University of Delaware proposes to support technical services on R/V Hugh R. Sharp, a 146? general purpose research vessel which began operation in early 2006 as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System research fleet. It is owned and operated by the University of Delaware. The proposal requests support for both basic and specialized services. For basic services, they will provide one or two shipboard technicians on each cruise of R/V Sharp to support seagoing research projects and to maintain, calibrate and provide for qualified users items from their pool of shared-use research instrumentation. As part of specialized services, they will maintain and operate an undulating towed vehicle with oceanographic sensors. The budget included with 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.
