************************************************************ CAREERS ************************************************************ ******************** SKILLS NEEDED ******************** __________ QUESTION: What skills are necessary to work in Antarctica? ANSWER: from Guy G. Guthridge, Program Manager, NSF Antarctic Program You need to compare your skills and interests with the opportunities for participation in the United States Antarctic Program. Briefly, if you are a scientist at a U.S. institution you can apply to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a grant to perform research in Antarctica. If you have operational or program management skills, approach the Foundation's contractor Antarctic Support Associates, Englewood, Colorado 80112. If you want to serve in the military in Antarctica, contact your local Navy or Air Force recruiter. NSF makes room for an educational program or two -- such as "Live from Antarctica" -- if your skills fall in that area. Students getting out of high school, or in college, can apply to be part of a research team. Teachers are selected to work in Antarctica to take experiences back to the classroom. The Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts each sponsor Nationwide competitions every 3 years for a chance to work in Antarctica. Maybe you're a reporter and want to write stories for your paper: NSF has a program for that. The Foundation even selects a few artists and literary writers to visit Antarctica each year. All these opportunities are set up as programs that foster open competition receive more applications than can be accommodated in a given year. For more information and addresses, see the "Opportunities to Work in Antarctica" section of the National Science Foundation publication "Facts About the U.S. Antarctic Program." The publication is online on the NASA K-12 Internet system. Or get the paper version (NSF 92- 134, October 1994) from Publications, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230 (pubs@nsf.gov on the Internet). ************** DIFFICULTIES ************** __________ QUESTION: What are the difficulties of being a penguin scientist? ANSWER from Polly Penhale, January 19, 1995 Studying penguins in Antarctica is very rewarding, but does involve some inconveniences! Much work must be done in the U.S. before coming to the field. First, scientists must write a written plan of their research project and have other scientists read it and give them advice. Only the best thought-out projects are chosen and allowed to come to Antarctica. Then, many months are spent in purchasing supplies and equipment and heavy clothes. This material must be packed and shipped to the research site. Once all the preparation is complete, the scientist must spend about 3-5 days in travel to Antarctica. Once at the station, there are short lectures on laboratory and field safety programs and waste management so that the research is conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible way. Then the scientists go the field, which involves camping in some of the most beautiful spots on earth. Life at the field camp is peaceful, as the scientists are surrounded by great beauty and magnificent birds. The work involves long hours, often in snowy weather, but the ability to learn about the penguin life history and penguin feeding and diving behavior is so interesting that time flies like the wind. ****************** GETTING GRANTS ****************** __________ QUESTION: What do you have to accomplish to get a grant? How much does typical research cost? If you don't have a grant, how else could you get the money? ANSWER from Guy Guthridge on December 28, 1994 To apply to the National Science Foundation for a grant of money to support research in Antarctica, a scientist at a U.S. institution (such as a university) writes a proposal that describes the work she or he wishes to do, her qualifications, and the money it will cost. A program officer at the Foundation sends copies of the proposal to six or eight scientists who specialize in the kind of research proposed, and these scientists do what is called a peer review--writing comments on a 1-page form and giving the proposal a grade of Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, or Poor. The officer selects the best proposals for funding after an evaluation of the environmental impact of the proposed work and the ability of the Foundation to give operational support in Antarctica. Roughly one of every three proposals has the happy result of getting a grant: the others are rejected--usually because the proposed research is not important or good enough or because there isn't enough money. Grants range from a few thousand dollars for a short project to several hundred thousand dollars awarded over a period of up to 5 years. The grants are made to the universities, not directly to the scientists. They cover the cost of research equipment, salaries for the scientists, air travel to New Zealand or South America for onward travel to Antarctica, and an amount charged by the universities for use of their facilities. The National Science Foundation also provides operational support in Antarctica--places to sleep and eat, travel, laboratories, and other services such as drilling ice cores for research. The money for these activities--collectively called the United States Antarctic Program--comes from members of the public who pay taxes to the United States Government. So, every taxpayer and his or her family is a part owner of the United States Antarctic Program. Anyone who wants to use United States Antarctic Program facilities in Antarctica has to send a proposal to the National Science Foundation. Some proposals request only operational support--not money. These proposals might come from a scientist at another Federal agency who already has a budget. Or they might come from, say, a writer who has financial support from a publisher. But the Foundation evaluates these "zero-dollar" proposals as carefully as the ones that request money, because the amount of projects that can be supported is limited by the operational support available in Antarctica. A scientist could set up his or her own expedition to Antarctica. Doing an expedition on your own, though, is very expensive. ********************************** ROLE MODELS; CAREER DECISIONS ********************************** __________ QUESTION: Did you always want to be a research Scientist, and if so, whom did you look up to? ANSWER: From Jack Dibb, Glacier Research Group, University of New Hampshire There are days even now when I would rather be something other than a research scientist (the security of tenure can look awfully appealing when the grants are not coming in quickly enough). However, I have always wanted to be able to do research. My position allows for nearly complete freedom to pursue whatever questions I find compelling, and also allows the time for extensive trips collecting data and conducting experiments (funding permitting). A heavy teaching load, or even a highly paid office job in any field of business, would not allow such autonomy. I can not recall any boyhood heroes that drew me down this path, but I certainly look up to the large number of scientists who are studying the various processes operating on and near the earth's surface. It really is true that science is a group effort, with each advance building on the work of many others. The excitement of new results from careful, sometimes arduous, work done by others helps to keep me going. ANSWER: From Diana Freckman I liked science, especially biology and the outdoors, but I never dreamed of being a research scientist! I knew I didn't want to be a medical doctor or nurse...but I read a lot when I was in the sixth grade, a lot of biographies of famous people, and they all had such adventures! Most of them were scientists, some medical doctors and nurses. Madame Curie I thought was great! Albert Einstein, Teddy Roosevelt (not a scientist, but did so much for our natural resources and today's national parks!). I liked Thomas Edison, and Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin! All had great curiosity, and then followed their ideas with work! ********************** BEST AND THE WORST ********************** __________ QUESTION: What is your favorite part of being a scientist in Antarctica? Why? ANSWER from Diana Freckman on December 29, 1994 Science is so much fun and Antarctica is the most challenging place to do research! There is so much to learn!