A request is made to fund additional and back-up instrumentation for the R/V Hugh M Sharp, a 146 foot Regional research vessel operated by the University of Delaware as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) research fleet. The request includes one item:
POS MV 320 upgrade w/ Replacement IMU
Broader Impacts: The principal impact of the present proposal is under criterion two, providing 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.
" was awarded for $84,579 in May 2011. These funds were identified to purchase a replacement Applanix POS MV 320 V5 for science use aboard the R/V HUGH R. SHARP. The final purchase price totaled $ 91,621. The price increase resulted from the time delay between the date of the quote and the purchase date. The increased cost ($7,042) was paid from operational funds. Immediately after being installed the system was integrated into several science sensor systems, such as the ADCP and was also intergraded into the ship’s dynamic positioning system. The Applanix POS MV 320 V5 system entered service with Dr. Boicourt on March 11, 2012 for his NSF funded cruise (OCE PO/F 1061609). This completes award number OCE1115373, titled "Oceanographic Instrumentation". Broader Impacts and Intellectual Merit of Proposed Work Intellectual Merit: The proposed equipment will help support scientific operations and data collection in the mid-Atlantic region. The intellectual merit of these individual projects is determined by peer review at NSF. The scientific questions posed must be meritorious enough to warrant funding, and only those few will be fortunate enough to go to sea. Broader Impacts: The number of missions supported averages around thirty per year for a vessel in the coastal zone. The science support equipment proposed herein will enhance the infrastructure needed for research and education on the vast majority of those cruises. The University of Delaware, the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment, and the R/V HUGH R. SHARP operation are closely linked. The broader impacts of this ship/institution package on the public and the science community are many. The R/V HUGH R. SHARP is an integral part of the public outreach program at the CEOE in Lewes, Delaware. When not at sea, the ship is a focal point on the waterfront, and during "Coast Day" (an annual open house at the CEOE which drew nearly thirteen thousand visitors in 2009). Graduate students who sail aboard the ship (either from the University of Delaware or other institutions) gain exposure to field work and other disciplines in oceanography, and eventually grow to become the Principle Investigators of the future.
