Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) requests funding to support NSF funded, peer-viewed scientific research on R/V Armstrong in 2018. The proposed operations will provide access for over 10 NSF Principal Investigators (PIs), including OOI, to conduct multiple research sea voyages throughout the year. Almost 78% of the 256 days scheduled will support NSF programs. ONR and WHOI will also support PIs this year to make up the remaining 22% of the year. Armstrong will conduct multiple voyages for NSF's PEACH, OSNAP, and SBF Programs and will conduct OOI work at both the Pioneer and Irminger Sea sites in 2018. Armstrong is also scheduled to support ONR MF Noise and Niskin programs along with support of several WHOI operational programs in 2018.
These peer-reviewed projects supported by operations on R/V Armstrong in 2018 have been rigorously evaluated for scientific and intellectual merit as an integral part of the NSF grant review and award process. The competitive nature of the award granting process ensures a very high level of intellectual merit. Knowledge gained and the discoveries made by the research programs supported by R/V Armstrong will enhance understanding of the oceans and address a broad range of important scientific questions. The goal of this proposal is to provide funding support to safely and productively operate and maintain R/V Armstrong in 2018 and to ensure it is maintained to support its planned life-cycle. This support is an essential prerequisite for safe and successful scientific missions. WHOI research vessels provide at-sea laboratories necessary to effectively and safely take science to sea. This community includes senior oceanographic scientists, post-doctoral and doctoral students, graduate and undergrad students as well as engineers, technicians, and teachers. These intellectual endeavors have broadened our understanding and have spurred on new questions and scientific theory. Research supported by R/V Armstrong next year will be important in understanding the Earth's climate and how it changes over time. In 2018 R/V Armstrong will exercise all of its scientific mission equipment to evaluate its capability and what may need further development on the nation's newest research vessel. Educational and outreach programs will be featured on these voyages. All of these intellectual endeavors will continue to broaden our understanding of the oceans, stimulate new questions, and confirm scientific theory for years to come, benefiting society at large. Oceanographic expeditions are an extension of university classrooms and are an extraordinary educational experience. Voyages expose participants to new ideas, teach fundamental scientific principles through observation and practice, and inevitably raise questions that stimulate new thinking about how the oceans work. An increased awareness of our responsibility to bring this science into the classroom and to the public has resulted in the development of new avenues to share these scientific findings. The cruise web site concept has effectively reached classrooms with real-time images, data and two-way communication between scientists and students in schools across the country. These efforts have extended the sea-going experience from a handful of participants to thousands of students in classrooms across the country, as well as to the general public. Scientists on WHOI vessels will use this tool to present their data through web based approaches either at their home institution or through web sites maintained by community organizations. The WHOI web site, www.whoi.edu, has pioneered efforts to present the results of research expeditions to the public. Outreach programs are continuing in 2018 from WHOI vessels with the Perkins School for the Blind and Disabled. which represent cutting edge efforts to broaden the experience of conducting research at sea to every American.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
