Amendment 39: Advance Copy of A.34 Studies with ICESat-2

ROSES-2018 Amendment 39 releases an advance version of what will be Studies with ICESat-2 (program element A.34). For now, the due dates are TBD. Final due dates will be announced no earlier than 90 days after the first public release of calibrated and validated data.

A.34 Studies with ICESat-2 will solicit proposals to pursue any research topic using ICESat-2 observations and advancing the Earth Science goals articulated in the NASA 2018 Strategic Plan and 2014 Science Mission Directorate Science Plan (both of which may be found at http://science.nasa.gov/about-us/science-strategy/).

NASA recognizes that ICESat-2's global, high-resolution data stream presents an exciting opportunity to utilize emerging methods in data analytics, including but not limited to artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data mining with applications to analysis, data fusion, and coupling-models-with-observations. The program welcomes proposals that team computer scientists and Earth system scientists. In addition, NASA recognizes that some of the initial applications of these approaches to Earth science may be exploratory, and a portion of the budget has been reserved for low-cost, highly experimental proposals of varying duration. The estimated budget in Section 9, Summary of Key Information, provides guidance for scoping proposal budgets.

Overall priority will be given to investigations focused on land and sea ice in the Earth's polar regions. Other areas of Earth science research will be considered at a lower priority, but NASA anticipates supporting several such investigations.

Questions concerning this program element should be directed to Thomas Wagner at thomas.wagner@nasa.gov.