December 3, 1996
Dear Colleague:
This is an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) and Call for Proposals for a
1997 NOAA Arctic Research Initiative. Proposals are being solicited for
one-year research projects, and should be posted to the NOAA/University of
Alaska Cooperative Institute for Arctic Research (CIFAR) no later than 5:00
p.m., 10 January 1997. This AO can also be found on the CIFAR home page on
the Internet at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/cifar/.
Please forward this announcement to other interested members of the
research community.
Thank you.
Gunter Weller
Director, CIFAR
Arctic Research Initiative:
Health of the Western Arctic/Bering Sea Ecosystem
ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY AND CALL FOR PROPOSALS
INTRODUCTION
The Cooperative Institute for Arctic Research (CIFAR) announces the
availability of support for studies on the Health of the Western
Arctic/Bering Sea Ecosystem. Funds will be made available from the
Department of Commerce/NOAA Arctic
Research Initiative. This is a call for proposals in two research areas:
1) natural variability of the Western Arctic/Bering Sea ecosystem, and 2)
anthropogenic influences on the Western Arctic/Bering Sea ecosystem.
Proposals are solicited for one-year research projects as only FY 1997
funding is available at this time. It is possible that funds will be
provided for the Arctic Research Initiative in future years, at which time
additional funding can be requested. The Arctic Research Initiative is
being coordinated by the NOAA/University of Alaska Cooperative Institute
for Arctic Research (CIFAR).
The Arctic Research Initiative's overall goal is to address the following
national arctic policy objectives:
* Protecting the arctic environment and conserving its biological resources.
* Assuring that natural resource management and economic development are
environmentally sustainable.
* Strengthening institutions for international cooperation.
* Involving the region's indigenous people in decisions that affect them
International connections are also relevant. For example, Japan has
proposed collaboration with the United States in research and development
toward realization of global change prediction. Japan's Frontier Research
System for Global Change Prediction is very similar to the U.S. Global
Change Research Program (USGCRP). The International Arctic Research Center
(IARC), now under construction at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, will
be one of several international research institutes organized under this
new Japan-U.S. collaboration.
BACKGROUND AND GEOGRAPHICAL AREA
There are several reasons why this initiative focuses on the Western
Arctic/Bering Sea region, including the importance of the fisheries and
marine mammals, the presence of coastal communities, the cultural and
economic value of this area, and the need to address issues of sustainable
use of resources. In addition, this initiative is in support of the CIFAR
research theme of Environmental Monitoring, Assessment, and Numerical
Modeling.
The Bering Sea contains a tremendous variety of biological resources,
including at least 450 species of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks; 50
species of seabirds; and 25 species of marine mammals. High primary
production supporting this ecosystem is found at the retreating ice edge in
spring, and along the frontal areas along the shelf. Primary production in
the Bering Sea is highly variable seasonally and spatially. The physical
environment is dominated through much of the year by sea ice, which is a
prominent feature over the Bering Sea shelf during the winter months. The
ice edge in the Eastern Bering Sea advances and retreats seasonally over a
distance as great as 1,000 km, and there is extraordinary interannual
variability in ice cover as well as a trend towards less ice in recent
years.
The Bering Sea region is of great international interest and attention
since it is one of the largest remaining fisheries in the world, heavily
utilized by many nations.
While the Arctic Research Initiative focuses on the Bering Sea, the
surrounding regions of the Western Arctic, which are connected to the
Bering Sea through various processes and interactions, are also targets of
this initiative. These connections include the large-scale circulation of
the atmosphere and the ocean which transport heat, momentum, moisture, sea
ice and contaminants into and out of the region. Areas along the Chukchi
Sea coast, such as Barrow where there is already a major NOAA research
facility, are therefore included in the initiative.
THE ARCTIC RESEARCH INITIATIVE
The scope of the Arctic Research Initiative program is broad. The initial
focus will be on Health of the Western Arctic/Bering Sea Ecosystem, in
particular, on two major scientific areas: 1. Study of the natural
variability of the Western Arctic/Bering Sea Ecosystem. 2. Study of
anthropogenic influences on the Western Arctic/Bering Sea Ecosystem.
The Arctic Research Initiative includes five major sub-topics:
Natural variability of the Western Arctic/Bering Sea ecosystem
1. The Bering Sea Green Belt: processes and ecosystem production.
2. Atmosphere-ice processes that influence ecosystem variability.
3. Atmospheric, cloud and boundary layer processes.
Anthropogenic influences on the Western Arctic/Bering Sea ecosystem
4. Arctic haze, ozone and UV flux.
5. Contaminant inputs, fate and effects on the ecosystem.
- The Bering Sea Green Belt: Processes and Ecosystem Production.
The Green Belt is a region of sustained high primary production located
over the outer shelf and slope of the Bering Sea. Ecosystem production is
also focused here as evidenced by large numbers of fish, marine mammals,
and birds. This abundance must be the result of primary production. The
physical and biological processes accounting for this abundance, however,
are poorly defined or unknown. The goal of this research component is to
define and understand the physical and biological processes that lead to
sustained ecosystem production.
Objectives:
a. Determine the distribution of nutrients and production in the
Green Belt region.
b. Determine the biological and physical processes that result in
the distributions observed in (a).
c. Ascertain the potential impacts of fishing practices and climate change on
distributions and processes and how these changes will likely affect humans.
- Atmosphere-Ice Processes that Influence Ecosystem Variability
Climate-scale atmospheric phenomena and attendant changes in ice cover are
critical elements of the regional ecosystem. It has been determined that
the variations in the Northwest Pacific atmosphere influence intra-annual,
inter-annual and decadal shifts in wind patterns over the Bering Sea. The
impact of these shifts can be enhanced and transferred to the biological
domain. Sea ice plays a prominent role in the Bering Sea ecosystem; its
variability influences the physical mechanisms of advection and
stratification, as well as the extent and timing of biological processes.
Objectives:
a. Quantify the influence of the atmospheric arctic front on basin-scale
climate variability.
b. Determine the influence of sea ice on local and large scale
oceanographic processes.
c. Ascertain the potential impacts of climate change on atmosphere-ice
processes that are critical to ecosystem health.
- Atmospheric, Cloud and Boundary Layer Processes
An understanding of atmospheric processes in the Arctic, including both
large-scale circulations as well as boundary layer dynamics, will be
important to developing integrated models of both horizontal and vertical
contaminant transport and exposure pathways. In addition, it is generally
accepted that there is a poleward amplification of climate change effects
and that the Arctic is likely to be a sensitive indicator region of global
change processes. Atmospheric processes constitute important abiotic
controls on arctic sea ecosystems and their evolution.
Objectives:
a. Develop and deploy instrumentation suitable for measuring atmospheric
processes in the Arctic.
b. Analyze existing data sets to identify the essential physical indicator
of climate change.
c. Apply scientific techniques of satellite remote sensing to the region.
d. Advance modeling arctic boundary layer processes (sea-land-ice interface)
for numerical model predictions of contaminant transport. Coordinate
this work with NOAA, NSF (SHEBA), NASA, and DOE (ARM) activities.
- Arctic Haze, Ozone and UV Flux
Key components of climate and global change in the Arctic include the
observed changes in arctic haze, stratospheric ozone and UV flux. These
are important to climate forcing, human health and the arctic ecosystem.
Objectives:
(1) Arctic Haze: Assess the meaning of the long-term trends, for example
downward trends as observed at Barrow through the following:
a. Establish a climatology and chemical fingerprinting of aerosols in
the Western Arctic.
b. Enhance NOAA/University of Alaska collaboration within existing
chemical sampling networks.
c. Assess transport from source regions such as Eurasia and the Orient and
general changes in meteorological patterns.
d. Expand measurements of chemical and physical properties of aerosols and
their precursors at the NOAA Barrow Baseline Observatory to augment
present aerosol climate-forcing studies.
e. Investigate residence times and gas-to-particle conversion rates of
Arctic aerosols.
f. Determine arctic pollution source attribution
g. Determine the ultimate fate of arctic haze
(2) Stratospheric Ozone and UV Flux
Objectives:
a. Expand chemical and meteorological stratospheric ozone-related
measurements obtained in the POLARIS program.
b. Improve ozone-measuring capabilities by augmenting the data retrieval
of the NOAA/University of Alaska Dobson spectrophotometer.
c. Utilize spectral UV data being collected at the NOAA Barrow Observatory
and upgrade broadband measurements of UV in order to study the
relationship of UV, ozone, and arctic aerosols.
- Contaminant Inputs, Fate and Effects on the Ecosystem.
The Arctic is not a pristine environment. Various contaminants have been
and continue to be introduced into the region by a variety of pathways. One
essential step in understanding the fate and effects of contaminants is
measuring contaminant levels in subsistence or commercial species eaten by
top consumers (i.e., humans, marine mammals, birds) that are most likely to
be adversely affected by food web biomagnification of contaminants.
Contaminants include: radionuclides, metals, organochlorine compounds, and
petroleum hydrocarbons.
Objectives:
a. Determine pathways of contaminant accumulation in species that are
consumed by top predators, including humans, and determine sub-regional
differences in contaminant levels.
b. Assess the biological effects of exposure to contaminants in food and
top predator species.
c. Where needed, develop methods and protocols for measuring contaminants
or effects.
d. Involve local communities in planning and implementing food
sampling strategies.
An overall objective of the Arctic Research Initiative is to provide
opportunities for arctic residents to participate in the evaluation and
dissemination of research results.
RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PROGRAMS.
This initiative is related to the CIFAR research theme of Environmental
Monitoring, Assessment, and Numerical Modeling, and to other ongoing
programs, including the Southeast Bering Sea Carrying Capacity (SEBSCC)
program, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP),
Fisheries-Oceanography Coordinated Investigations (FOCI), North Pacific
Marine Science Organization (PICES), Bering Sea Impacts Study (BESIS),
Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) program, and Atmospheric
Radiation Measurements (ARM) program. Information about these programs can
be obtained from their respective home pages:
SEBSCC: http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/sebscc/index.html
AMAP: http://www.grida.no/amap/info/inf-amap.htm
FOCI: http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/foci/home.html
PICES: http://pices.ios.bc.ca
BESIS: http://www.gi.alaska.edu/cifar/
http://www.urova.fi/home/arktinen/wggc.htm
SHEBA: http://arcss.colorado.edu/projects/oaii.html
ARM: http://www.arm.gov
If mutually agreed with Japan's Science and Technology Agency, this
initiative may be included later in the "Ecosystem Variation and Prediction
Program" of the Frontier Research System.
FUNDS AVAILABLE: Approximately $1M in FY97 funds is available for the
Arctic Research Initiative areas described in this AO. NOAA expects
additional funds for this initiative at levels over $1M per year in future
years. If these funds are forthcoming, additional support can be requested
in future competitions.
PROPOSAL PROCESS: Proposals are solicited from interested teams to further
the understanding of the Bering Sea ecosystem and anthropogenic influences
on the Arctic. A technical review panel will be convened by CIFAR to
evaluate the proposals. Participation in this initiative is open to teams
comprised of individuals from all academic, federal, state and local
government, and private institutions. It is highly encouraged that
research teams involve both university and NOAA researchers.
PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT: The proposal should be a succinct summary of
the proposed research project. Proposals may not exceed 5 pages of text
(not including title page, references, budget, and curriculum vitae) and
must be single-spaced, typewritten and printed with one (1) inch margins on
8 1/2 x 11 paper with no smaller than a 10-point font.
All proposals must include: Title page; narrative (text) with the project
rationale and objectives; scientific approach; work plan; references;
budget; and a curriculum vita (1 page maximum) for each principal or
associate investigator.
Title Page. The title page should include the title of the project; the
name and affiliations of the principal investigator (with address to which
correspondence should be addressed) and all co-principal investigators; the
total funding requested; the date submitted; and should be addressed to the
CIFAR Office.
Project Rationale and Objectives. This section should present the problem
or opportunity to be addressed by the project, and state the research
questions, hypotheses, and project objectives. The project objectives
should clearly relate to the goals and objectives of the Arctic Research
Initiative.
Scientific Approach. This part of the proposal should present the approach
and the expected results. Proposals should summarize the approach that the
team would use to test hypotheses, describe how the PIs and co-PIs would
contribute to the overall study approach, briefly describe the research
methods to be used (retrospective studies, process-related site studies,
etc.), and identify proposed study sites.
Work Plan. The proposal should include a brief implementation plan.
Proposals should indicate how the team will work with the CIFAR Office to
develop synthesis information and outreach products, how the research will
be managed, and how coordination with the CIFAR Office will be carried out.
This section should also include a summary of estimated requirements for
ship time. Limited NOAA ship time may be available at no cost to the
program. Availability of platforms, however, is presently not known.
Budget. This section should present a detailed budget, including, at a
minimum, costs for salaries, wages and fringe benefits for project
participants, supplies and equipment, travel, and other costs. Budgets
should generally not exceed $100K and proposals with small budgets are
encouraged. Salaries for NOAA investigators will not be supported, but
limited upgrades to existing research facilities will be considered only if
it can be demonstrated that the needs of the scientific community will be
negatively impacted without such support.
Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be reviewed by a panel of experts in
appropriate disciplines. The proposals will be evaluated based on the
following criteria:
a. Meets overall scientific and technical merits of the proposal.
b. Addresses one of the five major sub-topics described above.
c. Builds partnerships between universities and NOAA.
d. Leverages other resources, e.g., federal, private, international, etc.,
including use of available logistics.
e. Focuses on management and policy issues relevant to the Arctic.
f. Includes the involvement of the North Slope Borough and/or regional
organizations.
g. Utilizes or synthesizes available retrospective data bases.
Submission: One (1) original and five (5) copies of each proposal must be
sent to the CIFAR Office, postmarked no later than 5:00 p.m., 10 January
1997, in order to be considered.
Address: CIFAR, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757740,
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-7740. Attn: Dr. Gunter Weller
SCHEDULE: The anticipated schedule is as follows:
Announcement of Opportunity: 3 December 1996
Proposals due to CIFAR: 10 January 1997
PIs notified: 3 February 1997
Start date of awards: 1 March 1997
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Additional information may be obtained from CIFAR
by telephone at (907) 474-7371, FAX at (907) 474-6722 or e-mail at
gunter [at] gi.alaska.edu. Also, you can visit the CIFAR Home Page at
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/cifar/.
NONDISCRIMINATION: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
provides awards for research in the sciences. The awardee is wholly
responsible for the conduct of such research and preparation of the results
for publication. NOAA, therefore, does not assume responsibility for such
findings or their interpretation. CIFAR welcomes proposals on behalf of
all qualified scientists and engineers, and strongly encourage women,
minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully in any of the
research and research-related programs described in this document. In
accordance with Federal statutes and regulations, and NOAA policies, no
person on the grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or
disability shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of,
or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving
financial assistance from NOAA.