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Program NewsChemical OceanographyBiocomplexity: It’s Not Just for BiologistsIf you are a chemical oceanographer who has not paid much attention to the flurry of activity associated with the Biocomplexity priority area posted on the NSF website, well, you are just doing the Wrong Thing! The most recent announcement, Biocomplexity in the Environment (BE): Integrated Research and Education in Environmental Systems (NSF 01-34), featured four sub-activities:
The second and fourth of these should be of particular interest to a wide spectrum of marine chemists and geochemists. CBC is especially appropriate for interdisciplinary research projects that address linkages between two or more biogeochemical cycles in relation to human or non-human biological influences. Proposals for up to five years of support may be submitted to CBC by individuals or groups, but in either case they must be highly interdisciplinary and the total cost must not exceed $3M. In FY 2001 approximately $22 million has been marked for CBC. IDEA will support research leading to the development of instrumentation and software for observing, modeling and analyzing materials and processes in the environment. Consequently, IDEA is designed to encourage the development of small research teams of instrumentation experts and environmental scientists, and proposals may request up to $500K per year for up to five years. Both CBC and IDEA also make provision for smaller workshop, planning, and exploratory awards. BE activities are likely to figure prominently for the near future. To keep up to date with developments, log on to the NSF website at https://www.nsf.gov/ere. Planning for Carbon Cycle ResearchWhile BE-CBC makes explicit provision for research related to the carbon cycle, planning for the future of ocean carbon cycle research is an activity that extends beyond the Division of Ocean Sciences and the Directorate for Geosciences and even beyond NSF to include linkages with other federal agency and international efforts. Here in OCE, we are working to develop a decadal plan for ocean carbon cycle research that will capitalize upon the advances of JGOFS and WOCE and move far beyond them. Thanks to the hard work of members of our community who participated in the production of the OCTET and EDOCC workshop reports and to a group of physical oceanographers who assessed the need for a continuing program of Deep-Ocean CO2 Survey, we have in hand a set of working documents (see the Fall 2000 Newsletter, page 3) to guide the scientific planning. At the request of the four basic science programs in OCE, eleven members of the U.S. oceanographic community have agreed to serve on a Working Group to help us design and implement an ocean carbon cycle research program. This will be one component of a larger initiative in the GEO Directorate that encompasses a whole-earth approach to carbon cycle research and education. Consequently, while planning efforts similar to those in OCE are also proceeding in the Divisions of Earth Sciences and Atmospheric Sciences, we are committed to working cooperatively — not only across the Directorate but also with other parts of NSF and other federal agencies. The OCE Carbon Cycle Working Group met for the first time in April. Using the Carbon Cycle Science Plan and the OCTET, EDOCC, and CO2 Survey reports as their point of departure, they have started addressing the major questions for the future and identifying priorities and themes for consideration by the Division. Personnel NewsIf you are a marine chemist or geochemist and interested in coming to NSF for two years as a temporary Program Officer, we would like to hear from you! Although CO is currently at full operating strength, at least one of our program positions opens up every other year. If you think you might want to broaden your professional horizons in this way, give one of us a call anytime. Don Rice (drice@nsf.gov) |
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