University of Washington - School of Oceanography for R/V Thomas G. Thompson and R/V Rachel Carson Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment (SSSE)

Requests are made by the University of Washington for Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment (SSSE) on R/V Thompson, a 274-foot general purpose, global class research vessel, and R/V Rachael Carson, a newly outfitted 72-foot coastal research vessel, both operated as part of the US Academic Research Fleet (ARF). In 2020, Thompson, in a COVID-shortened season, completed 202 funded days with 131 (65%) of them for NSF.

For 2021, the vessel is scheduled for 277 total days with 224 (80%) days for NSF. Carson had 41 days in 2020 with 1 NSF day. For 2021, there are 71 days scheduled, 32 (45%) of which are for NSF.

With this proposal, UW provides technical descriptions and rationale for the acquisition of the following Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment: Purchase and Install Boat Davit on R/V Rachel Carson $51,807 Design and Install ADCP Well in Hull of R/V Rachel Carson $26,630 Purchase Wide Throat Metered Block for R/V Rachel Carson $18,717

Replace starboard aft main deck crane on R/V Thompson $252,500 $349,654 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.

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.