The National Science Foundation (NSF), manager of the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP), is accepting written applications from professional journalists to visit Antarctica during the 2002-2003 research season (early November through mid-January).
NSF annually selects a small group of journalists, representing diverse audiences, to make individual visits to one or more of the three U.S. Antarctic research stations -- McMurdo, Amundsen-Scott South Pole and Palmer -- to report on NSF-sponsored scientific research. Applicants must submit the equivalent of two typed pages detailing specifically what they plan to cover while in Antarctica. NSF public affairs officers can help applicants to craft a proposed reporting plan. Competition is intense for a very limited number of slots and space on aircraft is severely constrained. Logistical limitations make it nearly impossible to modify reporting plans once in Antarctica.
A key selection criterion is USAP's ability to provide the logistical support needed to carry out a specific reporting plan. Reporters should be aware that the ongoing reconstruction of NSFs South Pole station, coupled with the need to give scientists and construction cargo priority on a limited number of flights, may prevent any media visits to the South Pole this season.
A selection committee of USAP science and logistics personnel and media officers from NSF's Office of Legislative and Public Affairs reviews all proposals and selects finalists. The committee looks for proposals that indicate an understanding of the nature and challenges of NSF's scientific enterprise in Antarctica and the desire to communicate that understanding to the public.
Applicants should focus on visiting a very limited number of projects because transportation is highly dependent on weather and delays are common. The time reporters may spend on the continent must be tightly coupled to their repo
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Contact: Peter West
pwest@nsf.gov
703-292-8070
National Science Foundation
29-May-2002