The National Science Foundation emailed me today to request a conference call this week about our ARI-R2 proposal! They want to include people from the Sponsored Research Office, the person who would be the project manager, and other administrators who might be needed if they decide to give us an award.

Funding for this project would mean the realization of a long-held dream. Tom (my husband, Tom Manley, who’s also on the Geology faculty at Middlebury) and I have been working for many years to find a way to replace the R/V Baldwin, the College’s current research vessel. But till now a solution hasn’t really been within reach. I wonder if we can hold our breath till the conference call?