Email Print Share

Media Advisory 06-017

NSF Invites Media to Apply to Report From Antarctica on Andrill Paleoclimate Research


June 15, 2006

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

The National Science Foundation (NSF), manager of the U.S. Antarctic Program, is accepting written requests from professional journalists to report on the Antarctic Drilling (ANDRILL) project, an international collaboration that will investigate Antarctica's role in global environmental change over the past 65 million years.

ANDRILL's goal is to use sediment cores and other proxies to study past climate epochs on the southernmost continent to better understand Antarctica's potential response to future global changes.

Selected journalists will deploy to Antarctica for approximately one working week between Oct. and Dec. 2006, to visit the ANDRILL field site on the Ross Ice Shelf near McMurdo Station, NSF's logistics hub in Antarctica.

ANDRILL currently represents over 150 scientists from Germany, Italy, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For background on ANDRILL, see: http://andrill.org/

NSF annually selects a small group of journalists, representing a range of news organizations, to make individual visits to Antarctica to report on NSF's scientific program. As logistics permit, it may be possible to visit a limited number of additional field science projects. The reporting plan submitted as required below should list these requests in detail.

How to apply: Applicants must submit the equivalent of two printed pages detailing specifically what they plan to cover while in Antarctica. NSF public affairs officers can help applicants to craft a proposed reporting plan that has the best chance of meeting minimum criteria.

Competition is expected to be intense for a 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 committee of Antarctic Program personnel and media officers from the ANDRILL Science Management Office at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and NSF's Office of Legislative and Public Affairs reviews all proposals and selects finalists. The committee will look for proposals that indicate an understanding of the nature and challenges of NSF's scientific enterprise in Antarctica and the desire and ability to communicate that understanding to the public.

Application Deadline: July 15, 2006. U.S. media receive preference in selection.

Application: Focused applications with thorough reporting plans that indicate solid working knowledge of ANDRILL and the U.S. Antarctic Program and its science goals stand the best chance of selection. Feature-film proposals and general reporting about Antarctica, travel or logistics are not given priority.

Expenses: Reporters or their employers pay for round-trip transportation to -- and accommodation in -- Christchurch, New Zealand. Reporters must visit NSF headquarters in Arlington, Va., at their own expense for pre-trip planning. NSF furnishes at no cost cold-weather clothing solely for use in the field as well as housing, transportation and food while in Antarctica.

Medical: Finalists must pass comprehensive physical and dental exams conducted at their own expense by their personal physicians and dentists and subject to screening by the U.S. Antarctic Program. Certain medical conditions may disqualify a candidate from visiting Antarctica, even if initially selected as a media visitor.

Related Program: NSF's Office of Polar Programs offers a separate program to support artists and writers in Antarctica whose primary form of expression is not journalistic. For information see: http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/aawr.jsp, or contact: Kim Silverman, (703) 292-8033 / ksilverm@nsf.gov

How To Apply: Contact NSF (by phone or by e-mail) as soon as possible to express intent and to discuss areas of professional interest. Freelancers must supply evidence of a firm commitment from a prospective employer to publish or air their work.

Send the letter and any supporting materials (such as a limited number of clips or videotaped segments) to:
National Science Foundation
Office of Legislative and Public Affairs
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1245
Arlington, VA 22230
Attn: Peter West, (703) 292-7761 / pwest@nsf.gov

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Peter West, NSF, (703) 292-7761, email: pwest@nsf.gov

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

mail icon Get News Updates by Email 

Connect with us online
NSF website: nsf.gov
NSF News: nsf.gov/news
For News Media: nsf.gov/news/newsroom
Statistics: nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards database: nsf.gov/awardsearch/

Follow us on social
Twitter: twitter.com/NSF
Facebook: facebook.com/US.NSF
Instagram: instagram.com/nsfgov