International Polar Year
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Dear Colleague:
The next International Polar Year (IPY) will occur
from March 2007 through March 2009. IPY is envisioned as an intense
scientific campaign to explore new frontiers in polar science,
improve our understanding of the critical role of the polar regions
in global processes, and increase public understanding of polar
science. This Dear Colleague letter provides information on anticipated
FY-07 National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunities for
IPY research and education activities that have been identified
to date. These opportunities will be supported through a special
IPY Solicitation with focused science and education themes, and
through ongoing program activities at NSF. The special IPY Solicitation
and the ongoing NSF programs that will support other IPY activities
are described below. Additional information can be found at www.nsf.gov/od/opp/ipy/ipyinfo.jsp.
The U.S. National Committee for IPY, formed under the auspices
of the National Academy of Sciences, has published a vision document “A
Vision for the International Polar Year 2007-2008”, which
is available at http://www.us-ipy.org/. The International Council
for Science-World Meteorological Organization (ICSU-WMO) Joint
Committee published an additional planning framework and is facilitating
international cooperation through an International Programme Office
in Cambridge, England. Further information on international efforts
and the history of the IPY is available at http://www.ipy.org.
The U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy designated NSF
as the lead federal agency for U.S. IPY activities. The NSF Director
hosted several interagency planning meetings to elicit the agencies’ preliminary
plans for IPY. These are summarized at http://nsf.gov/pubs/2005/nsf0545/nsf0545_3.pdf.
Desirable characteristics and goals of IPY projects include those
that: involve a pulse of activity during the IPY period; are interdisciplinary
in scope; leave a legacy of infrastructure and data; expand international
cooperation; engage the public in polar discovery; and help attract
the next generation of scientists and engineers. In particular,
proposals for IPY activities should focus on the polar regions,
and where possible and appropriate, should develop and expand international
partnerships and cooperation.
Priority will be given to proposals
that take integrative or interdisciplinary approaches and forge
collaborations among traditionally separate disciplines. Collaborations
with researchers and educators who have not previously been involved
in polar research are strongly encouraged. Such proposals will
leave a legacy by promoting and stimulating new collaborations
designed to further our understanding of fundamental questions
in polar science, including interactions of human communities with
the environment. As an important contribution to the IPY legacy,
data management is expected to be an integral part of all proposals,
although standalone data management proposals will also be considered.
All proposals should include an explicit discussion of plans for
data management and data sharing.
NSF FY ’07 International
Polar Year Solicitation:
The National Science Foundation is planning
a special joint solicitation for IPY proposals to support specific
research and education activities within the following emphasis
areas:
-
Understanding Environmental Change in
Polar Regions
Research that advances understanding of
the drivers of environmental change at the poles, including
physical, geological, chemical, human and biological processes,
and their interactions with ecosystems and the climate system.
-
Human
and Biotic Systems in the Polar Regions
Research that addresses
fundamental questions about social, behavioral, and/or natural
systems that will increase our understanding of how humans
and other organisms function in the extreme environments of
the polar regions.
- Education and
Outreach
Educational activities that specifically invigorate
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education
in the context of IPY: formal science education projects at
the K-12, undergraduate, or graduate level; informal science
education projects for the broader public; and coordination
and communication for IPY education projects.
Scientists from
numerous countries are engaged in IPY research. International
efforts during IPY present opportunities for collaboration
with foreign scientists in the development of interdisciplinary
projects that could lead to important advances in scientific
understanding of the polar regions and enhance our ability
to conduct research in these extreme environments. Collaboration
and participation of U.S. organizations in foreign-led efforts
within the emphasis areas are strongly encouraged, as is participation
of non-U.S. scientists in proposals supported under this IPY
Solicitation. Therefore, researchers and educators who are
planning on submitting proposals are encouraged to begin exploring
possibilities for international collaborations as soon as it
is feasible. Please note that awards made through this program
will support U.S.-based institutions. Collaborators from institutions
outside the U.S. must seek funding from their respective funding
organizations.
NSF Ongoing Program Activities in Support of
IPY:
Researchers and educators who anticipate
proposing IPY projects that are not relevant to the thematic
areas described above should consider submitting proposals to
an ongoing NSF program. IPY proposals should meet the goals
and priorities of the ongoing program. If there is uncertainty
about whether an IPY proposal is relevant to the ongoing program,
proposers should consult the cognizant program officers before
submission. Biological Sciences (BIO), Geosciences (GEO), Office
of International Science and Engineering (OISE), Office of Polar
Programs (OPP), and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences
(SBE) encourage the submission of IPY proposals to their ongoing
programs. The specific programs within these Directorates and
their cognizant program officers are listed on the special IPY
web page at
www.nsf.gov/od/opp/ipy/ipyinfo.jsp.
This web site will be updated as new opportunities for IPY
are identified within NSF. IPY proposals are expected to help
implement the vision developed by and articulated in the NAS
document, “A Vision for the
International Polar Year 2007-2008” (http://www.us-ipy.org/).
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