Obama issued a memo calling for 
the nation's first national ocean policy. Policy recommendations 
submitted to the President emphasize the clear and central role of 
science, with specific policy points, principles and objectives 
regarding scientific understanding, education and technological 
advancement. In addition, Congressional action through the Omnibus 
Public Land Management Act of 2009 has highlighted the need for action 
on a number of ocean and coastal issues, including exploration, 
observations, ocean acidification, and mapping.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) increased 
NSF's FY 2009 funding by $3.0B to a total appropriation of $9.49B, with 
the NSF Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) receiving $601M, approximately 
20 percent of NSF ARRA funding. Of that, $347M went toward Research and 
Education grants and $254M went toward Major Research Equipment and 
Facilities Construction (MREFC) projects, both in ocean sciences. GEO 
priorities for ARRA include climate research, raising overall proposal 
success rates, early career investigators and graduate research fellows, 
Cascadia Margin Land-Sea Seismic and Geodetic Observatory, EarthScope, 
and maintenance and upgrade of the Academic Fleet, and ocean drilling 
operations. The Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) received $114M in ARRA 
funding for research and education. During FY2009, OCE funded more than 
600 new awards, using both ARRA and FY2009 funds. 

The NSF budget request for FY 2010 reflects a total investment of $7.05 
billion, 8.5 percent over the FY 2009 level. This includes $359.07M for 
the Division of Ocean Sciences, an increase of almost 9 percent over FY 
2009. Currently, however, NSF is working under a continuing resolution.

2009 (and ahead) Highlights:

NSF made its first major award ($148M) under the ARRA to construct the 
Alaska Region Research Vessel. Construction is expected to begin in 
early 2010, with vessel delivery in 2014.

On March 5, 2009, NSF delivered the converted and upgraded light 
drillship JOIDES Resolution for science operations under the Integrated 
Ocean Drilling Program (IODP).

The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) received $105.9M of ARRA 
funding, allowing NSF to start the project on an accelerated path.

The hybrid remotely operated vehicle /Nereus/, designed to operate in 
both tethered and autonomous modes, is now the world's deepest diving 
vehicle, reaching 10,902 meters (6.8 miles) on May 31, 2009, in the 
Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, doing biological and geological 
studies in the deepest part of the ocean..

$17M of ARRA funding has gone toward Academic Research Fleet equipment 
maintenance and upgrades, and progress continues on the Regional Class 
Research Vessel (RCRV) Project. 

ARRA funds allowed OCE to fully support the Hawaii Ocean Time (HOT) 
Series for four years, extending time-series observations at this site 
to 25 years and better integrating biological and biogeochemical 
observations.

The Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence has developed new 
courses on how to better communicate ocean sciences to various 
audiences, and ARRA funds were used to identify and institute effective 
practices in implementing Broader Impacts activities.

*2.    **New Grant Proposal Guide NSF 10-1, effective 4 January 2010*

*http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf101***

* *

*Summary of Significant Changes *

* *

The National Science Board issued a report in August, 2009 entitled 
"/Investing in the Future NSF Cost Sharing Policies for a Robust Federal 
Research Enterprise/", which outlined a set of recommendations regarding 
NSF's cost sharing policy. The Foundation is in the process of 
considering how best to implement those recommendations, however, no 
changes have been made yet and therefore, NSF's current cost sharing 
policy remains in effect.

* *

*Chapter I.D.3*, Full Proposal, has been supplemented with a reference 
to an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 
report on research integrity that may be helpful to proposers.

*Chapter I.F.3*, When to Submit Proposals, has been clarified to state 
that if a deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the deadline is 
extended to the following business day. Previously, the section did not 
specify the category of holiday that was applicable.

*Chapter II.C.1.e*, Proposal Certifications, has an entirely new 
proposal certification added regarding responsible conduct of research. 
When submitting a proposal to NSF, the Authorized Organizational 
Representative is required to complete a certification that the 
institution has a plan to provide appropriate training and oversight in 
the responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduates, 
graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers who will be supported by 
NSF to conduct research. While training plans are not required to be 
included in proposals submitted to NSF, institutions are advised that 
they are subject to review upon request.

*Chapter II.D.7*, Proposals Involving Human Subjects, has been updated 
to reflect that if a certification of exemption is provided after 
submission of the proposal and before the award is issued, the exemption 
number corresponding to one or more of the exemption categories must be 
included in the documentation provided to NSF.

*Exhibit II-1*, Proposal Preparation Checklist, has been updated with a 
reminder that all proposals that include support for a postdoctoral 
researcher must include a mentoring plan in the Supplementary 
Documentation section of the proposal. Failure to do so will result in 
the return of the proposal without review. Additional guidance regarding 
the mentoring requirement and collaborative proposals also is included.

* *

*3.    **FastLane Updates*

* *

*NSF launches new site on Recipient Reporting *to assist our recipient 
community in meeting the quarterly reporting requirements under the 
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 
https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp;jsessionid=6eab6e21517231268ebc3edb768a5:Dqk3?t=0&idx=1 
<https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp;jsessionid=6eab6e21517231268ebc3edb768a5:Dqk3?t=0&idx=1>

* *

*IMPORTANT REMINDER: Registration For FEDERALREPORTING.GOV Begins 
Monday, August 17 
*https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp;jsessionid=6eab6e21517231268ebc3edb768a5:Dqk3?t=0&idx=2 
<https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp;jsessionid=6eab6e21517231268ebc3edb768a5:Dqk3?t=0&idx=2>

* *

*4.    **Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force*

* *

On June 12, 2009, President Obama sent a memorandum 
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/2009ocean_mem_rel.pdf) to 
the heads of executive departments and federal agencies establishing an 
Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by the White House Council on 
Environmental Quality. The Task Force was charged with developing -- 
within 90 days of release of the memo -- recommendations for a national 
policy for the ocean, our coasts and the Great Lakes, along with 
recommendations on a framework for policy coordination and an 
implementation strategy. In addition, within 180 days, the Task Force 
was tasked to recommend a framework for effective coastal and marine 
spatial planning.

The Task Force's Interim Report is now available 
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans/interimreport), 
though its public review and comment period has closed. This report 
provides proposals for a comprehensive national approach to uphold our 
stewardship responsibilities and ensure accountability for our actions. 
Additionally, the report outlines a more balanced, productive and 
sustainable approach to our ocean resources.

The Task Force has now moved to developing a recommended framework for 
effective ocean and coastal marine spatial planning. The draft framework 
has been submitted to the President and will soon be available for 
public comment 
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans).

*5.    **Ridge 2000 Update*

* *

In June Ridge 2000 held its first panel for the integration and 
synthesis phase of the program.  Thirty proposals were considered and 
eleven were awarded for a success rate of ~36%.  The next R2K deadline 
will be in early April of 2010.  The Marine Geology and Geophysics 
program encourages proposals from anyone interested in mid-ocean ridge 
processes: geologic, geophysical, biological, and/or hydrothermal to 
participate in this phase of Ridge 2000, regardless of whether they have 
participated in the program in the past or received Ridge 2000 funding.  
Data for the integration and synthesis effort can be accessed at 
http://www.marine-geo.org/portals/ridge2000/docs.php.  For those 
interested in participating in the integration and synthesis phase of 
the program, the Ridge 2000 Project Office and its website can be 
accessed for more information on the state of the synthesis, abstracts, 
and other information related to Ridge 2000. As workshops to engage the 
community and facilitate this phase of the program are scheduled, they 
will be posted on the R2K website.  There will be money, through the R2K 
Office, to help bring people to the workshops. If you are interested in 
attending a workshop, please contact the R2K Office.  If you are 
interesting in submitting a proposal to the next Ridge 2000 competition, 
please access this link: 
_http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09527/nsf09527.htm_

*6.    **Funding Opportunities for Proposals that Cross between the 
Geosciences and Biology or between the Geosciences and Social Science*

* *

There are now three opportunities for funding inter-, multi-, or 
transdisciplinary proposals that cross between core programs in the 
Geoscience (GEO) Directorate (OCE, EAR, or ATM) and programs in either 
the Biology (BIO) Directorate or in the Social, Behavioral, and Economic 
Sciences (SBE) Directorate.  These opportunities are to encourage 
ambitious, high-payoff interdisciplinary efforts that will dramatically 
move science forward in three areas: Emerging Topics in Biogeochemical 
Cycles (ETBC), Multi-Scale Modeling (MSM), and Environment, Society, and 
the Economy (ESE).  The ETBC and MSM opportunities support proposals 
that involve shares between one or more programs in GEO with one or more 
programs in BIO.  For 2010, ETBC and MSM will still consider proposals 
that only cross divisional boundaries in GEO.  However, these will be 
considered lower priority than those that cross between GEO and BIO.  
Proposals for ESE must involve shares between one or more programs in 
GEO and one or more programs in SBE. 

If you intend to submit a proposal to ETBC, MSM, or ESE, you need to 
develop a cross-directorate or -divisional funding coalition before 
submitting the proposal.  This is done by calling program officers in 
the relevant core programs and discussing your proposal with them and 
finding out if they feel your proposal is appropriate for their 
consideration.  This prevents you from writing a proposal that will not 
attract appropriate partners.  Once you have buy-in from the programs, 
you should consult with the program officers to find out to which 
program deadline you should submit and how the funding coalition intends 
to run the merit review process.  This will help you strategically write 
your proposal to be as effective as possible and communicate with the 
appropriate audience.  When you submit your proposal, please be sure 
that all of the programs in your funding coalition are selected as 
interested parties on Fastlane.

If you have a qualified proposal and it does well in the merit review 
and is recommended by the relevant NSF opportunity-oversight committee, 
funds at the GEO and BIO directorate level will cover half of the 
project cost.  

Links to more information, NSF contacts, and the Dear Colleague Letters 
that provide additional information on these opportunities are provided 
below:

*ETBC:* 
_http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503389&org=OCE&from=home_

*MSM:*

http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503388&org=OCE&from=home 
<http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503388&org=OCE&from=home>

*ESE:* 
_http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503387&org=OCE&from=home_

* *

*7.    **Ocean Drilling Program Update*

* *

Since returning to operations the newly refurbished JOIDES Resolution 
has successfully completed 5 expeditions: Expeditions 320 and 321 
(Pacific Equatorial Age Transect); 321T (Juan de Fuca Hydrogeology); 323 
(Bering Sea Paleoceanography); and 324 (Shatsky Rise Formation). At the 
time of this newsletter, the ship is in the middle of IODP Expedition 
317 at the Canterbury Basin off New Zealand's South Island. To read the 
site summaries, daily reports, and weekly reports from the Expeditions, 
please visit the following web sites: 
http://iodp.tamu.edu/scienceops/expeditions.html or 
http://www.iodp.org/expeditions/

Efforts continue on the challenging and important task of defining the 
scientific research goals for a new and ambitious ocean drilling 
research program, which is expected to begin after the current 
Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) ends in 2013. Nearly 600 
scientists from 22 countries met at the INVEST (IODP New Ventures in 
Exploring Scientific Targets) conference in Bremen, Germany in late 
September 2009 to define these research goals.  A new science plan will 
be developed from the exciting ideas that resulted from the INVEST 
conference.

ODP says thanks and goodbye to Dr. Kevin Manderneck, who has been 
serving as the NSF rotator overseeing the ODP Grants program. Kevin is 
returning to the Colorado School of Mines faculty. In his place, we 
welcome Dr. Ian Ridley from the USGS/Denver, a scientist of broad 
interests and experience in the ocean and earth sciences.

* *

*8.    **UNOLS Marcus Langseth Science Oversight Committee (MLSOC)* 
*Meeting Announcement*

The UNOLS Marcus Langseth Science Oversight Committee (MLSOC) invites 
you to attend their meeting in San Francisco on Sunday, December 13th.  
The meeting will be held at the *Moscone Center, Room 220* and will 
begin at 2:00 pm. 

The meeting agenda is available at  
http://www.unols.org/meetings/2009/200912mls/200912mlsag.pdf

We hope to see you there.
/
/MLSOC Community Meeting
Moscone Center - Room 220
San Francisco, CA
Sunday, December 13, 2009
2:00 pm

*9.    **AGU Events *

* *

*NSF Directorate for Geosciences Community Meeting*

Monday, 12/14/2009

7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

San Francisco Marriott Marquis (55 Fourth Street)

Room: Pacific H

Hors D'oeuvres, Cash Bar

The NSF Geosciences Directorate invites you to a community meeting to 
discuss potential research opportunities as well as the newly released 
strategic planning document from the NSF Advisory Committee on 
Geosciences, /GEO Vision: Unraveling Earth's Complexities Through the 
Geosciences/.  Division management staff and program directors will also 
be on hand to discuss specific opportunities and issues related to 
existing GEO programs.

7:30-8:15 pm

Discussion of Research Directions in GEO

8:15-9:00 pm

Break-out discussions on topical issues for Ocean Sciences, Atmospheric 
and Geospace Sciences, and Earth Sciences

*A Diversity Dialogue - An Opportunity to Share Strategies for 
Increasing Diversity in the Geosciences*

co-sponsored by

the National Science Foundation, Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity 
in the Geosciences Program

the Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP),

Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth 
System Science (MS PHD'S)

and the American Institutes for Research (AIR)

6-8 p.m., Thursday, December 17, 2009

At San Francisco Marriott Marquis (55 Fourth St.) Sierra I

*2009 AGU Fall Meeting Career Opportunities Networking Lunch*

Student Networking Event, with the goal of getting students outside of 
their comfort zone and networking with geoscience professionals in a 
variety of fields. We're hoping you will come and talk with students and 
informally talk about your careers.  Here are the details:

AGU and AGI present

2009 AGU Fall Meeting Career Opportunities Networking Lunch

Wednesday, 16 Dec. 1230h-1330h, Intercontinental Hotel Grand Ballroom 
(adjacent to the Moscone Center)

This event is made possible by generous support from Chevron, ExxonMobil 
Corporation, and Swiss Reinsurance.

*AGU Town Hall Meetings*

        Thursday, 17 December, 1815h--1915h

        Ocean Observatories Update: OOI, MARS, NEPTUNE Canada, and VENUS

Moscone West, Room 2006
Cosponsored by OS

This meeting will update the progress, current status, and upcoming 
activities of the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), the Monterey 
Accelerated Research System (MARS), the Victoria Experimental Network 
Under the Sea (VENUS), and the North-East Pacific Time-Series Undersea 
Networked Experiments (NEPTUNE) Canada programs. All four programs have 
made great strides this past year, including the installation of science 
nodes and instrument platforms on NEPTUNE Canada, plans for expanding 
the capabilities of VENUS, the successful deployment of experiments on 
MARS, and the start of the construction phase of the OOI network.

        Thursday, 17 December, 1930h--2030h

        EarthScope

Moscone West, Room 2003
Cosponsored by DI, S, T

This year's EarthScope town hall meeting will focus on a discussion of 
the updated EarthScope Science Plan that will be developed at the WESP 
workshop in Snowbird, Utah, on 7--8 October 2009. A draft of the plan 
should be distributed to the community by AGU. This meeting will also 
provide an opportunity to update the community on other important 
EarthScope initiatives such as the Joint EarthScope/MARGINS 
ARRA-supported facilities enhancement effort in Cascadia and new 
opportunities for outreach and education.

        Refreshing Our Ocean Research Priorities

Moscone West, Room 2006
Cosponsored by OS

In 2007, the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (JSOST) 
wrote "Charting the Course for Ocean Science in the United States for 
the Next Decade: An Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation 
Strategy." JSOST has begun the process of refreshing the priorities in 
Charting the Course. During the summer of 2009, public comments were 
solicited through a Dear Colleague Letter and a Federal Register notice. 
This town hall meeting will give members of the ocean science and 
technology community an opportunity to provide input into the refresh 
process and to discuss progress to date with the chairs of JSOST.

        The Role of NSF's Environmental Observatories in Ecology and
        Earth Systems Science

Moscone West, Room 2002
Cosponsored by A, B, H, EP, OS

The nation needs a long-term, comprehensive strategy to collect and 
analyze data on the impacts of large-scale environmental changes on 
oceanic, atmospheric, and terrestrial systems. To facilitate decision 
support at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels, these data must 
be turned into credible forecasts and information products that are 
easily accessible to resource managers. This town hall meeting brings 
together leaders from emerging environmental observatories to discuss 
how the nation's climate-change mitigation and adaptation needs can be 
met through the collective efforts of federal and nonfederal entities. 
Timothy Killeen (NSF assistant director for geosciences) is slated to 
present opening remarks.

*10. **Staff Changes*

*Ocean Section*

* *

Physical Oceanography

Dr. Sean C. Kennan joined the Physical Oceanography program in December 
2009 as an Associate Program Director. His research interests include: 
large and mesoscale ocean circulation, satellite oceanography, moored 
and ship observations, and the physical environment and forcing of 
marine ecosystems. He comes to NSF most recently from NIWA, in 
Wellington, New Zealand.

*Marine Geosciences Section*

Ocean Drilling Program

Dr. Ian Ridley joined OCE in November, 2009 as a Program Manager with 
IODP. He has 24 years of Federal Government service with the USGS in 
Denver. He is an igneous petrologist/geochemist by training and has 
worked extensively on magmatic and hydrothermal problems at the East 
Pacific Rise, and in developing new deposit models for VMS ores. 
Previously, he had a remarkably unsuccessful exploration company, worked 
for EPRCo in Houston, was Associate Professor of Petrology at Columbia 
University, worked for NASA-JSC training the Apollo astronauts, and 
started his career with the British Geological Survey.

*Integrative Programs Section*

* *

Jean McGovern, on detail from NFS's Large Facilities Office has taken 
over the management and oversight of the OOI. Jean McGovern is an 
engineer with 24 years of Federal service.  She spent 21 years at a 
Department of Defense (Navy) laboratory conducting research, development 
and manufacture of energetic chemicals for both the government and 
private sectors.  She served 5 years as a director of plant and 
laboratory operations. For the last 3 years, she has worked in the Large 
Facilities Office at NSF supporting preconstruction planning for MREFC 
projects across NSF.  Her educational background includes degrees in 
Chemical Engineering and Business Administration/Finance.

*11. **Positions Available*

* *

*Ocean Observing Science Program Director ***

*Oceanographer (Program Director) AD -1360 - 04/04 GEO/OCE (Closes: 
12/31/2009)* 
<http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?OPMControl=1701149&org=NSF>
Available Formats: HTML 
<http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?OPMControl=1701149>
Document Number: e20100005
Document History: Posted: November 13, 2009.

* *

*12. **Upcoming NSF proposal announcement deadlines/target dates and 
program information*

*Ocean Research Section and Marine Geosciences Section *

Target dates: February 15 and August 15 -- 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.

*OBSIP Management Office*

Document Number: NSF 09-613 
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=503400&ods_key=nsf09613 
<http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=503400&ods_key=nsf09613>

Proposals are due: 4 January 2010

Collaboration in Mathematical Geosciences (CMG)

Document Number: NSF 09-520 
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=503342&ods_key=nsf09520 
<http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=503342&ods_key=nsf09520>

Proposals are due: 22 January 2010

Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation  (CDI)

Document Number: NSF 10-506 
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=503163&ods_key=nsf10506 
<http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=503163&ods_key=nsf10506>

Proposals are due: Type I - 4 February 2010, Type II - 5 February 2010

Improvements in Facilities, Communications, and Equipment at Biological 
Field Stations and Marine Laboratories  (FSML)

Document Number: NSF 05-550 
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?org=NSF&ods_key=nsf05550 
<http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?org=NSF&ods_key=nsf05550>

Proposals are due: 5 March 2010

RIDGE 2000

Document Number: NSF 09-527 
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=5513&ods_key=nsf09527 
<http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=5513&ods_key=nsf09527>

Proposals are due: 7 April 2010

*Margins Program*

Document Number: 07-546 
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=13516&ods_key=nsf07546 
<http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=13516&ods_key=nsf07546>

Proposals are due: 1 July 2010

Best wishes for the Holiday season,

Kandace Binkley

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