US-SCAR News

US-SCAR is happy to announce the next installment of our US Antarctic Interview Series. This feature of our website provides the opportunity for us to highlight a pair of researchers involved in the US Antarctic Program - someone with an established career along with an early career collaborator. The newest interviews are with Chuck Kennicutt (past SCAR President) and Andrew Klein both from Texas A&M University. The interviews were conducted and written by US-SCAR intern, Isabel Dove (University of Rhode Island), and we would also like to acknowledge our webmaster, Joe Souney (University of New Hampshire), for making the interviews available on line. Continue Reading

US-based and Chile-based polar early career researchers attending the 2024 SCAR Open Science Meeting are welcome to apply to attend a workshop on establishing international collaborative relationships! International collaboration is imperative to the successful exploration of the big scientific questions concerning the Antarctic. However, building these meaningful collaborations requires intentionality in creating a welcoming and inclusive space for partnerships to grow. Yet, guidance on how to establish international collaboration relationships does not regularly take place in the polar sciences. This workshop will be followed by remote collaboration-encouraging meetings facilitated by the Polar Science Early Career Community Office (PSECCO) and APECS Chile and has the potential to lead to longer-term, collaborative research relationships amongst attendees. Chile-based and US-based polar researchers early in their careers are welcome and invited to apply to attend. Apply to attend here by July 24th, 2024. Continue Reading

The draft South Pole Station Master Plan (SPSMP) has been made available for public comment via the United States Federal Register. Public comments will be collected, which the NSF will use to inform the final Master Plan. Comments may be submitted to SPMasterPlan@nsf.gov and via the Federal Docket Management System on the Federal Register webpage. The deadline for comments is July 17. You can comment individually. If you have any questions or would like to join a community response, please contact Al Weatherwax at wxwax@mit.edu. To learn more about the draft plan visit NSF.gov. Continue Reading

The U.S. National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs is seeking a qualified individual to join the Antarctic Infrastructure and Logistics (AIL) Section as Program Liaison, U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) Ombudsperson. The purpose of the position is to serve as the primary resource for all USAP participants to raise issues, recommend solutions, ask questions, and provide feedback directly to the National Science Foundation about USAP operations. Individuals interested in applying should submit an application on USAJobs by July 25, 2024. It is open to U.S. citizens only. Continue Reading

The National Academies’ Polar Research Board, in collaboration with the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources and Ocean Studies Board, are seeking nominations for planning committee members to organize a workshop that will explore research and monitoring areas for U.S. involvement in the Fifth International Polar Year (IPY5). We invite you to submit all nominations by July 19, 2024. Continue Reading

US-SCAR announces the posting of interviews with Diana Wall and Abby Jackson as the most recent additions to our US Antarctic Interview Series. Diana was interviewed in 2023, and unfortunately her story is being published posthumously. The US Antarctic Interview Series is structured so that there are two interviews in each installment, one interview is with an established US Antarctic scientist and the second interview with an early career collaborator. As the US Antarctic Interview Series expands, we hope to provide a good cross-section of the people and the science that make up the US Antarctic Program. Continue Reading

The Antarctic Environments Portal (www.environments.aq) is a web-based resource that supports evidence-based management of Antarctica’s environment, by placing the best available scientific knowledge at the fingertips of Antarctic decision makers. There is a current call for applications for a new editor for the Antarctic Environments Portal. Follow the link for information about the position and how to apply. This is a part time (1-2 days/week) paid position that has flexible hours and work can be done remotely. The Portal supports the work of the Antarctic Treaty System – in particular the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) – by providing peer reviewed, policy-relevant syntheses of key scientific topics, accompanied by simple infographics. The Portal’s outputs are unbiased and apolitical and aim to present information in an accessible form for a non-expert audience. Application closing date: Sunday, 8 September 2024. Continue Reading

We welcome all to a second "Office Hours" session to learn more about US Antarctic data and sample repositories; and what to expect when you want to post data, contribute samples, or access either. This Office Hours event includes four NSF-supported Antarctic data and sample repositories: U.S. National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility (NSF-ICF), Polar Geospatial Center (PGC), EarthScope, and Antarctic Meteorological Research and Data Center (AMRDC). The expectations surrounding research data collected and produced by field projects have evolved (and continue to evolve!). Access to Antarctica has also changed and highlights the importance of opportunities for scientific discovery through our existing repositories. The Office Hours will be held Tuesday, June 18 @ 8 am HST, 10 am AKDT, 11 am PDT, 12 pm MDT, 1 pm CDT, 2 pm EDT. Curators from these facilities will briefly cover the basics of what services they provide, how to deposit data and samples, and how access the resources that are currently available. The session will then be open to questions and discussion from online participants. We are excited to hear from you and answer your questions, so come to this meeting to learn the latest from us. Continue Reading

We welcome all to a second "Office Hours" session to learn more about US Antarctic data and sample repositories; and what to expect when you want to post data, contribute samples, or access either. This Office Hours event includes four NSF-supported Antarctic data and sample repositories: U.S. National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility (NSF-ICF), Polar Geospatial Center (PGC), EarthScope, and Antarctic Meteorological Research and Data Center (AMRDC). The expectations surrounding research data collected and produced by field projects have evolved (and continue to evolve!). Access to Antarctica has also changed and highlights the importance of opportunities for scientific discovery through our existing repositories. The Office Hours will be held Tuesday, June 18 @ 8 am HST, 10 am AKDT, 11 am PDT, 12 pm MDT, 1 pm CDT, 2 pm EDT. Curators from these facilities will briefly cover the basics of what services they provide, how to deposit data and samples, and how access the resources that are currently available. The session will then be open to questions and discussion from online participants. We are excited to hear from you and answer your questions, so come to this meeting to learn the latest from us. Continue Reading

PSECCO is a community-building and support effort for early career scientists focused on promoting community building, accessibility and inclusion and supporting diversity in the polar sciences, funded by NSF and housed at the University of Colorado. PSECCO invites US-based early career polar scientists to apply to serve on the PSECCO Advisory Board. The advisory board provides strategic guidance to help shape PSECCO activities supporting the early career polar science community, are available as a resource for the PSECCO Director, and serve on PSECCO selection committees. Board members will serve a two-year term and are expected to participate in quarterly board meetings. Polar is defined here as folks who work in or with matters pertaining to Antarctic, Arctic, or high alpine regions. Continue Reading

A new NSF-funded faculty travel grant to James Madison University will support up to 50 early-to-mid career faculty from under-resourced U.S. undergraduate-focused institutions, such as Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs), Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and community colleges (2YCs) to attend the fall AGU24 annual meeting in Washington, D.C., in person. Travel grant awardees will receive a $1,700-travel stipend. Additionally, they will participate in professional development workshops as well as networking and social events; review student presentations for Outstanding Student Participation Awards; and potentially co-chair sessions. Please share with your communities as application window is open now. Continue Reading

The draft South Pole Station Master Plan (SPSMP) has been made available for public comment via the United States Federal Register. Public comments will be collected, which the NSF will use to inform the final Master Plan. Comments may be submitted to SPMasterPlan@nsf.govand via the Federal Docket Management System on the Federal Register webpage. To learn more about the draft plan visit NSF.gov. Continue Reading

Today, President Biden signed a National Security Memorandum (NSM) on United States Policy on the Antarctic Region, just ahead of the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. This policy reaffirms the United States' commitment to leading cooperative international efforts through the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) to ensure the Antarctic Region remains dedicated to peaceful purposes. It also emphasizes the importance of protecting Antarctica's pristine environment and ecosystems, recognizing its critical role in the global climate system, and supporting ongoing scientific research. Continue Reading

We welcome all to a second "Office Hours" session to learn more about US Antarctic data and sample repositories; and what to expect when you want to post data, contribute samples, or access either. This Office Hours event includes four NSF-supported Antarctic data and sample repositories: U.S. National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility (NSF-ICF), Polar Geospatial Center (PGC), EarthScope, and Antarctic Meteorological Research and Data Center (AMRDC). The expectations surrounding research data collected and produced by field projects have evolved (and continue to evolve!). Access to Antarctica has also changed and highlights the importance of opportunities for scientific discovery through our existing repositories. The Office Hours will be held Tuesday, June 18 @ 8 am HST, 10 am AKDT, 11 am PDT, 12 pm MDT, 1 pm CDT, 2 pm EDT . Curators from these facilities will briefly cover the basics of what services they provide, how to deposit data and samples, and how access the resources that are currently available. The session will then be open to questions and discussion from online participants. We are excited to hear from you and answer your questions, so come to this meeting to learn the latest from us. Continue Reading

The U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Office of Polar Programs (OPP) has announced the non-renewal of the charter for the Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould (LMG) following the conclusion of the 2023-24 Antarctic season. The LMG, a part of the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) since 1997, has played a key role in supporting marine research and logistics operations between NSF Palmer Station and South American ports. The LMG charter, held with Edison-Chouest Offshore, will expire on July 16, 2024. The decision not to renew the charter aligns with NSF's commitment to balancing scientific priorities, evolving logistical needs, and budget constraints. Escalating costs and the availability of alternative commercial opportunities have led to this strategic shift in vessel support. Continue Reading

The United States Antarctic Program Data Center (USAP-DC) will hold a webinar on 9 May at 2 pm US eastern time to provide an introduction to the data center and an overview of services offered. The session will provide an introduction on how to access and contribute data to USAP-DC, and discuss some best practices for FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reuseable) data submissions. USAP-DC provides service to support US researchers in fulfilling data management obligation and all are welcome. The session will be particularly targeted at new investigators and early career researchers to learn about the services offered at the data center. Continue Reading

A two-day workshop will be held at the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience (University of Florida) in 2024 (July 22 & 23). Participants should plan to arrive on the afternoon of July 21st and depart in the morning or afternoon on July 24th. The workshop organizers, Dr. Scott Santagata and Dr. Joseph Ryan, will lead participants through a series of computational exercises using our SELECTINGS pipeline. Participants are encouraged to work with their own NGS-based datasets, but sample datasets will also be provided and analyzed using a bioinformatics platform. Applicants with transcriptomic datasets that span ecological boundaries (e.g. high vs. low latitudinal habitats, marine vs. freshwater habitats, deep vs. shallow water habitats, etc.) will be given priority. However, anyone who is interested in learning these techniques is encouraged to apply. Continue Reading

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs (OPP) recognizes that the Antarctic community is looking for promised updates on the infrastructure and logistics support to be provided by the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) for funded researchers during the 2024-2025 field season, and the status of the solicitation for proposals requesting USAP support in future seasons. Continue Reading

Thursday, March 21st @ 2:00-3:30 pm EST (11:00-12:30 pm PST) via Zoom. The expectations surrounding research data collected and produced by field projects have evolved (and continue to evolve!). Access to Antarctica has also changed and highlights the importance of opportunities for scientific discovery through our existing repositories. Born out of a WAIS community initiative in 2023, we welcome all to a virtual workshop to learn more about US Antarctic data and sample repositories, and what to expect when you want to post data, contribute samples, or access either. This workshop includes three NSF-funded data repositories and sample repositories: US Antarctic Program Data Center (hosted at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University), the Polar Rock Repository (associated with the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center at The Ohio State University) and the Marine and Geology Repository (at Oregon State University). Curators from these facilities will briefly cover the basics of what services they provide, how to deposit data and samples, and how access these resources that are currently available. The session will then be open to questions and discussion from online participants. Continue Reading

Reminder to please fill out this survey by Wednesday, March 20. The US Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (US-SCAR) is planning to host a series of online public workshops with NSF Antarctic Sciences and would like feedback from the US Antarctic Community on topics of interest. Please fill out this short survey to help us identify the most relevant issues that you would like to hear about and discuss with NSF. Responses will assist in developing the agenda for the workshop series, but workshops will be fairly open-ended to allow for wide discussion between NSF and the US Antarctic Community. Answers to this survey will be collected anonymously, and the responses will be used in aggregate to develop workshop themes. Please respond by March 20, 2024. Continue Reading