Ship Operations: R/V SALLY RIDE

Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) operates R/V Sally Ride, a highly capable, well-equipped general-purpose Ocean Class research vessel that is owned by the U.S. Navy. The vessel has been operated by SIO since delivery and is has been part of the US Academic Research Fleet since 2016.

As a large shared-use facility scheduled within the collaborative framework of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), Sally Ride will host scientists from across the United States to undertake research in a variety of disciplines. The ship will be operated in a manner that promotes safety, capability and efficiency in order to maximize NSF’s investment in the ship and in the programs that are conducted on board.

SIO employs a disciplined approach to vessel maintenance, regulatory compliance, foreign clearance, crewing and logistics so that scientific missions can be completed successfully and on schedule. The observation, measurement, and collection of samples and data are accomplished on an ocean-basin scale by scientific missions aboard Sally Ride. SIO's ship operations department supports NSF core values

of scientific excellence, organizational excellence, learning, inclusiveness and accountability. The vessel management and operations proposed here enable transformative scientific research in physical and

biological processes in the natural environment upon which human well-being depends. The intellectual merit of this proposal is amplified by the combined merit of research projects undertaken by scientists on board. SIO's management of Sally Ride enables research, education and training that advance discovery and

understanding while achieving far-reaching broader impacts. The proposed management supports strongly collaborative, multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional use of the vessel. Through UNOLS, SIO coordinates the shared use of Sally Ride with scientists and funding agencies so shipboard capabilities

meet the current and anticipated needs of the community. SIO is committed to promoting a climate of fairness, cooperation, and professionalism on board that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential ingredients of scientific discovery, technical development, and learning. SIO's operation of Sally Ride leverages institutional programs that complement NSF’s mission to promote

achievement and progress in science, engineering and education for the benefit of the nation. For example, SIO's UC Ship Funds Program enables graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and early career faculty to pursue independent research and instruction aboard Sally Ride via an internal peer-reviewed competitive process for ship time. As a broadly subscribed shared-use facility,

Sally Ride similarly contributes to the education, training and outreach missions of scientists from institutions across America who conduct their research and educational programs on board. As proposed here, Sally Ride will continue to serve NSF by safely, capably and efficiently facilitating multi-disciplinary scientific research to advance our understanding of our oceans and Earth.

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.