The Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) plays a critical role in advancing geoscience research, through its Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education (FARE) Program. This program facilitates broad access to advanced instrumentation and observational platforms, supporting researchers in atmospheric sciences investigations.

The FARE program consists of two primary components: The Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities (LAOF) program and the Community Instruments and Facilities (CIF) program. The LAOF Program oversees observing facilities managed by the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Wyoming. It supports planning for scientific field programs and the deployment of NSF-sponsored facilities. The CIF Program offers access to specialized instrumentation for both field and laboratory-based studies that are managed and operated by 10 universities across the US.

Researchers can propose projects requiring access to FARE-sponsored instrumentation and facilities through the Facility and Instrumentation Request Process (FIRP). This NSF solicitation outlines how the research community can propose projects that require access to instrumentation and facilities sponsored by the FARE program.