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• Mission: NSF OPP promotes creative and innovative scientific research, engineering and education in and about the polar regions, catalyzing fundamental discovery and understanding of polar systems and their global interactions to inform the nation and advance the welfare of all people.
• OPP receives advice through a variety of channels, including: 
  • The Advisory Committee for Geosciences and the associated subcommittees. 
  • The National Academy of Science's Polar Research Board provides scientific guidance on polar science. 
• OPP Organization Chart: Visit the OPP website for the latest organization chart. 
• OPP Budget: The OPP budget can be found as part of the larger NSF budget.

For the latest list of OPP funding opportunities, visit theNSF funding webpage. 

NSF supports theNational Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). NCSES is a principal statistical agency mandated to collect, interpret, analyze and disseminate objective data on the science and engineering enterprise.

OPP also supports open-access data from NSF-supported projects. Data from polar-related projects can be found at:

• U.S. Antarctic Program Data Center
• Arctic Data Center
• Antarctic Meteorological Research & Data Center
• Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic

A list of polar program policies can be found on theOPP Policies, Reports and Resources webpage. 

The Antarctic Artists and Writers program is now part of the Polar Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (Polar STEAM) initiative. Please check thePolar STEAM webpage for more information. 

Unfortunately, no. NSF has a strict policy that prevents staff from participating in interviews in studies, dissertation research projects, outside research and other similar activities. NSF staff receive many inquiries and are unable to respond to all of them. Thus, in the spirit of fairness and to avoid the appearance of endorsement, the agency policy does not allow staff to participate in such activities. 

Currently, theAntarctic Support Contract is comprised of several companies that hire employees to work in Antarctica. The primary contractor isLeidos. The list of employers can be found on theU.S. Antarctic Program website. Hiring opportunities through contract companies can be found on each contractor's website.

 Battelle Arctic Research Operations (ARO) is the primary contractor for Arctic science and is comprised of several companies that hire support personnel for work in the Arctic. Information on jobs and opportunities is found on theBattelle website.

All full-time positions at NSF are posted onUSAJobs. These positions include opportunities for scientific personnel, support staff and rotators.

Additionally, OPP has positions for scientists, engineers and educators as temporary program directors, known as rotators, and short-term science assistants. Information on the rotator program and other job types are found on theNSF careers webpage.

Interns are hosted at NSF and hired through other organizations. Two organizations that hire interns are theHispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and theQuality Education for Minorities Network (QEM). NSF and OPP occasionally host interns from these organizations.

OPP works with multiple organizations that focus on high school students. TheJoint Science Education Project takes students to Greenland, and the Joint Antarctic School Expedition takes students to Antarctica.

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REUs) is a great way to get involved in polar research. There are different opportunities each year for Polar REUs, and information about REUs can be found on theNSF REU webpage. From the REU page, you can search forpolar-specific opportunities.

TheJuneau Icefield Research Program has excellent opportunities for undergraduate students to gain experience working in glacial environments.

If you are interested in internship opportunities, please see the question above, titledJobs at NSF. 

There are many opportunities for graduate students. TheGraduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) can assist students pursuing graduate degrees. Additionally, the OPP Arctic Science Section supportsDoctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIG). 

If you wish to join a team conducting research in the polar regions, we recommend contacting principal investigators (PIs) or co-PIs currently funded by NSF. TheNSF Awards Database allows you to explore recent awards to find a project and PI working on research that is of interest to you. You can also look specifically atrecent Antarctic awards andrecent Arctic awards. 

ThePolar Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (OPP-PRF) provides opportunities for early-career scientists, including social scientists, to accomplish one or more of the following goals:

• Expand their work across traditional disciplinary lines.
• Develop new partnerships connecting the polar regions and/or non-polar research communities.
• Provide entry to researchers who have traditionally had limited access to polar research resources, sites and facilities.

All other scientists should explore the funding opportunities in the FAQ titledWhere can I find information about funding opportunities?

Each year, NSF endeavors to host members of the press and media to observe and report on U.S. activities in the Arctic and Antarctic via the NSF Polar Media Program. Selection is based on the ability to understand and present scientific subjects, written commitment from the organization and the expected size of the audience. There is an annual application deadline several months before research seasons begin. For information about applications for participation during a field season, please contactnsfpolarmedia@nsf.gov. 

If you are interested in interviewing a researcher of someone in OPP, please contactmedia@nsf.gov. 

OPP is unable to connect media with research teams. If you are interested in teaming up with a research team for a project, we encourage you to check OPP'scurrently funded awards webpage and contact the principal investigator directly. Additionally, theArctic Research Mapping Applications Viewer shows scientific research projects across the Arctic, most of which are funded by OPP.

OPP receives frequent requests to assist with photos and videos for various projects, and we do our best to accommodate each requester's needs. Please send any photo and video requests tooppcomms@nsf.gov. We also recommend you look at theNSF multimedia gallery and theUSAP Photo Library. 

ThroughUSAP, NSF manages all U.S. scientific research and related logistics in Antarctica as well as aboard ships in the Southern Ocean. In 1982, former President Ronald Reagan, inPresidential Memorandum 6646, confirmed NSF's management role for the nation's scientific presence in Antarctica. OPP, in the NSFDirectorate for Geosciences, is responsible for the direct management of USAP.

USAP website:https://www.usap.gov/

Communication with researchers in Antarctica is challenging; unfortunately, we cannot accommodate all requests. Any events with researchers will be advertised on the Office of Polar Programsevents page, and Antarctic-specific events will also be posted on theUSAP website.

You can also follow NSF onTwitter,Facebook,Instagram andLinkedIn for information about upcoming events and check out videos of previous events on theNSF YouTube Channel.

Numerous resources for various audiences can be found on theEducational Resources: Arctic and Antarctic webpage.

Traveling to Antarctica and the stations are for USAP participants only. Personal or private trips can be arranged through private travel companies.

Explore job opportunities in the FAQ titledPolar Job Opportunities. 

The U.S. government's policy on private expeditions to Antarctica does not allow us to offer logistics support for nongovernmental expeditions. Thus, the government cannot provide flights or other logistics support for your planned expedition. The full policy can be found here:U.S. Policy on Private Expeditions to Antarctica.

USAP does not give out contact information of program participants. 

USAP receives many requests for involvement in all types of projects. However, it is impossible to fulfill all requests. These requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and should be directed tooppcomms@nsf.gov.

USAP is funded and managed by the U.S. National Science Foundation, a federal government agency. While we appreciate the offers, we cannot accept donations. 

We welcome photos, slides, videos and items from previous operations in Antarctica but cannot take all that is offered. Please send information about your items tooppcomms@nsf.gov.

For additional information about the Antarctic Service Medals and eligibility through USAP, please see theAntarctic Service Medal page on the USAP website.

Please be aware that there are scams of people impersonating NSF employees or USAP participants living in Antarctica. They will befriend you and then ask you to send them money. You should never assume that they are an NSF employee or USAP participant, and USAP cannot confirm if they are employed by the program. 

Unfortunately, the number of requests and logistical considerations necessary to obtain flags flown in Antarctica have made fulfilling these requests unachievable. If you, or the person from whom you are requesting the flag, are a current or former member of the military, please reach out to the current OPPDepartment of Defense Liaison.

For more information, visit the Philatelic mail from Antarctica page.