Boost in Funding for US Polar Research Programme
06.03.2008 - Other
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is looking to boost its 2009 fiscal year (FY) budget by about 13 percent over the current budget year, with a request for .85 billion. The total budget request for the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) is a shade over 0 million, an 11 percent increase over OPP's estimated FY 2008 budget.
A substantial portion of that money, about million, is earmarked for facilities and infrastructure, with .66 million pooled for resupply activities for the U.S. Antarctic Program. Investments include initiation of contracts to replace the Palmer Station Pier ( million), continuing construction of additional fuel storage capacity at McMurdo Station ( million), initial procurement of a second heavy traverse for resupply of South Pole Station ( million), and consolidation of the McMurdo area runways into a single operational site at the Pegasus Airfield (.5 million).
Coming in at 5 million, Antarctic infrastructure and logistics support accounts for more than half of OPP's entire budget. The NSF has also proposed more than million for Antarctic research, an 18 percent increase over the current fiscal year. About 40 percent is for new research grants, while the remainder will fund ongoing studies.
