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Requesting NSF Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities How does it work?

Requesting NSF Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities How does it work?. Steve Nelson (NSF/ATM) Brigitte Baeuerle (EOL) NSF Observing Facilities Users’ Workshop 15 June 2009. PRESENTATION OBJECTIVES. To describe current request process for Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities;

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Requesting NSF Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities How does it work?

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  1. Requesting NSF Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities How does it work? Steve Nelson (NSF/ATM) Brigitte Baeuerle (EOL) NSF Observing Facilities Users’ Workshop 15 June 2009

  2. PRESENTATION OBJECTIVES • To describe currentrequest process for Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities; • To clarify roles and responsibilities of NSF Program Officers, Facility Managers (FMs), Observing Facilities Assessment Panel (OFAP) and Principal Investigators (PIs)

  3. What is the NSF Deployment Pool (DP)? Reserved “pot” of money (approx. 4 Million/year) exclusively dedicated to support field campaigns that use LAOF; What it covers: • Costs associated with deployment of LAOF • Shipping • Fuel • Communications • Per diem, housing, travel …. What it doesn’t cover: • Salaries (except temp hires and overtime) • PI support or expenses • Instrument maintenance • Purchase of new instrumentation • Expenses related to project-specific operational and data management support

  4. FACILITIES COVERED BY DP AIRCRAFT • NSF/NCAR C-130 • NSF/NCAR G-V • UWY King Air • NRL P-3 with NCAR ELDORA RADARS • NCAR ELDORA • University of Wyoming Cloud Radar (KA, C-130) • CSU/CHILL Radar • NCAR SPOL Radar • CSWR Doppler on Wheels (DOW) SURFACE AND SOUNDING SYSTEMS • NCAR Integrated Sounding Systems (ISS/MISS) & Multiple Antenna Profiler (MAPR) • NCAR Integrated Surface Flux Facility (ISFF) • GPS Advanced Upper Air Sounding Systems (GAUS, MGAUS) • GPS Dropsonde (AVAPS) System Not currently covered: • Driftsonde • Wyoming Cloud Lidar

  5. Observing Facilities Assessment Panel (OFAP) • Facility Manager-run Assessment Panel • 18 scientists/recognized experts in fields of observational meteorology • Appointment based on recommendation by NSF POs, FM, current OFAP members, interest • Meets twice per year (Spring, Fall) • 5 year term (approx. 6 mtgs) • Provides technical assessment of facility requirements to FM, PIs and NSF POs; • Provides input concerning experiment design and facility usage incl. resources allocations (flight hours, expendables etc)

  6. REQUEST PROCESS Procedures are different for “large” and “small” programs. • “Large” Programs • Field Costs >$1,000K (multiple facilities), and/or Unusually Complex Programs, • and/or Programs with Int’l Partners • “Small” Programs – all the rest NSF, in consultation with PIs and FMs, will determine category, cost estimators also available from EOL website

  7. SMALL PROGRAMS – PROCESS • Contact/Inform NSF Program Manager • Provide Letter of Intent to EOL & NSF • Name, Location, Dates, Facilities, Science • Inclusion in long term planning schedule • Contact/Interact w. FMs / Facility Staff reg. requirements & plans • Prepare/Submit Facility Request to FMs; • Prepare/Submit OFAP science overview ppt to FMs; • Prepare/Submit NSF Proposal to NSF; science portion to EOL/Univ; • For NCAR-led campaigns, prepare/submit Proposal to EOL Director for mail scientific review

  8. SMALL PROGRAMS -- Timeline Requests possible bi-annually (1 Jul/1 Dec) 15-21 months ahead of campaign 8 months for implementation

  9. Large Field Programs(>$1M or Complex) • Two antecedent documents required: Scientific Program Overview (SPO) and Experimental Design Overview (EDO) • Required before submission of science proposals • Required before submission of facility requests • SDO and EDO are formal documents and final decisions for science proposal submission(s) will be made based on their reviews

  10. SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM OVERVIEW • Overall justification of the scientific program • Section D, Project Description • Scientific Rationale - Holistic • Brief description of experimental design; • Relationship to prior similar efforts; • List of all facilities and PIs (irrespective of source of support); • Formal submission of the SPO to NSF via Fastlane; NSF will distribute SPO or equivalent document to relevant FMs and OFAP

  11. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN OVERVIEW • Overall concept of the experimental design, resource needs and management. • Holistic • Structure • Executive Summary • Scientific Rationale/Objectives • Experimental Design • Project Mgt (before and during field campaign) • Data Mgt • List of Facilities and PIs • EDO submitted to NSF (Huning and NSF Program Officer); copy to relevant FM and to OFAP

  12. LARGE PROGRAMS – PROCESS • Contact/Inform NSF Program Manager (summer/fall FY-3) • Provide Letter of Intent to EOL & NSF • Name, Location, Dates, Facilities, Science • Inclusion in long term planning schedule • Preliminary Meeting with FM(s) and facility staff • Obtain preliminary cost estimates from FM for inclusion in SPO • Prepare/Submit SPO to NSF • Prepare/Submit EDO to NSF and EOL • Prepare/Submit science overview presentation to EOL • Prepare/Submit Facility Request to FM • Prepare/Submit NSF Proposal to NSF; science portion to EOL/Univ. • Prepare updated .ppt overview to EOL

  13. LARGE PROGRAMS -- Timeline Only one review cycle per fiscal year. Scientific Review of SPO (completed by May FY-2) as well as individual science proposals (completed by Jan FY-1) FY-2 SPO/EDO and Facility Request submission dates under discussion 8 to 19 months for implementation

  14. The black hole – what happens in between the time a request is submitted and the OFAP Meeting? • FM Responsibilities: • Preparation of feasibilities and cost estimates for facility requests and/or preparation of project assessments for EDOs; • Preparation of Project Feasibility Presentations for OFAP Meeting Note: Documents shared with NSF and PIs ahead of OFAP • NSF Responsibilities: • Conduct of scientific review of all NSF submitted proposals (SPOs as well as individual proposals);

  15. EOL Responsibilities: • Where NCAR scientists have lead proposal, EOL Director will oversee scientific review process and coordinate with appropriate NCAR Lab Director, NSF program office and Facility Managers • Preparation of “Global Feasibility” (possible project combinations based on direct facility conflicts, resource limitations etc., shared with NSF) • Planning/Conduct of all aspects of OFAP Meeting including sending out review material to OFAP

  16. What happens at the OFAP Meeting? • Each OFAP member is asked for review preferences and conflicts of interest before mtg; • Each OFAP member is assigned up to 4 OFAP requests in their area of expertise before OFAP meeting, one of those as lead reviewer; • Each project is introduced – w/o bias - by lead reviewer using scientific overview presentation provided by requesting PI, to entire OFAP, followed by feasibility analysis presentation by facility staff; • Assigned review team presents their evaluation, followed by discussion involving all OFAP attendees (i.e., NSF, Facility staff, OFAP) • Review team summarizes findings in writing and provides to FM THE OFAP DOES NOT DECIDE WHETHER A PROJECT WILL BE FUNDED OR NOT

  17. What happens after the OFAP Meeting? • Summary shared with NSF and PIs • PIs are welcome to respond to NSF PO • NSF Program Officer makes final decision based on scientific review of all NSF submitted proposals, feasibility analyses, OFAP recommendation and advice as well as budgetary and scheduling constraints. • NSF PO informs PIs about decision • EOL provides Allocation Letter

  18. Educational Requests • Portion of DP reserved for use by educators • Deployment for short period of time at university (can’t conflict with approved projects) • No specific deadlines; short lead times (30-45 days) or long lead time (4-6 months) ahead of planned activity • Not to exceed 15K • Contact approp. FM for schedule, feasibility, cost • Informal review/approval by FM and NSF • PI to provide feedback after the end of the project • Implement additional outreach activity

  19. Special Funds Requests • FPS and CDS require special funds for • Operations Center Support (Ops Director, AC coordinator, SA support) above and beyond facility support • Logistics/shipping in support of PI equipment • Special data displays and applications • Comprehensive data management activities (data archive, composites, qc-ed, special products) • Scope negotiated between PI, NSF and EOL

  20. Other • Out of cycle requests • Not covered by DP but NSF PO Program Funds • Challenging: schedule constraints, little adaptability • Cost Recovery • On a non-interference basis with NSF programs • Scientific review conducted by requesting agency • “Appropriate Use of the Facility” • Multi-year Programs • Approval for several years possible • Mid-project review suggested • Will require cost adjustments

  21. Questions? http://www.eol.ucar.edu/deployment/request-info

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