Airborne Science Programs of the National Science Foundation (USA)

The US National Science Foundation supports and utilizes a range of platforms which are made available to its US funded science investigators in the furtherance of airborne science program objectives. As well as providing access to the platforms themselves, NSF also supports their operation, maintenance and infrastructure development. NSF airborne science projects may be deployed worldwide. While these aviation assets and services are available to any NSF supported science efforts, concentration of their use, and oversight of their operation, are housed in the lower atmospheric section of the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS), Directorate of Geosciences, and the aviation projects section of the Division of Antarctic Infrastructure and Logistics (AIL), Office of Polar Programs. NSF facilities are available to other US agencies and organizations on a reimbursable cost and non-interference basis. Through the collaboration of US funded investigators, participation of NSF airborne assets in international airborne science projects may also take place.