National Science Board Unanimously Approves Development of a Five-Year Cooperative Agreement
The proposal, Seismological Facilities for the Advancement of Geoscience and EarthScope, submitted in September 2012 to the National Science Foundation by the IRIS on behalf of the Board of Directors and the Member Research Institutions of the IRIS Consortium, was unanimously approved by the National Science Board during its meeting on May 9-10, 2013.
NSB-13-26 - The Board authorized the Acting Director, at her discretion, to make an award to the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) for operation and management of Seismological Facilities for the Advancement of Geoscience and EarthScope (SAGE).
This approval put in motion the development of a five-year Cooperative Agreement that will begin on October 1, 2013.
Based on broad community input, the proposal directly addressed both the general and site-specific research goals that the integrated IRIS facilities are designed to serve. Major highlights of the new Cooperative Agreement will include:
- Continued maintenance and improved operation of the Global Seismographic Network in collaboration with the US Geological Survey and many international partners
- Strengthening of and leadership in data archiving, distribution and product development while continuing the commitment to free and open data access
- Continued operation of a pool of portable seismic equipment and magnetotelluric systems in support of NSF-funded research
- Completion and operation of EarthScope's Transportable Array along the East Coast of the US and initiation of Transportable Array activities in Alaska
- Initiation of the development of a new generation of portable instruments with enhanced capabilities for earthquake studies and imaging of Earth's interior
- Continued dissemination of seismology and Earth science resources to the public and educators
A copy of the proposal (16.6 MB pdf) can be downloaded from the IRIS web site.
