Frequently asked questions
Do you have questions about the UAS Federation and its services? Check out our frequently asked questions to learn more about the organization and what is has to offer to the public.
UAS Federation FAQs
By pooling our sUAS, sensor instruments and mission planning/data processing capabilities, we can support much larger and complex projects, as well as making it much easier for researchers to find the instruments they need. The Federation team can also bring its expertise to help unburden researchers from many of the technical details involved with sUAS mission execution.
We are developing an interactive instrument request form that will be available from the website in early 2024. Until then, please reach out directly to the primary Federation contact under the “instrument request” tab.
Generally speaking, flight operations and safety are handled by Federation support staff. If you already have your Part 107 operators permit and documented experience with the types of aircraft and sensors we offer, it may be possible for you to operate missions, particularly for low risk flying using smaller quadcopters and RGB or multi-spectral imaging. Please contact the Federation for more information.
Each facility in the Federation operates its own cost structure system. Some facilities (EarthScope and NCALM) generally receive support directly from NSF to supply instruments to the research community. Others (CTEMPS and NHERI) generally charge projects a leasing fee for instruments used with costs are published on the facility’s webpage. Potential users are encouraged to contact the Federation (through the instrument request tab) prior to requesting support to review instrument availability and costs.
Our instrument centers each have their own rules governing funding sources and prioritization of resources. As we are all supported by the National Science Foundation to some degree, and projects supported by the National Science Foundation receive priority at all of the facilities. Non-profit research support is also prioritized. In general, “for profit” organizations are not supported. In all cases, researchers are encouraged to contact the Federation directly with any questions of whether your research falls under our guidelines.
Yes, most of the Federation partners can offer subsidies and reduced instrument lease rates for student and early career researchers.
Several of the member institutions have pilot resources available upon request, and we do plan to offer short courses and training workshops by late 2024.
Please reach out directly to the Federation contact (on the instrument request tab) so that we can help you populate your proposal with up-to-date information and costs. The Federation can and will write NSF letters of support which you can use in your proposals. Please contact us well in advance of due dates for proposal submission for faster and friendlier service!
Modern science requires that data associated with research be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR). Some Federation partners (e.g., OpenTopography) provide a platform for FAIR data publication depending on the type of data being collected. Please reach out to the Federation for guidance on how and where to publish you UAS datasets.
Modern science requires that data associated with research be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR). Some Federation partners (e.g., OpenTopography) provide a platform for FAIR data publication depending on the type of data being collected. Please reach out to the Federation for guidance on how and where to publish you UAS datasets.
