University of Minnesota proposes to support technical services on R/V Blue Heron, an 86? general purpose UNOLS research vessel operated by the UM Duluth Large Lakes Observatory as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System research fleet. They request support for basic services only. They will provide one technician on each lake-going research project of R/V Blue Heron to support lacustrine research projects and to maintain, calibrate and provide for qualified users items from their pool of shared-use research instrumentation. The budget in this proposal is for the first year of a 5-year continuing grant.
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 support of 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. All users (or the appropriate funding agencies) share support for basic technical services on the vessel equally, with NSF paying a share of technical support costs based on fractional usage of the vessel during the year.
