<div dir="ltr"><p style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Dear Members of the CEDAR Community,</span></p>
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<span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">We would appreciate if you could pass this announcement of the Student MREFC Competition to any students who may not be on the CEDAR mailing list.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Thanks,</span></p><p style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Leda & Tim<br>
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</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">2014 CEDAR Student Workshop: Student Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) Competition</span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(255,0,0);font-weight:bold;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></p>
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<span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">For the upcoming 2014 CEDAR Workshop, we are bringing something new to the Student Workshop: A Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) Student Competition.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Historically, the MREFC competition is designed for projects that are on the cutting edge of research that are innovative for answering big science questions. We would like to bring this spirit to a competition at the Student Workshop in which student teams are challenged to present their ideas for a research project that would solve a big science question. Teams are encouraged to think creatively for this competition— what are some of the unknowns in CEDAR science that you would like to solve?</span></p>
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<span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Teams will be comprised of ~4-10 people and are encouraged to form from your school. A team can be composed of members from a single school or from more than one in cases of schools with small programs. </span></p>
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</p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">To get started, we have provided a quad chart template for your team (attached), which will serve as your presentation. In addition, we have provided a document that describes the MREFC competition in more detail and provides example projects that have been funded in the past. Entries are due on </span><span style="font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Friday, May 23rd</span><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> and can be submitted by email to </span><a href="mailto:leda.sox@aggiemail.usu.edu" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Arial;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">leda.sox@aggiemail.usu.edu</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> and </span><a href="mailto:duly2@illinois.edu" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Arial;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">duly2@illinois.edu</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">. After all the presentations have been submitted, we will pick 10, and these teams will have the opportunity to present at the Student Workshop.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">These 10 teams will present an outline of their idea at the Sunday Student Workshop and will be 7-8 minutes in length (with time for a few questions). NSF and CEDAR Scientists will be available to provide feedback on the idea and generate discussion on the topic. After the presentations, the students will vote, and the top 3 will have the opportunity to present their idea at a Plenary Session later in the week.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">We look forward to this new and creative event this year. We encourage you to start forming teams and begin thinking about a prospective research question to submit for the Student Workshop!</span></p>
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<span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sincerely,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Leda & Tim</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">CEDAR Science Steering Committee (CSSC) Student Representatives</span></p>
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<span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:19px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-weight:bold">What is a Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) Grant?</span></p>
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<span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-style:italic;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'">(obtained from </span><a href="http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/docs/mrefcguidelines1206.pdf" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/docs/mrefcguidelines1206.pdf</span></a><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-style:italic;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'"> )</span></p>
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<span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-weight:bold">DEFINITION OF MREFC ACCOUNT</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'">The MREFC Account is an agency-wide account. It provides funding for the establishment of major science and engineering infrastructure, with total construction costs ranging from several tens to hundreds of millions of dollars. With Congressional approval, NSF established this appropriations account in FY 1995 to promote effective planning and management for the support of such sizable investments made over a limited period of time. Specifically, the Account was intended to:</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Provide a special account to fund acquisition, construction and commissioning of major facilities and other infrastructure projects;</span></p>
</li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style-type:disc;font-size:16px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Arial"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Prevent large periodic obligations from distorting the budgets of NSF directorates and program offices;</span></p>
</li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style-type:disc;font-size:16px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Arial"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ensure availability of resources to complete large projects that are funded over several years;</span><span style="font-size:11px;font-family:'Times New Roman';background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">and</span></p>
</li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style-type:disc;font-size:16px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Arial"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Provide uniform NSF standards for large facility projects that ensure accountability and maximize success.</span></p>
</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'">The MREFC Account supports state-of-the-art tools that are centralized in nature, integrated systems of leading-edge instruments, and/or shared-use networked infrastructure in advancing one or more fields of scientific study. Examples include accelerators, telescopes, research vessels, aircraft, earthquake simulators, networked high-tech research platforms, and advanced computing resources. To qualify for MREFC investment, networked infrastructure must exhibit systems characteristics greater than inferred simply by the connectivity of its parts.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-indent:36pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'">The MREFC Account is used to support the acquisition, construction and commissioning of a facility.</span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:11px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'"> </span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'">Other activities, including research, design, development, and operations costs, will be covered under the R&RA and/or EHR appropriations accounts. When funds from these separate appropriations are obligated under a single award, there should be included provisions that specify the appropriations account under which the expenditures are to be charged and restrict any reprogramming of such funds by the awardee.</span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:15px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:Calibri"></span></p>
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<span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-weight:bold">Past Funded MREFC Projects</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.1500000000000001;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'">IceCube Neutrino Observatory: </span><a href="http://icecube.wisc.edu/icecube/" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,255);background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">http://icecube.wisc.edu/icecube/</span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'"></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.1500000000000001;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'">Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST): </span><a href="http://www.lsst.org/lsst/" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,255);background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">http://www.lsst.org/lsst/</span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'"></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.1500000000000001;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'">Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA): </span><a href="http://www.almaobservatory.org/" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,255);background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">http://www.almaobservatory.org/</span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'"></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.1500000000000001;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'">Research Vessel Sikuliaq: </span><a href="https://www.sfos.uaf.edu/sikuliaq/about/" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,255);background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">https://www.sfos.uaf.edu/sikuliaq/about/</span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'"></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.1500000000000001;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'">Advanced LIGO: </span><a href="https://www.advancedligo.mit.edu/" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,255);background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">https://www.advancedligo.mit.edu/</span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'"></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.1500000000000001;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'">Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI): </span><a href="http://oceanobservatories.org/" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,255);background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">http://oceanobservatories.org/</span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'"></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.1500000000000001;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'">Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST): </span><a href="http://atst.nso.edu/" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,255);background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">http://atst.nso.edu/</span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'"></span></a></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:1.1500000000000001;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman'">National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON): </span><a href="http://www.neoninc.org/" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';color:rgb(0,0,255);background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">http://www.neoninc.org/</span></a></p>
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