Radioisotope Monitoring Program for the United States Academic Research Fleet

This project provides funding for the Radioisotope Monitoring Program (SWAB) for the United States Academic Research Fleet (ARF). The ARF, operated by academic institutions within the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), supports critical scientific research in the oceans, Great Lakes, and polar regions. The SWAB program at the University of Miami provides standardized tools and protocols that enable scientists to collect clean, uncontaminated ocean samples during research cruises. By ensuring consistency and quality across studies, SWAB strengthens the reliability of oceanographic research and allows scientists to better understand marine ecosystems, climate change, and ocean health. The program also preserves samples for future use, extending their value to new research questions and technologies. The SWAB Program at University of Miami provides standardized, high-quality sample collection kits and contamination control protocols for oceanographic research cruises across the ARF. It enables consistent acquisition of uncontaminated seawater and microbial samples, supporting reproducibility and comparability across studies. SWAB also serves as a centralized archive and distribution system, extending the scientific value of collected samples for future research. 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. NSF Award ID: 2614137 | Program: 01002728DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT,01002930DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT,01003031DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT,01002829DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT,01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: James Happell | Institution: University of Miami, CORAL GABLES, FL | Award Amount: $236,670 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2614137 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2614137.html