As part of its comprehensive review of the Division of Polar Programs, the National Science Foundation seeks input from the community on the following questions:

1. Are there particular successes or failures that, in your opinion, arise directly from the relocation of the Office of Polar Programs into GEO?
2. Given the data and trends available at the above link, your direct interaction with PLR, and NSF's budgets in general, please comment on the extent to which PLR's current role within NSF supports and anticipates the needed science and operations investments in polar regions. Has NSF PLR served the needs of the science and engineering research community as well as possible in light of the current budget realities?
3. What, if any, changes might be made to enable NSF PLR to most effectively perform all of its important functions?

To inform comments, the Foundation offers relevant data on proposals, awards, and budgets from fiscal years (FY) 2011-2015. This period covers both OPP (Office of Polar Programs) and PLR (Division of Polar Programs) operations. Please click the link below to download the data.

Proposal, Award, and Principal Investigator Data, NSF Office of Polar Programs and Division of Polar Programs, FY 2011-2015 (PDF)

Comments from the interested community should be submitted by July 21, 2016. These comments are confidential and will be used internally within NSF. Succinct responses are most useful to the review group, but there are no formal restrictions on the form or length of comments.

Please send comments to NSF Polar Programs Review Input at plr-review@nsf.gov

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