The National Science Foundation's Antarctic Artists and Writers Program makes it possible for the humanities (painting, photography, writing, and history) to be part of the U.S. Antarctic Program. Artists and writers work at U.S. stations and camps, often with science groups but sometimes on their own, to create works that portray the region or the activities that take place there.

The Antarctic Artists and Writers Program contributes to NSF's goal of advancing discovery while disseminating results broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding. The program helps record the Nation's antarctic heritage, responding to White House direction that the U.S. Antarctic Program support the range of U.S. interests in the region. Application procedures and a list of past participants can be found at http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/aawr.htm.

The next application deadline, for participation in the 2004-2005 austral summer season, will be June 2, 2003.

The selection process for the artists and writers program is comparable to the one for science projects in that a peer-review panel meets at NSF annually to evaluate the applications; this panel's advice heavily influences NSF's selections. The applicants who are chosen receive field support (including air travel from the United States), but no direct award of NSF funds. The program, while intended mainly for U.S. citizens, considers requests from artists and writers in other Antarctic Treaty nations whose applications demonstrate that their works will reach a significant U.S. audience.