Notice2026-10699
Proposal Review Panel for Polar Programs; Committee Renewal
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 29, 2026
Effective
June 26, 2026
Issuing agencies
National Science Foundation
Abstract
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is renewing the committee for Proposal Review Panel for Polar Programs.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 103 (Friday, May 29, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 103 (Friday, May 29, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32119-32120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-10699]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Proposal Review Panel for Polar Programs; Committee Renewal
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Committee Management Renewal.
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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is renewing the
committee for Proposal Review Panel for Polar Programs.
DATES: NSF approves the continuation of this committee on 4/20/2026.
Effective date for renewal is June 26, 2026. For more information,
please contact Crystal Robinson, NSF, at (703) 292-8687.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Crystal Robinson, Committee Management
Officer, NSF, at (703) 292-8687, or by mail to National Science
Foundation, Randolph Building, 401 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NSF management officials having
responsibility for the advisory committee listed below have determined
that renewing this committee for another two years is necessary and in
the public interest in connection with the performance of duties
imposed upon the Director, National Science Foundation (NSF), by 42
U.S.C. 1861 et seq. This determination follows consultation with the
Committee Management Secretariat, General Services Administration.
Committee
Proposal Review Panel for Polar Programs, #1209
Pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 102-3.60(a), to establish, renew,
reestablish, or merge a discretionary (agency discretion) advisory
committee, an agency must first consult with the General Services
Administration's Committee Management Secretariat (the Secretariat)
and, as part of the consultation, provide a written public interest
determination approved by the head of the agency to the Secretariat
with a copy to the Office of Management and Budget. In addition,
pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 102-3.35, an agency shall follow the same
consultation process and document in writing the same determination of
need before creating a subcommittee under a discretionary committee
that is not made up entirely of members of a parent advisory committee.
Information on the following factors for the committee is provided to
the Secretariat to demonstrate that renewing the committee is in the
public interest:
1. Annual budget: $44,856.
a. Federal personnel on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis: 0.66
FTE.
b. Other Federal internal costs: $0.
c. Proposed payments to members: $42,965.
d. Proposed number of members: 90.
e. Reimbursable costs: $1,891.
2. If applicable, the total dollar value of grants expected to be
recommended during the fiscal year: $25,000,000.
3. Criteria for selecting members to ensure the committee has the
necessary.
Panel membership includes individuals with expertise in all areas
of the sciences involved, selected for broad geographical distribution,
and to provide an appropriate mix of types of colleges and
universities. The Antarctic Artists and Writers panel is comprised of
professional artists, writers, scientists, and educators--some, current
or former NSF award recipients with first-hand Antarctic and Arctic
[[Page 32120]]
experience. The breadth of expertise required for fair peer evaluation
of the variety of proposals received transcends the ability of NSF
staff, so outside advice from scientists from all polar disciplines is
essential. Panel review is the only viable means to obtain adequate
review of proposals in these varied programs.
4. List of all other Federal advisory committees of the agency:
84684 Advisory Committee for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships
1172 Alan T. Waterman Award Committee
13883 Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee
1173 Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering
1186 Proposal Review Panel for Astronomical Sciences
10751 Proposal Review Panel for Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
10747 Proposal Review Panel for Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences
10743 Proposal Review Panel for Biological Infrastructure
1189 Proposal Review Panel for Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental,
and Transport Systems
1191 Proposal Review Panel for Chemistry
1194 Proposal Review Panel for Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing
Innovation
1207 Proposal Review Panel for Computer and Network Systems
1192 Proposal Review Panel for Computing & Communication Foundations
1185 Proposal Review Panel for Cyberinfrastructure
1569 Proposal Review Panel for Earth Sciences
1196 Proposal Revew Panel for Electrical, Communications, and Cyber
Systems
44011 Proposal Review Panel for Emerging Frontiers in Biological
Sciences
173 Proposal Review Panel for Engineering Education and Centers
10744 Proposal Review Panel for Environmental Biology
1756 Proposal Review Panel for Geosciences
57 Proposal Review Panel for Graduate Education
1200 Proposal Review Panel for Information and Intelligent Systems
84685 Proposal Review Panel for Innovation and Technology Ecosystems
2469 Proposal Review Panel for Integrative Activities
10745 Proposal Review Panel for Integrative Organismal Systems
10749 Proposal Review Panel for International Science and Engineering
1203 Proposal Review Panel for Materials Research
1204 Proposal Review Panel for Mathematical Sciences
10746 Proposal Review Panel for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences
10752 Proposal Review Panel for Ocean Sciences
1208 Proposal Review Panel for Physics
34558 Proposal Review Panel for Emerging Frontiers and
Multidisciplinary Activities
59 Proposal Review Panel for Research on Learning in Formal and
Informal Settings
10748 Proposal Review Panel for Social and Economic Sciences
1766 Proposal Review Panel for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences
84683 Proposal Review Panel for Translational Impacts
1214 Proposal Review Panel for Undergraduate Education
5. Justification that the information or advice provided by the
Federal advisory committee or subcommittee is not available from
another Federal advisory committee, another Federal Government source,
or any other more cost-effective and less burdensome source.
Polar Programs proposal review panels cannot be replaced by
existing panels or advisory committees due to the highly specialized
and interdisciplinary nature of polar science, the small and
interconnected research community with elevated conflict-of-interest
risk, and the tight coupling of scientific merit with constrained
logistics resources. In Arctic contexts, the inclusion of social
science perspectives introduces additional considerations related to
community engagement and coordination alongside field-based science
campaigns. Collectively, these factors preclude reliance on standing
advisory bodies and require competition-specific panels to ensure
independent, expert evaluation and compliance with NSF's statutory
merit review requirements.
6. If the consultation is a committee renewal, a summary of the
previous accomplishments of the committee and the reasons it needs to
continue.
Past Polar Science panels have delivered significant value by
strengthening the quality, consistency, and credibility of NSF funding
recommendations through rigorous, independent merit review; advancing
interdisciplinary Earth system science across atmosphere, ocean, ice,
and ecosystems; informing the prioritization and execution of high-
cost, logistically complex field campaigns in the Arctic and Antarctic;
and reinforcing workforce development across the research community.
These accomplishments have been particularly important given the
strategic importance of the polar regions, enabling U.S. leadership in
polar science, advancing data-intensive and emerging research areas,
and ensuring that NSF investments continue to produce impactful and
nationally relevant scientific outcomes in alignment with
administration priorities.
7. Explanation of why the committee/subcommittee is essential to
the conduct of agency business.
Panel deliberations and subsequent advice is essential to upholding
gold-standard merit review which inform NSF staff funding
recommendations.
This public interest determination documents that renewing the
committee is essential to the conduct of agency business and that the
information to be obtained is not already available through another
advisory committee or source within the Federal Government.
Dated: May 26, 2026.
Crystal Robinson,
Committee Management Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2026-10699 Filed 5-28-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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