University of Minnesota/RV Blue Heron 2023 Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment

A request is made to fund additional and back-up science support equipment for the R/V Blue Heron, an 86-foot Coastal research vessel owned by the University of Minnesota and operated by the Large Lakes Observatory as part of the US Academic Research Fleet (ARF). Built in 1985 for fishing on the Grand Banks, the Blue Heron was purchased by the University of Minnesota in 1997.

The vessel is outfitted with state-of-the-art research equipment, has berthing for 11 crew and scientists, and can operate 24 hours per day for up to 21 days in between port calls. The Blue Heron is part of the University National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), and is available for charter by research scientists on any of the Great Lakes. In 2022, the vessel completed 110 funded days, 45 of these (41%) were for NSF. In 2023, the vessel is scheduled for 55 days, 36 of which (65%) will be for NSF.

Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment (SSSE) requested in this proposal includes: 1) Navigational suite upgrade $20,542 2) Work boat $22,422 $42,964 Broader Impacts

The principal impact of the present proposal is under Merit Review Criterion 2 of the Proposal Guidelines (NSF 19-602). 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.