Email Print Share

OPP releases updated polar Code of Conduct


July 30, 2018

The National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs (OPP) this month issued an updated Code of Conduct that restates important principles and expectations of professional conduct and acceptable behavior for all personnel who deploy to the Arctic or the Antarctic under OPP’s auspices.

The code is a “shared statement of commitment to uphold ethical, professional, and legal standards.”

The document states that the objective of participants’ presence in the polar regions “is to contribute to accomplishing the mission of the U.S. government while fully adhering to all applicable international and national legal and policy requirements, including those of the Antarctic Treaty system and the Arctic's state, local, and tribal governments.” 

The code further emphasizes that “all personnel will treat others with dignity and respect, will exercise the highest level of professional and ethical behavior, and will work cooperatively to resolve differences” and that it is “everyone's responsibility to provide a safe workplace and to protect the polar environment.”

Read the document in its entirety here: https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/documents/policy/polar_coc.pdf.

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

mail icon Get News Updates by Email 

Connect with us online
NSF website: nsf.gov
NSF News: nsf.gov/news
For News Media: nsf.gov/news/newsroom
Statistics: nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards database: nsf.gov/awardsearch/

Follow us on social
Twitter: twitter.com/NSF
Facebook: facebook.com/US.NSF
Instagram: instagram.com/nsfgov