Track 1 - Education & Outreach LAOF Request Process

The NSF Facility and Instrumentation Request Process (FIRP) solicitation states that Track 1 proposals are requests for limited field or laboratory activities that are targeted at education and outreach. Track 1 proposals must include educational activities in formal and informal settings based on state-of-the-art pedagogical knowledge aimed at providing hands-on student training in field- or laboratory-based observational research, and/or provide significant public outreach through coordinated events. The total proposal cost must be under $50,000.

An exception to the $50,000 cap is allowed for aircraft-based educational deployments using the Wyoming King Air, and the NCAR-operated C-130 and GV. Track 1 requests for the C-130 and GV may only be made in conjunction with an already-funded field campaign or planned test flights. Stand-alone Track 1 requests may be requested with the Wyoming King Air after consultation with the FARE program director.

PIs of funded field campaigns should include education and outreach in their original plans and not rely on Track 1 proposals to augment the campaign. The focus of Track 1 proposals must be on education and outreach; projects with substantial research components should be submitted under Track 2 or Track 3.

The FIRP solicitation states that Track 1 proposals can be submitted 9–12 months ahead of the planned activity. There is no deadline, and submissions are accepted on a rolling basis.

Read more from the NSF Facility and Instrumentation Request Process (FIRP) solicitation about the Track 1 request process.

Track 1 EOL FARE/LAOF Request Process

A PI-submitted FARE/LAOF facility request and EOL-provided cost estimate are required to be submitted by the PI with the FIRP proposal. For EOL to prepare the required documents and share them with the PI in a timely manner, the following steps are necessary:

  1. PI engages with the EOL Facility Request Coordinator to ascertain facility availability and suitability for the proposed research during the proposal preparation process.
  2. PI submits an optional Statement of Interest (SoI) to NSF ahead of the activity.
  3. PI submits Facility Request for NCAR/LAOF via PRESTO no later than one month before the FIRP proposal submission date.
    1. NOTE: PIs requesting the University of Wyoming King Air for Track 1, please access the UWKA facility request form.
  4. EOL prepares a ROM cost estimate for the FARE/LAOF.
  5. LAOF Request Coordinator shares the facility request and the ROM cost estimate with PI within three weeks of receiving the facility request for inclusion in the NSF FIRP proposal.
  6. NSF Decision
  7. PI & EOL Project planning
  8. Deployment

Documents for Track 1 Facility Request 

Prepare the following required document in PDF format for upload to PRESTO as part of the facility request.

  • Experiment Plan (no more than 10 pages)

    Provide details about the experiment setup of the requested LAOF and their planned use. Suggested information includes the number of the facilities involved and a description of the associated instrumentation requested, the facility deployment methods, how the observing facility(ies) will be deployed to address the research objectives / hypotheses, the number of intensive operating periods (if appropriate), and other relevant information to assess the feasibility of the LAOF to meet the scientific objectives.

  • Data Management Plan (no page limit)

    Provide an overview of how data will be managed across the project.

FARE/LAOF Request Manager

Ms. Alison Rockwell

o. (303) 497-8758

e. rockwell@ucar.edu