U N A V C O , A N O N - P R O F I T U N I V E R S I T Y - G O V E R N E D C O N S O R T I U M , F A C I L I T A T E S G E O S C I E N C E R E S E A R C H A N D E D U C A T I O N U S I N G G E O D E S Y.
Services
UNAVCO provides support services to principal investigators (PIs) engaged in research funded by our core sponsors including the National Science Foundation Earth Sciences (NSF-EAR), NSF Office of Polar Programs (NSF-OPP), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Solid Earth and Natural Hazards (NASA-SENH) Program. Other non-core sponsors and agencies are supported on a full cost recovery basis. UNAVCO provides Proposal Planning Services, Data Management Services, Engineering Services, and Education and Outreach (E&O) Services.
Our On-line Project Support Request Form covers requests for the services listed below. Use this form to provide basic information about the project, objectives, and services desired from UNAVCO. Upon receiving the request (usually within a business day) UNAVCO staff contacts the PI to initiate planning, develop specifications, and begin to develop the work scope and budget for UNAVCO participation.
Proposal Planning
Services
UNAVCO helps PIs with technical proposal planning and budgeting.
- Technical Planning or PI’s proposals involving GPS/GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), borehole geophysics including strainmeters, accelerometers, and seismometers, Terrestrial LiDAR Scanning (TLS), Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), and geochronology services.
- Broader Impact Planning to conceptualize and address PI’s broader impacts of their research. Broader impacts can include creating opportunities for undergraduate research through the RESESS program, hosting a short course, publishing educational resources based on the research, and developing other education, communication, & outreach products.
- Budgeting includes project design and implementation costs, including possible equipment design and/or equipment loan, and is developed with UNAVCO and PIs working together.
- Letters of Support can be provided to detail the resources and support that UNAVCO will provide should the proposal succeed.
- Request Support through the Project Support Request Form 30 to 60 days prior to proposal submission to determine the specific services needed from UNAVCO to include in their proposal. Investigators must formally request the use of UNAVCO support directly in their proposals. A project manager is assigned for complex requests that require multiple services, coordination, and management.
Engineering
Services
UNAVCO provides comprehensive project technical support services to investigators using GPS/GNSS, TLS, InSAR, airborne LIDAR and geochronology. These services range from loaned equipment, testing, configuration, integration, and new equipment designs for field deployments to technical training for campaign and permanent station deployments.
- Instrumentation/Equipment Loan includes GPS/GNSS receivers, antennas, Terrestrial LiDAR equipment, and other equipment for science investigations. Highest priority for equipment loans is given to PIs with NSF-funded projects who request UNAVCO support in their proposal.
- Instrument/Equipment Technical Support of GPS/GNSS, borehole geophysics including strainmeters, accelerometers, and seismometers, and TLS and other equipment is provided by UNAVCO and include an environmental testing chamber and special accommodations at the Marshall Test Facility and at the Niwot Ridge Tundra Lab for cold weather and high wind testing of equipment.
- Instrument/Equipment Repair of GPS/GNSS equipment purchased though the semi-annual community purchase program is offered by UNAVCO. In addition, UNAVCO can provide repair services for other types of equipment, such as metrological sensors and radio modems.
- Development and Testing of equipment that can withstand extreme conditions in the field is provided by UNAVCO engineers that have many years of designing/build experience. With proper lead-time UNAVCO engineers can specify, design, and build equipment for conditions specific for community member projects.
Data Management
Services
UNAVCO’s data management services include data archiving of community-submitted data products, custom data access, and data processing.
- Data Archiving Services include community GPS/GNSS data and data products (GPS time series and velocities), high-rate (1Hz and higher rates) GPS data (upon request), InSAR, Terrestrial Laser Scanning, and related metadata to archive for long-term secure storage and easy retrieval. The Archive primarily stores high-precision geodetic data used for research purposes, collected under projects sponsored by NSF and NASA.
- Custom Data Access is offered for real-time GPS/GNSS, high-rate GPS/GNSS, and SAFOD borehole cuttings and core samples.
- Data Processing is available as a service for high-precision GPS/GNSS products, utilizing the existing PBO processing infrastructure.
Educational
& Outreach Services
UNAVCO’s education and outreach services for geoscientists include short courses, internships, professional development, and educational resource development.
- UNAVCO Short Courses are offered to enhance the capacity of our scientific community to process, analyze, and interpret various types of geodetic data for current researchers, early-career scientists, graduate students, and upper-level undergraduates.
- Research Student Internships through the RESESS program are for undergraduate students from underrepresented groups and combines structured mentoring, ongoing research internships, and a supported learning community in order to increase the diversity within solid earth sciences.
- Professional Development Workshops are provided by UNAVCO as one-day to one-week-long workshops promoting a broader understanding of Earth science for college and secondary education faculty.
- Educational Resource Development is supported by UNAVCO in partnerships with the research community to communicate and teach about geodesy and applications for specific education levels from elementary to undergraduate.