The United States Antarctic Program (USAP) supports polar research by providing or managing, among other things, physical, communications, and information infrastructure. Within NSF's Division of Polar Programs (PLR), the Antarctic Infrastructure and Logistics Section (AIL) manages the USAP. NSF polar grantees (whether large or small in budget or complexity) interact with a proposal, funding, and logistical lifecycle that is complex due to, among other things, the relative isolation in harsh environmental conditions. USAP desires to maximize grantees’ smooth integration of information security planning and implementation into that lifecycle.
USAP and CTSC have begun an engagement to analyze the processes within the science project lifecycle, and to produce a report. The report will focus on the present integration of USAP’s information security requirements with the funding lifecycle and polar-specific process and project milestones.
The primary long-term goal for this engagement is to positively impact the efficiency and effectiveness with which NSF polar grantees integrate USAP’s information security requirements into their interactions with USAP information resources. The engagement will run through December 2016.
