The "International Polar Year" (IPY), extending from March 2007 through March 2009, will be an intense scientific campaign to explore new frontiers in polar science, improve our understanding of the critical role of the polar regions in global processes, and educate the public about the polar regions. Projects, which are expected to be interdisciplinary, will involve a pulse of activity during the IPY period; leave a legacy of infrastructure and data; expand international cooperation; engage the public in polar discovery; and help attract the next generation of scientists and engineers to polar research.

NSF is supporting research during the IPY through two special solicitations with focused science and education themes and through ongoing program activities at NSF. The special IPY solicitations and the ongoing NSF programs that are supporting other IPY activities are described at www.nsf.gov/od/opp/ipy/ipyinfo.jsp.

The U.S. National Committee for IPY, formed under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences, has published a vision document A Vision for the International Polar Year 2007-2008, which is available at http://www.us-ipy.org/. The International Council for Science-World Meteorological Organization (ICSU-WMO) Joint Committee published an additional planning framework and is facilitating international cooperation through an International Programme Office in Cambridge, England. Further information on international efforts and the history of the IPY is available at http://www.ipy.org.

The U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy designated NSF as the lead federal agency for U.S. IPY activities. The NSF Director hosted several interagency planning meetings to elicit the agencies’ preliminary plans for IPY. These are summarized at https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2005/nsf0545/nsf0545_3.pdf. Information about other agencies with IPY programs can be found at the U.S. Interagency web portal, http://www.ipy.gov.

Below are links to lists of awards made as part of the two special IPY solicitations in 2006 and 2007 and through ongoing NSF programs. The text of the two special IPY solicitations is available at

• International Polar Year, 2007 (NSF 07-536)
• International Polar Year (NSF 06-534)

For information concerning ongoing NSF programs that are supporting IPY research, see the NSF IPY Funding Opportunities page.

INTERNATIONAL POLAR YEAR AWARDS

• Awards made during 2006 and early 2007
• Awards made during 2007