The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.
The Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education (FARE) Program, supported by AGS, aims to equip the atmospheric sciences research community with advanced observing tools and facilities. This initiative includes two key components: the Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities (LAOF) and the Community Instruments and Facilities (CIF). LAOF encompasses a portfolio of multi-user national facilities sponsored by NSF for geosciences research, offering specialized facilities, instrumentation, and support for scientific field work in studying geophysical phenomena. The program emphasizes coordination and resource planning to ensure these facilities meet the community's needs, supporting planning and deployment of scientific field programs. On the other hand, CIF focuses on providing access to specialized instrumentation for field and lab-based studies in the NSF-sponsored atmospheric sciences research community, encouraging proposals for instruments and facilities to be made available for community use, supported by NSF for technician time, minor upgrades, and outreach travel.