We are pleased to announce that the Polar Geospatial Center (PGC) has secured core funding from the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs (NSF-OPP) for the next five years (https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2434541). This renewed support allows us to continue our mission of providing critical remote sensing data, mapping, and geospatial support to the polar research and logistics communities.
While this is a major milestone, it comes with a reduction in personnel and production capacity. As a result, PGC’s capacity will not fully return to prior levels immediately, and some services will remain limited or paused. We ask for your understanding and flexibility as we transition into this new phase of operations.
Current Capacity
Staff Support: incoming requests will be scoped based on available resources and project complexity
PGC will continue to offer these core services:
- Satellite Tasking: we will continue to coordinate community-wide imagery collection through seasonal tasking campaigns
- FRIDGE access to ArcticDEM, REMA, and satellite imagery products
- Bulk and Custom Imagery Orders for qualified users
- Cartographic Products including custom maps
- G-EGD Pro Accounts for active NSF-OPP researchers
Reductions
Due to restructured operations, some services remain limited:
- 2025-2026 Deployment: PGC will not deploy to McMurdo Station during the 2025-26 Antarctic field season, separate communication is being sent to those requesting services via SIPs. PGC does plan to deploy to McMurdo in future seasons.
- DEM Datasets: production of ArcticDEM, REMA, and custom elevation models has been paused. Existing data products remain available via FRIDGE.
New Expectations
We appreciate your flexibility as we adapt our operations:
- Extended Turnaround Time: Support timelines may be longer than in previous years
- New PGC Points of Contact: Users may be reassigned due to staffing changes, project type, and scope
PGC remains committed to serving the polar community with excellence. Please continue to explore our online resources and datasets at pgc.umn.edu and reach out to us at pgc-support@umn.edu.
Thank you for your patience and continued support,
The PGC User Services Team