Facilities and Services Available to NSF-Sponsored Projects in Greenland

This report provides a general overview of services available at Sondrestrom, Thule and remote field sites in Greenland. The intent is to provide enough general information to assist Principal Investigators (PIs) in planning for their anticipated field work.

It is important to remember that procedures and support levels do change throughout the year. We encourage everyone to contact PICO early and on a regular basis so we may better assist you with your field planning. The Polar Ice Coring Office (PICO) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) provides logistics planning, remote camp equipment and coordination of services for all National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored research projects in Greenland. PICO is stationed in Greenland to act as liaison between NSF-sponsored personnel and support agencies.

It is also important to remember that while in Greenland, each project's participants are guests, not only of the U.S. Air Force but the Greenlandic and Danish governments as well. Since none of these organizations are under a formal obligation to provide support for U.S. scientific research groups, you should extend normal courtesies in dealing with your hosts.

Although it often seems easier to bypass formal channels in certain situations, it can be detrimental to the overall program to do so. Remember your attitude and actions can have an impact on the support available for future research projects in Greenland.