Request an Observing Facility

Note: If you have already been through this process and already know what to do, you can download your documents here. If you have any questions, contact Brigitte Baeuerle at 303-497-2061.

First, determine if your projects falls into the "Large Project" or "Small Project" category:

In a nutshell, large projects are usually campaigns that cost more than $1 million in facility deployment expenses, use more than one NSF Observing Facility, are probably supported by more than one funding agency, and/or require complex logistical coordination and arrangements, especially outside the US.

If you are unsure how your project would be classified, you can get an idea of the cost by accessing Average Deployment Cost Estimates for aircraft, radars & lidars, and surface & sounding systems. Otherwise please feel free to contact the FPS Facility Manager.

As you might guess, large projects have a more extensive "to-do" list than small projects, and the entire process starts much earlier.

Large Project Timeline

2-3 years before planned deployment phase:

1. Initiate contact with your NSF Program Manager to alert them of your request intentions and get preliminary advice concerning timing and objectives.
   
2. Initiate contact with the Facility Manager/s in charge of the Observing Facility/ies you intend to request. (Each Observing Facility has a "Contacts" link with this information)
3. Submit a Letter of Intent to FPS.
   
4. Request preliminary cost estimates for each facility either through FPS or each of the relevant facility managers. You can get an idea of the cost by accessing Cost Estimate documents for Aircraft, Remote Sensing and Surface and Sounding Systems.
   

1. Submit an Experimental Design Overview (EDO) to Jim Huning with a copy to FPS and the relevant facility managers.
   
2. Submit a Scientific Program Overview (SPO) to NSF via Fastlane.
   
3. Prepare and submit a small (3 to 5 slide) PowerPoint Presentation (Template) discussing the scientific objectives of the request to FPS for our use in the OFAP meeting.

EDOs and SPOs will be discussed during the Spring OFAP meeting. You will receive feedback from your NSF Program Officer by early summer whether your program has received favorable consideration.  If you get a go ahead from NSF, you need to submit the actual facility requests as follows.

From there, by 15 August, 1 year before actual deployment phase:

1. Submit individual Facility Requests to EOL, University of Wyoming and Colorado State University and the Center for Severe Weather Research. (Since EOL manages the request process for a few LAOF it does not actually physically manage, there could be multiple requests you need to submit. For example, if you want to request the ISFS, C-130, Wyoming Cloud Radar and the CHILL Radar, you would need to submit one request to NCAR for the ISFS and the C-130, one to the University of Wyoming for the Wyoming Cloud Radar and one to Colorado State University for the CHILL Radar.)
2. Contact your NSF Program Manager for further instructions on submitting your NSF Proposal to NSF.  Provide a copy of the Science Portion of your Scientific Grant Proposal to FPS or the relevant facility manager by 31 August.
   

Your request will be discussed at the Fall OFAP meeting in the year before your actual deployment phase. Final decision by NSF is usually reached by 15 January the following year.

Small Project Timeline

18-24 months before planned deployment phase:

1. Initiate contact with your NSF Program Manager to alert them of your request intentions and get preliminary advice concerning timing and objectives.
   
2. Initiate contact with the Facility Manager/s in charge of the Observing Facility/ies you intend to request. (Each Observing Facility has a "Contacts" link with this information)
3. Submit a Letter of Intent to FPS.
   
4. Request an preliminary cost estimate from FPS. You can get an idea of the cost by accessing Cost Estimate documents for Aircraft, Remote Sensing and Surface and Sounding Systems.

Since Small Projects are discussed bi-annually, you have two opportunities to submit your requests.

1 July (will be discussed at the Fall OFAP meeting) or 1 December (for discussion at the Spring OFAP meeting) 18 months prior to planned deployment phase:

1. Submit individual Facility Requests to EOL, University of Wyoming, Colorado State University, and the Center for Severe Weather Research. (Since EOL manages the request process for a few LAOF it does not actually physically manage, there could be multiple requests you need to submit. For example, if you want to request one GAUS and the CHILL Radar, you would need to submit one request to NCAR for the GAUS and and one to Colorado State University for the CHILL Radar.
2. Contact your NSF Program Manager for further instructions on submitting your NSF Proposal to NSF.  Provide a copy of the Science Portion of your Scientific Grant Proposal to FPS or the relevant Facility Manager.
   

You will be directly notified of NSF's final decision several months following discussion of your request at the OFAP meeting by your NSF Program Officer.