Arctic Research Support and Logistics Contract Awarded
The Arctic Research Support and Logistics Contract was awarded to VECO
USA February 1, 2005. The contract is to provide support services to
NSF-funded researchers working in the Arctic.
Please see the VECO Polar Resources website at http://vecopolar.com for
more information about their organization and services.
On February 1, 2005, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a
contract to VECO USA of Centennial, Colorado to provide research support
and logistics services for NSF-sponsored scientific research in the
Arctic. The contract has an estimated value of $93 million over seven
years, which includes three contract years plus up to four one-year
award terms based on performance.
VECO USA has operated the arctic research support and logistics contract
since it was awarded to them in 1999. The work is performed by a trio of
companies known as VECO Polar Resources (VPR) made up of VECO USA, Polar
Field Services, and SRI International. Polar Field Services, a woman
owned small business, is responsible for most of the research support,
planning and construction oversight through interactions with the
research community and the Office of Polar Programs. VECO USA is
responsible for overall program management, including procurement,
subcontract management, and accounting support. VECO USA also provides
expertise in construction management, engineering and IT. VECO
subsidiaries provide skilled construction and field personnel. SRI
International, provides information technology and telecommunication
services.
VPR will work with NSF, principal investigators (PIs), other federal
agencies, state agencies, international organizations having agreements
with NSF, and organizations that own or manage logistics resources and
facilities in the Arctic. The contractor provides pre-proposal
consultations, logistics and operational plans, risk assessments,
transport, communications, safety training, telemedicine, construction,
maintenance, field camp operations and personnel, and other services for
multiple projects in the Arctic. The VPR website contains project
planning information organized by region and a searchable database of
project reports. VPR produces an electronic newsletter throughout the
year -- weekly during the active field season -- that summarizes arctic
project support and features research topics, personnel and
infrastructure.
The Office of Polar Programs Arctic Sciences Section funds 100-120 field
projects in the Arctic each year, which amounts to approximately 600
people in the field at 90 different field sites. Field sites vary from
small, remote field camps throughout the Arctic to remote
instrumentation locations to ice camps on the Arctic Ocean to
established field sites such as Summit Field Station, Greenland. The
primary responsibility of the logistics contractor is safety, while
meeting the diverse needs of arctic researchers.
VPR has provided excellent service to the arctic research community and
to NSF. NSF looks forward to continuing to work with VPR. More
information about VPR and the services they provide is available on
their website at http://vecopolar.com.
Contacts:
Simon Stephenson, Arctic Research Support and Logistics Program, OPP
703-292-8029, sstephen [at] nsf.gov
NSF Contract Officer's Technical Representative (COTR)
Mike McKibben, VECO USA
303-792-2211, Mike.McKibben [at] veco.com
VPR Contract Manager