Equipment: Ocean Instrumentation 2023

Requests are made by the University of Washington for Oceanographic Instrumentation (OI) 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 by University of Washington as part of the US Academic Research Fleet (ARF). In 2022, Thompson completed 268 funded days with 176 (66%) of them for NSF.

For 2023, the vessel is scheduled for 315 total days with 180 (57%) days for NSF. Carson had 125 days in 2022 with 53 (42%) for NSF. For 2023, there are 68 days scheduled, 27 (40%) of which are for NSF.

With this proposal, UW provides technical descriptions and rationale for the acquisition of the following Oceanographic Instrumentation: 1) Kongsberg EM2040 Multibeam System for R/V Rachel Carson $217,371 2) Kongsberg EK80 Echosounder System for R/V Thompson $304,301 $521,672 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.