Scientists are invited to apply to conduct research on the British Antarctic Survey research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough in May-June 2025.
The research ship will undertake two trips between Punta Arenas, Chile and BAS Rothera Research Station in early May and mid-June 2025, as part of its role commissioning of Rothera's modernisation and the new Discovery Building, and to demobilise the construction team.
Through the Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme (Cass Scheme), the vessel will have a small number of berths available to support science. This would be limited to activities that do not require specialist engineering and science support. Subject to constraints on transit, examples may include experiments using the Uncontaminated Seawater System and associated laboratories, underway air sampling, underway survey, and deployment of 'plug and play' instrumentation.
Any substantive deviation from the ship's course, or deployments of instruments such as the CTD boom that would impact the ship's schedule are unlikely to be supported unless there is prior agreement and an associated funding stream.
Information on the ship's science capabilities can be found here: https://www.bas.ac.uk/polar-operations/sites-and-facilities/facility/rrs-sir-david-attenborough/science-facilities/
The ship is planning to cross Drake Passage and then spend five days transiting down the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula to Rothera Research Station.
