Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment (SSSE) 2022: University of Washington - R/V Thompson and R/V Carson

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 2021, Thompson completed 296 funded days with 224 (76%) of them for NSF.

For 2022, the vessel is scheduled for 283 total days with 241 (85%) days for NSF. Carson had 73 days in 2021 with 22 (30%) for NSF. For 2022, there are 131 days scheduled, 69 (53%) of which are for NSF.

With this proposal, UW provides technical descriptions and rationale for the acquisition of the following Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment: 1) Uncontaminated Seawater System on R/V Rachel Carson $41,000 2) (2) new CTD wire (0.322”) blocks for R/V Thomas G. Thompson $29,145 3) Diaphragm Pump and spares for R/V Thomas G. Thompson $10,207

4) Survey for EM2040 Multibeam System on R/V Rachel Carson $50,000 5) Starboard Aft Main Deck Crane on R/V Thomas G. Thompson $252,500 $382,852 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.