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Requesting NSF Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities

How does it work?

Steve Nelson (NSF/ATM)

Brigitte Baeuerle (EOL)

NSF Observing Facilities Users’ Workshop15 June 2009

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PRESENTATION OBJECTIVES

• To describe current request 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)

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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

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nFACILITIES 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

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nObserving 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)

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nREQUEST 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

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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

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6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 Submit Facility Requestx Submit NSF Proposal

OFAP

x NSF Final Action

1 Submit Facility Request15 Submit NSF Proposal

OFAP

x NSF Final Action

FY 0

Implementation (8 m)

Implementation (8 m) Campaign Period

Campaign Period

FY-1FY-2

SMALL PROGRAMS -- Timeline

Requests possible bi-annually (1 Jul/1 Dec)15-21 months ahead of campaign8 months for implementation

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nLarge 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

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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

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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

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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

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nLARGE 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

7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

x Initial contact between PIs, NSF POs and FMs1 Deadline to request preliminary cost estimates from FM

15 Submit EDO15 Submit SPO

OFAP EDO Review

x NSF decision to encourage or discourage program1 Submit Facility Request (if encouraged)

x Submit individual NSF ProposalsOFAP Facility Request Review

x NSF Final Action on Scientific ProposalsCampaign Period

FY-2 FY 0

Implementation (8 m)

FY-3 FY-1

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• 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);

The black hole – what happens in between the time a request is submitted and the

OFAP Meeting?

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• 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

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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

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• 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

What happens after the OFAP Meeting?

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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

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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

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nOther

• 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

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

Questions?