A request is made by the University of Washington to fund additional and replacement instrumentation for the R/V Thompson, a 274? general purpose, global class research vessel, and R/V Barnes, a 66-foot coastal research vessel, both operated as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System research fleet. These platforms provide facilities for conducting oceanographic research funded by the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies. The instrumentation they propose to acquire will provide operational flexibility to projects that are embarked upon both vessels and will increase their capacity to do useful science and data collection during transits between funded cruises. Thompson completed 260 days in 2013; 120 of these days (46%) were for NSF. On Barnes, 65 of the 95 days (68%) were for NSF. In 2014, Thompson is scheduled for 295 days and 230 (79%) are for NSF. Barnes is scheduled to sail 71 days in 2014, with 34 days (48%) funded by NSF. Oceanographic Instrumentation requested in this proposal includes: 1) Computer network switch and router upgrades $57,703 2) Dosimat style titrator for on board oxygen analyses $ 7,025 $64,728
Broader Impacts The principal impact of the present proposal is under Merit Review Criterion 2 of the Proposal Guidelines (NSF 13-589). It provides 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.
