Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities (LAOF) Description The National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Atmospheric Sciences (ATM), Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities (LAOF) Program consists of planning, budgeting, coordination, and oversight of multi-user national facilities that are sponsored by NSF for the geosciences research community. Program Management resides within ATM in the UCAR and Lower Atmospheric Facilities Oversight Section (ULAFOS) which provides a single point for coordination. Geosciences research often requires specialized facilities, instrumentation and field support services to carry out scientific field work that is needed to understand the complex, interdependent geophysical processes, often covering remote areas of the globe. Making platforms and instrumentation available to support scientific experiments depends upon adequate acquisition, operation, maintenance, upgrading and replacement of these facilities. Also these platforms and instruments may collect large and sometimes unique data sets that must be validated, archived and made available to the research community. Likewise both pre- and post-planning for scientific field programs (e.g., experimental design, operational plans, logistical support) in which NSF sponsored facilities are deployed is an important element of the overall program. NOTICE: Program Solicitation issued for HIAPER (High-performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research). Additional Information:
Program Contact(s) |
Division of Atmospheric
Sciences, NSF |