University of Minnesota Duluth / RV Blue Heron Ship Operations - CY2024 - 2028

The intellectual merit of the proposal is the ship’s ability to support oceanographic research that focuses on expanding knowledge of the ocean environment. R/V Blue Heron is a research vessel serving on the Laurentian Great Lakes. The vessel is owned by the University of Minnesota Duluth, and operated by the Large Lakes Observatory as a University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System operator and member of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet (ARF). Blue Heron is the largest research ship owned by a university operating on the Great Lakes at 86’ and the smallest ship in the ARF. The ship was bought from its original owner and refitted for oceanographic research in 1997-98, using funds provided by the National Science Foundation and the State of Minnesota. This proposal is for the operation of R/V Blue Heron and would support ship operations during 2024. This proposal seeks renewal of its 5-year Cooperative Agreement for the period 2024 to 2028. Note: Subsequent to the proposal submission and panel, DACS has reduced the period of performance to four years due to a lengthy cost analysis. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.