Drilling Subglacial Lake CECs in Antarctica Closing date 4 pm on 7 May 2020 Funding available £2.297m Funding mode/stream Joint Strategic Response NERC Core or NERC core UKRI/Collective Fund budget Project duration 36 months Funding partners (if n/a applicable) Start date requirements Q4 2022/23 (if applicable) Call aims and objectives This programme aims to answer fundamental research questions about the adaptation and persistence of life in extreme environments, and to inform the future contribution of West Antarctica to sea-level rise. This objective will be addressed using water and sediment samples collected from Subglacial Lake CECs and through two research questions: a) Did the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse, or persist, during recent interglacial periods, when Antarctic conditions resembled future conditions under CO2 warming? b) What complexity of life, or indeed ecosystem, could be supported by an environment isolated from the atmosphere and ocean for hundreds of thousands of years?
Eligibility criteria Normal eligibility criteria apply. Applicants can be involved in up to two proposals but only one as PI. Call specific Projects must start on 1 February 2023. requirements Contact Jennifer Morris
Drilling Subglacial Lake CECs in Antarctica
Announcement of Opportunity
Issued on: 14th February 2020 Full Proposals deadline: 4pm on 7 May 2020
1. Summary
Proposals are invited for a new Research Programme that, through joint collaboration between the UK and Centro de Estudios Científicos (CECs) in Chile, provides the opportunity to gain access to water and lake bed sediment samples from Subglacial Lake CECs.
This research programme aims to answer fundamental research questions that will inform us about the future contribution of West Antarctica to sea-level rise and the adaptation and persistence of life in extreme environments.
It is expected that this Announcement of Opportunity will lead to the funding of four proposals, two under each research question, at a cost of £574k at 80% FEC per proposal.
Proposals for this call are invited from eligible UK researchers (see NERC Grants Handbook for standard eligibility criteria).
The closing date for proposals is 16:00 on 7 May 2020.
2. Background
Over the last few decades more than four hundred lakes have been discovered under the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Many are hidden beneath several kilometres of ice and have been isolated for as much as tens of millions of years. They represent one of the most inaccessible and intriguing environments on the planet, and potentially hold very valuable records of changes in the Earth system and new forms of life.
Several attempts to drill into sub-glacial lakes have been undertaken. Russian drillers have obtained samples of re-frozen water from Lake Vostok, but their methodology means that their samples were contaminated and their results have been debated. Subglacial Lake Whillans was drilled by a US consortium but this lake is special in that it is very shallow (5 feet) and is linked directly to the open ocean and so it cannot be used to answer the key questions of glacial history and biology.
In recent years, Chilean scientists from Centro de Estudios Científicos (CECs) have identified a new sub-glacial lake, now officially named Lago Subglacial CECs. In 2016, UK and Chilean scientists began a collaborative partnership to explore this lake from the surface using radar and seismic techniques. It has been shown to provide a comparatively accessible opportunity for exploration, with relatively thin ice cover (2.6km), proximity to logistics input location (Union Glacier), and confirmed lake-bed sediments, and provides an excellent opportunity for access to an ancient isolated deep-water system. The opportunity has now arisen for the UK and Chilean collaboration to build on the UK’s experience in hot-water drilling and harness logistics expertise from Chilean and UK sources to deliver a clean access hole into Lake CECs. Once accessed, the samples of lake water and lake-bed sediments will be provided to the UK and Chilean communities for their analysis to allow important science questions to be answered.
3. Scope
3.1 Programme objectives
The overarching objective of the Drilling Subglacial Lake CECs research programme is to answer fundamental research questions that will inform us about the future contribution of West Antarctica to sea-level rise, and about the adaptation and persistence of life in extreme environments.
This objective will be addressed using water and sediment samples collected from the lake and through two research questions:
a) Did the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse, or persist, during recent interglacial periods, when Antarctic conditions resembled future conditions under CO2 warming?
Preliminary investigations indicated that the bedrock configuration is such that removal of the ice sheet in this area would open the valley that contains Subglacial Lake CECs to the ocean environment. This strongly suggests that the lake sediments will contain identifiable and dateable material (e.g. foraminifera) marking the last deglaciation in this area. Variable sedimentation rates are anticipated across the lake, but because this is a very low-energy environment sedimentation rates in the centre of the lake are expected to be extremely low, meaning that a long-duration record could be derived from even a short sediment core. Such a record obtained from Subglacial Lake CECs could provide evidence of major West Antarctic Ice Sheet deglaciation during a recent interglacial period.
b) What complexity of life, or indeed ecosystem, could be supported by an environment isolated from the atmosphere and ocean for hundreds of thousands of years?
Studies of shallower Antarctic subglacial lakes near the margins of the ice sheet have produced evidence of chemosynthetically driven ecosystems comprising novel assemblages of bacteria and archaea. It is highly likely that deep Antarctic subglacial lakes will also harbour diverse life. In such lakes, communities will be shaped by some extraordinary stresses: extremely high pressure, low but stable temperature, permanent darkness, (unless there is geothermal activity) predominantly low (oligotrophic) and patchy nutrient availability, and likely high oxygen concentrations derived from the ice.
Strong physical and chemical gradients, unique combination of stress factors and complete isolation from the rest of the biosphere over geological time scales, are likely to make the selection pressures unlike those encountered elsewhere. Accessing life in these environments could: extend the envelope of life beyond our current understanding and lead to new thinking about the potential for life in other parts of the solar system; contribute potentially new and unexplored microbial groups and genetic functional resources. Such microbial groups are unlikely to have evolved during the period of ice cover itself but could represent relic populations that have become extinct elsewhere and have evolved to adapt to extreme conditions in isolation.
Extremophiles, adapted to such conditions, are especially relevant for bioprospecting as they may exhibit commercially exploitable traits. Elsewhere in the Antarctic, microbial resources have yielded antifreeze proteins for the food industry, and cold-active enzymes that are used to enable low temperature industrial processes.
3.2 Proposal requirements
Proposals can bid for up to £574k (80% FEC) and should address only one of the two research questions.
This programme is a joint collaboration with CECs. CECs affiliated researchers will be carrying out their own investigation using the retrieved samples, but are likely to be interested in the same research questions and they are keen to collaborate with UK researchers. All funded proposals are therefore strongly encouraged to form connections with CECs affiliated researchers. Collaborations should be established once a funding decision has been made. These partners will be in receipt of their own funding to support these collaborations, however for UK participants additional time and funding must be set aside within proposals to cover the cost of travel for meetings with collaborators if their proposal is awarded. No additional funding will be available and so the frequency of potential in person meetings and the number of UK participants should be considered when budgeting for this this activity.
To aid with establishing connections with CECs affiliated researchers, a workshop will be held once UK proposals have been awarded. This workshop will be held in Chile, mid-2021 and the cost of attending will be covered centrally by the programme. It is expected that as many members of successful project teams as possible will attend and the exact date will be announced as soon as possible so that it can be held in peoples calendars.
Applicants should consult the ‘Contamination control and samples’ document ahead of developing their proposals to be clear on the number and type of samples that may be available for the programme.
Proposals are expected to make use of the samples collected from Lake CEC’s to address the programmes research questions.
Applicants are advised to contact Andy Smith, the programme Science Co-ordinator, ahead of submitting their proposal to discuss feasibility of obtaining sample requirements for proposed research.
The preliminary fieldwork will take place during the 2021/22 Antarctic field season, with drilling and sample retrieval taking place in the 2022/23 Antarctic field season. To avoid an overly large field party during the preliminary fieldwork or when drilling takes place, project personnel will NOT be able to take part in fieldwork. NERC wishes to fund a wide range of research across the two research questions and the Assessment Panel will be asked to recommend excellent proposals which will make for a balanced programme.
4. Programme requirements
4.1 Programme funding
This announcement aims to fund up to four projects each at a maximum cost to NERC of £574k (at 80% FEC), two each for questions a and b.
Proposals should include formal request (and access costs) for NERC Services and Facilities (e.g. HPC, isotope analyses) where relevant. No additional funding is available to cover NERC Service and Facilities costs, therefore all costs associated with the use of NERC Services and Facilities must be included within the funding limit of proposals.
4.2 Implementation and delivery
Successful projects will require successful retrieval of samples to be able to undertake their plans. As sample retrieval will not be confirmed until January 2023, proposals should present a work plan of up to 36 months with a start date of 1 February 2023. However, due to the requirement for environmental approval to undertake drilling fieldwork, and the subsequent reliance of projects on the samples from this fieldwork, the start of all projects is subject to receipt of this approval.
Successful projects are being awarded in advance of drilling taking place to ensure that the project requirements are known and the drill team are able to discuss sample retrieval with project teams should this be necessary.
In the event that drilling cannot take place all projects will be terminated.
4.3 Knowledge Exchange and impact
Knowledge exchange (KE) is vital to ensure that environmental research has wide benefits for society and should be an integral part of any research.
A separate Pathways to Impact statement is not required, but applicants should still consider how they will or might achieve impact outside the scientific community and include this as part of their Case for Support. Impact activities do not have to be cost-incurring, but relevant costs can be included and must be fully justified within the Justification of Resources statement.
All funded projects may also be required to engage with programme-wide KE activities, in which case appropriate funding for which will be provided by the programme.
4.4 Data management
The NERC Data Policy must be adhered to, and an outline data management plan produced as part of proposal development. NERC will pay the data centre directly on behalf of the programme for archival and curation services, but applicants should ensure they request sufficient resource to cover preparation of data for archiving by the research team.
4.5 NERC facilities
Prior to submitting a proposal, applicants wishing to use a NERC service or facility must contact the facility to seek agreement that they could provide the service required. Applicants wishing to use most NERC facilities will need to submit a mandatory ‘technical assessment’ with their proposal. This technical assessment is required for aircraft but not for NERC Marine Facilities (NMF – Shiptime and/or marine equipment) and HPC. For NERC, this means a quote for the work which the facility will provide. A full list of the Facilities requiring this quote can be found on the NERC website. The costs for the service or facility (excluding NMF and HPC costs) must be included within the Directly Incurred Other Costs section of the Je-S form and also within the facilities section of the Je-S form. Further information on NERC services and facilities can be found on the NERC website.
No shiptime and/or marine equipment requests are expected for this call.
4.6 Programme management
Applicants will be required to respond to communications from Andy Smith, as Science Coordinator, and the drill team throughout preparation for the expedition to retrieve samples, and during the return of samples to the UK. All funded projects are required to work with Andy Smith and other funded projects on all programme level activities throughout the life of the programme, as to be confirmed as the programme progresses.
4.7 Reporting requirements
As with all NERC grant holders, there will be a requirement to report through the UKRI reporting system; this is required annually and continues for up to five years post grant end.
The programme Science Coordinator will compile biannual reports for submission to NERC. All funded PIs are expected to contribute to the production of these reports if requested to.
5. Application process
5.1 How to apply
Closing Date: 7 May 2020
Full proposal must be submitted using the Research Councils’ Joint Electronic Submission system (Je-S). Applicants should select Proposal Type - ‘Standard Proposal’ and then select the Scheme – ‘Directed’ and the Call – ‘Drilling Subglacial Lake CECs - Antarctica’.
This call will close on JeS at 4pm UK time on 7 May and it will not be possible to submit to the call after this time. Applicants should leave enough time for their proposal to pass through their organisation’s Je-S submission route before this date. Any proposal that is incomplete, or does not meet NERC’s eligibility criteria or follow NERC’s submission rules (see NERC Grants Handbook), will be office rejected and will not be considered. All attachments, with the exception of letters of support and services/facilities/equipment quotes, submitted through the Je-S system must be completed in single-spaced typescript of minimum font size 11 point (Arial or other sans serif typeface of equivalent size to Arial 11), with margins of at least 2cm. Please note that Arial narrow, Calibri and Times New Roman are not allowable font types and any proposal which has used either of these font types within their submission will be rejected. References and footnotes should also be at least 11 point font and should be in the same font type as the rest of the document. Headers and footers should not be used for references or information relating to the scientific case. Applicants referring to websites should note that referees may choose not to use them.
Applicants should ensure that their proposal conforms to all eligibility and submission rules, otherwise their proposal may be rejected without peer review. More details on NERC’s submission rules can be found in the NERC research grant and fellowships handbook and in the submission rules on the NERC website.
Proposals for this call should be submitted in standard grant format following the requirements outlined in Section F of the NERC research grant and fellowships handbook.
Please note that on submission to council ALL non-PDF documents are converted to PDF, the use of non-standard fonts may result in errors or font conversion, which could affect the overall length of the document.
Additionally, where non-standard fonts are present, and even if the converted PDF document may look unaffected in the Je-S System, when it is imported into the Research Councils Grants System some information may be removed. We therefore recommend that where a document contains any non-standard fonts (scientific notation, diagrams etc), the document should be converted to PDF prior to attaching it to the proposal.
No associated studentships can be requested under this call.
5.2 Eligibility
Normal individual eligibility applies and is in Section C of the NERC research grant and fellowships handbook. Research Organisation eligibility rules are in Section C of the handbook.
NERC research and fellowship grants for all schemes may be held at approved UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), approved Research Council Institutes (RCIs) and approved Independent Research Organisations (IROs). Full details of approved RCIs and IROs can be found on the UKRI website.
IIASA Co-investigator eligibility rules apply to this call.
Investigators may be involved in no more than two proposals submitted to this call and only one of these may be as the lead Principal Investigator.
6. Assessment Process
Given the very limited timeframe available to conduct the peer review, the standard process will not apply. Proposals will be sent out to external peer review by UK and international experts. There will be no written applicant response stage. The proposals, along with the available reviews, will be considered by an independent, interdisciplinary panel of experts who will also be allowed to review the proposals themselves (they will not just moderate the reviews) and as such they will be an Assessment Panel.
The assessment criteria to be used will be as follows:
• Research Excellence • Fit to Scheme
Feedback will be provided to both successful and unsuccessful applicants.
NERC will use the recommendations of the Assessment Panel along with the overall call requirements and the available budget in making the final funding decisions. NERC will seek to fund a range of proposals across the breadth of the programme.
7. Timetable (subject to change) • Announcement published: 14 February 2020 • Deadline for submission of full proposals: 7 May 2020 • Assessment Panel meets: TBD • Notification of funding: TBD • Collaboration workshop in Chile: Mid 2021 • Preliminary fieldwork: November 2021 – January 2022 • Drilling and sample retrieval: November 2022 – January 2023 • Start date for projects: 1 February 2023
8. Contact
For general enquiries, please contact: Jennifer Morris [email protected]
For sample related enquiries, please contact: Andy Smith [email protected]