WORKSHOP :: Train & Entrain New Users to Request LAOF @ AGU 2012

A 2-hour workshop on how to request and make the best use of  NSF Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities (LAOF) in support of science and education.

This course will introduce participants to the suite of available NSF observational research platforms and services available through the five LAOF partner organizations, and provide a clear roadmap on how to request these facilities in support of scientific field campaigns and educational activities. Facility Managers and experienced users of LAOF will provide information, guidance and advice on how to incorporate available instruments and platforms into an experiment design, what steps need to be taken to request one or more of these facilities, and how to maximize the success of a campaign. 

The process of requesting one or more of NSF’s observing facilities can seem overwhelming, especially to new users.  The request process varies depending on the size and complexity of a project (i.e., large versus small), the affiliation and funding of the user (i.e., university researcher, cost recovery, NCAR-led), the platform or services requested, and the main focus of the campaign (i.e., scientific, educational or exploratory).  In addition to describing the capabilities of each of the facilities and services available, instructors will explain the request process and investigator responsibilities, and highlight key issues and potential roadblocks. A large portion of the workshop will be devoted to answering questions and providing advice on how to best plan for an observational research campaign.

Who Might Like to Attend?
The workshop is a guide for investigators interested in planning and implementing a domestic or international scientific field campaign using NSF facilities. The course is aimed at early career faculty and researchers who require high quality observations (in situ and remote sensing) to understand and describe aspects of the Earth System but are not familiar with NSF’s Lower Atmospheric Observing Systems.  The course will also be of interest to teachers and students who are interested in using a subset of these systems for educational purposes such as short-term, hands-on instructions and instrument demonstrations as part of a college course.

Course Overview
Researchers, students and teachers who want to understand and describe the Earth System require high quality observations of the atmosphere, ocean, biosphere and the Sun. Making these observations requires state-of-the-art instruments and systems often carried on highly capable research platforms.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) through its Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) provides multi-user national facilities through their Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities (LAOF) Program in support of the geosciences community at no cost to the investigator.  These facilities, which include research aircraft, radars, lidars, surface and sounding systems, receive NSF base support and are eligible for deployment funding.  While the program management resides within AGS in the NCAR/Facilities Section (NFS), the facilities are managed and operated by the five LAOF partner organizations - the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Colorado State University (CSU), the University of Wyoming (UWY), the Center for Severe Weather Research (CSWR) and the Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS).

Observational facilities are available on a competitive basis to all qualified researchers from universities, NCAR and other government agencies requiring these research platforms and associated services to carry out various research objectives. The deployment of all facilities is driven by scientific merit, capabilities of a specific facility to carry out the proposed observations, and scheduling for the requested time.

The process for considering requests and setting priorities is determined on the basis of the complexity of a field campaign, which can fall under four distinct categories – “large”, “small”, “exploratory” and “educational”. Additionally, the request process is different for university researchers, non-NSF funded investigators and NCAR PIs.

Workshop Schedule

10:00 A.M.     WELCOME and GOAL OF WORKSHOP [10 minutes]

• Vanda Grubišić (NCAR) & Michael Morgan (NSF)
• Introductions; purpose and goals of workshop
  
  

10:10 A.M.     RECENT EXAMPLES OF FIELD CAMPAIGNS [20 minutes]

• Jim Moore (NCAR) 
• HIPPO, DYNAMO, DC3, SCP & Concordiasi 
  
  

10:30 A.M.     OVERVIEW of NSF’S LOWER ATMOSPHERIC OBSERVING FACILITIES
                       [35 minutes]

• Steve Cohn (NCAR)
• Overview of available ground-based and airborne LAOF

11:05 A.M.     OVERVIEW of SUPPLEMENTAL PROJECT SUPPORT [20 minutes]

• Mike Daniels (NCAR)
• Available support services including field planning & implementation; data services & field catalogs; and design & fabrication services

11:25 A.M.     REQUEST PROCESS [20 minutes]

• Brigitte Baeuerle (NCAR) & Linnea Avallone (NSF)
• Roadmap to requesting LAOF for complex, small, and educational deployments

11:45 A.M.     QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION [15 minutes]

• Sue Schauffler (NCAR)

12:00 P.M.     END OF WORKSHOP

Event organizer and contact information:
Alison Rockwell
EOL Outreach & Communications
303.497.8758
rockwell@ucar.edu