Dear Colleagues,
The NSF OPP has recently signed a "Statement of Cooperation" (SOC)
with the Norsk Polarinstitutt (Tromso, Norway) to promote increased
interactions among U.S. and Norwegian scientists in Arctic and Antarctic
research efforts. The SOC focuses on potential expanded U.S. efforts on
Svalbard and potential U.S. presence among the multi-national facilities
already there. As part of the international outreach effort, the two
countries also co-sponsored in August 1999 a community workshop, organized
by the Norwegian Research Council and ARCUS, to discuss joint science
plans for Svalbard research. A draft of the workshop report, to be prepared
the by participants, led by Drs. Julie Brigham-Grette and Dag Hessen,
co-chairs will soon be made available on the Web by ARCUS. It will also
outline educational opportunities available through the UNIS (Universities
in Svalbard) campus in Longyearbyen.
Proposals from US scientists for Svalbard-related research can be
submitted at the usual target Arctic program dates (February 15 and
August 1) with the provision that field work proposals should be submitted
by February 15 of one year for work in the next year. There will be no
special announcement funding for such efforts; they will compete in the
standard merit review process for all proposals.
Scientists seeking to work with Russian colleagues on the Russian
shelves might consider three-way collaborations with the Norwegians and
Russians. We learned at the workshop that the Norwegians have been
successful in putting one of their research vessels into Russian waters
every year.
We also learned at the workshop that a new US agreement with the
European Community on global change research will make it easier for US
scientists to collaborate with EC funded research programs.
Sincerely,
Tom Pyle, Head, Arctic Sciences Section
Office of Polar Programs (OPP)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
4201 Wilson Boulevard Room 740
Arlington, VA 22230
703/306-1029 phone
703/306-0648 fax
tpyle [at] nsf.gov