Requesting Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities and Services

NSF's Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities (LAOF) are available on a competitive basis to all qualified scientists requiring facilities and services to carry out their research objectives. The deployment of the facilities is driven by the scientific merit, capabilities of the facilities to carry out the proposed observations and scheduling of the facility for the requested time.

NSF's Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) section budgets annually for deployment costs associated with these multi-user facilities, but with no specified amount assigned to any facility. Semi-annually (Spring/Fall) the Observing Facilities Assessment Panel (OFAP) reviews the facility use requests and recommends allocations of deployment funding for the facilities being requested for research projects by the principle investigators.

Normally, principle investigators having approved NSF science research grants have first priority and receive full deployment pool allocation funding for the facilities requested. Other requests are considered based on scientific merit and facility availability, with the deployment costs varying from full cost recovery to full or partial support by the deployment pool.

The NSF-established procedures and priorities for requesting the use of these facilities is described in more detail in the documents and links below. The process for considering requests and setting priorities is determined on the basis of facility deployment costs and/or the complexity of the field component of the research. Requests that seek deployment pool funds on the order of less than $1.25 M will be defined as small campaign requests, while those requests in excess of this amount are considered large program requests. Very complex programs, e.g., those which involve several facilities, entail difficult deployment logistics or require interagency/international coordination, are also required to follow the review process for large programs.

The information contained in the links below are all summarized in the Users' Guide on how to request NSF Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities.

Relevant Links regarding the Request Process

General Information

• List of Deployment Pool-funded Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities
• Contact Information for Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities

• Facility Request Forms for NCAR/EOL, UWYO, CSWR, CSU, CIRPAS

• Request Process Check List and Request Deadlines
• EOL Crew Duty Guidelines
  
• Submission of a Letter of Intent
• Request for Project Extension
• Out of Cycle Requests
• Long-Term Planning Schedule (all facilities)
• RAF Planning Charts (NSF/NCAR aircraft)
• Current Letters of Intent
  

• Observing Facilities Assessment Panel (OFAP)

Small Campaigns

• Request Procedures for NSF-funded University Investigators and Collaborators
• Request Procedures for NCAR-funded Investigators
• Request Procedures for Agency-funded Investigators (Cost Recovery)
• Request Procedures for Educational Deployments

Large/Complex Campaigns

• Request Procedures for a large/complex field program
• Requesting Preliminary Cost Estimates
• Guidelines for Writing the Experiment Design Overview (EDO) Document
• Guidelines for Writing the Scientific Project Overview (SPO) Document

For further information, please email Brigitte Baeuerle or call her at 303.497.2061.