March 15, 2021

The health and safety of the polar research community continues to be NSF’s top priority. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly limited research opportunities to the Arctic and Antarctic regions in the past year, and travel restrictions continue to make access to these regions logistically challenging. Due to these continued limitations, the need to prioritize science, and the importance of keeping COVID-19 out of Antarctica and the Arctic communities, NSF has decided to cancel media visits to these areas for the upcoming research seasons. NSF is committed to media engagement in the Arctic and Antarctic and will make an announcement at a later date regarding future on-site media opportunities.

---

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.

 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