Proposal Number: 0943977 Institution: University of Hawaii PI: A. Shor Co-PI: S. Winslow
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The proposal requests numerous Shipboard Scientific Support (SSSE) items for the vessels operated by the University of Hawaii; namely the R/V KILO MOANA. The requests specifically include items that have been recommended from past NSF inspections, Navy INSURV's, or Post-Cruise Assessments (PCA's) and have been otherwise deferred by the operators due to cost. All of the items requested will either improve safety, enhance science support capability, or extend vessel service life. Due to the nature and timing of these requests, the vendor quotation standards normally required by the SSSE Program were waived out of necessity with many of the figures provided as estimates for budgetary purposes and based mainly on past experience of the vessel operators for similar work.
Broader Impacts: The University of Hawaii vessels support federally funded scientific research throughout the world's oceans to expand human knowledge of the ocean environment. During operations, the vessels routinely expose graduate and undergraduate students to seagoing oceanography through real-time satellite connectivity from ship to shore, and University open house events. All told, the KILO MOANA is scheduled to complete approximately 85 NSF sponsored days in 2009.