Submitting Proposals : Guidelines
Proposals are welcome from all members of the scientific community for conducting field campaigns and scientific research using the ARM Climate Research Facility sites at the Southern Great Plains (SGP), North Slope of Alaska (NSA), Tropical Western Pacific (TWP), an ARM Mobile Facility (AMF), and/or ARM Aerial Facility (AAF). Proposals should focus on research that improves understanding of the interactions between clouds and atmospheric radiative fluxes and that have the potential to lead to improved climate models.
Announcements
Process Overview
The first step in proposing a field campaign is to submit a preproposal, a short summary of the proposed campaign. Preproposals can originate with any scientist proposing research directly related to the ARM Climate Research Facility Mission Statement. The preproposal should be submitted as soon as an idea is well enough developed to undergo a preliminary feasibility and science review.
After submission, the preproposal is reviewed by the Infrastructure Management Board (IMB) and/or the ARM Science Board. Some preproposals are accepted without further requirements. Researchers proposing more complex field campaigns, involving the AMF, AAF, or multiple funding sources, may be invited to submit a full proposal.
To be invited to submit a full proposal, the principal investigators should demonstrate in the preproposal that funding for research is secured already or that a proposal to a funding agency already has been submitted. ARM supports facility use and logistical considerations, but does not support research effort, travel, or per diem.
Available Facilities
ARM Mobile Facilities – Requests for use of an AMF should include a deployment time of at least 6-10 months. Preference will be given to AMF deployments in which the AMF is embedded in a large field campaign. A new mobile facility (AMF2), designed for use in marine environments, will be deployed in 2010 and available for campaigns beginning in October 2011.
ARM may consider proposals for AMF1 or AMF2 to participate in a major international field campaign in the year 2013, if the principal investigators can demonstrate the need for substantial preparation time (more than 18 months).
ARM Aerial Facility – The AAF is entertaining proposals for intensive or routine flights in FY2012 above ARM fixed sites or mobile facilities. Requested aircraft can include the DOE supported G-1, or aerial platforms operated outside the DOE. Instrumentation can include existing AAF instrumentation, new instrumentation procured through the Recovery Act, and guest instruments.
Fixed Sites – Campaign proposals to augment routine observations at our fixed sites—SGP, NSA, TWP—follow the same schedule for proposing as the AMF. Examples of these type campaigns include enhanced radiosonde launch schedules or significant augmentation of the instrument suite.
Recovery Act Instrumentation – Using Recovery Act funding, the ARM Climate Research Facility is procuring many new instruments for all of our facilities. In addition, a mobile aerosol observing system is being built and made available for short durations at any of our facilities in FY2012 by submitting a proposal
Exceptions to these guidelines must be approved by the DOE Program Director.
Data
As a general condition for use of ARM facilities, users are required to include their data in the ARM Data Archive. The data policy for the ARM Climate Research Facility is derived from the policies of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which encourages "free and open" access to data and research results from government-sponsored research.
Schedule
Field campaign requests for any of the fixed ARM sites will be considered at any time. For field campaigns that are larger and more complex (such as those involving an AMF, AAF, or multiple funding organizations), request for preproposals for two years out are published in journals in the fall of each year. Preproposals are due February 1 for these campaigns, with invited full proposals due May 1.
Proposals are reviewed by the ARM Science Board in the summer and ranked on scientific merit, feasibility, and costs associated with using the Facility. The IMB and ARM Science Board consider proposals in a timely manner.
Selections will be announced in the late summer or early fall.
For more about the scientific review process and how you can propose a field campaign, please see the Field Campaign (IOP) Guidelines (pdf) or refer to the IOP Request, Approval, and Implementation Process (pdf).
