Organizational changes during the past three decades have greatly affected the conduct of federally funded research throughout the national park system including Glacier National Park. Today much of this work is done by U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists, several of whom are duty-stationed in the Park. USGS research scientists at the Glacier Field Station are involved with interdisciplinary, regional and multi-agency programs. Many of these are long-term strategic investigations that address high visibility national priorities. Examples include a multi-year regional grizzly bear investigation and one of the nation's premiere Global Climate Change research programs. These scientists are administratively attached to the USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center in Bozeman, Montana.

Strong emphasis is placed on scientific collaboration with other agencies at all levels of government, regional Indian tribes and universities. Collaborative endeavors are encouraged through the formation of research partnerships with qualified independent investigators. A wide range of science and resources management activities are also carried out by park specialists. These include short-term problem-solving type investigations, fact-finding studies, inventory and monitoring activities and descriptive types of investigations. Several units have been formed to deal with special programs including a native plant nursery, problem bear relocations, exotic weed control, pest management and campground rehabilitation.

A further boost to park-based science was provided through the recent inauguration of a Service-wide comprehensive Inventory and Monitoring Program. The biological inventory phase of this initiative was implemented in 1999 to secure basic descriptive information about natural resources occurring throughout the nationwide system of national parks, monuments and historic sites. Glacier National Park received funds to begin this work in 2001. The second phase of the program involves long-term ecological monitoring which will take place under the banner of "Vital Signs Monitoring". Glacier National Park is part of the Rocky Mountain Inventory and Monitoring Network headed by Dr. Mike Britten. Funding to begin Vital Signs Monitoring in the Rocky Mountain Network became available in 2003.

Another initiative gaining momentum under the Natural Resource Challenge program is creation of a national network of Learning Centers. The concept is to provide a support infrastructure to promote scientific research in selected host parks. Special emphasis is given to the dissemination of natural resource information to various "publics". An important theme underlying the Learning Center concept is multidisciplinary collaboration and the involvement of natural resource agencies at all levels of government. Regional Native American tribes and educational institutions are also invited to participate. Implementation of this initiative varies widely among different parks. At some locations existing facilities (i.e., historic structures, unused park housing, etc.) have been converted to Learning Centers. Currently Glacier National Park is using two Mission 66 houses in the headquarters area at West Glacier for offices and space to provide temporary facilities for visiting scientists. The Glacier Park unit, aptly named the "Crown of the Continent Learning Center", has strong ties with the University of Montana and other educational institutions in the region. Dr. Leigh Welling is Director of the Learning Center in Glacier National Park. Dr. Salli Hejl is the Center's Resource Education Specialist.

Glacier National Park strongly encourages the participation of academic and independent scientists in the park science program. A great deal of past research in the park has been carried out by qualified individuals engaged in independent studies. Persons wishing to familiarize themselves with recent research and resources management projects in the park are encouraged to visit the NPS Research Permit and Reporting System website and examine the archive of Investigator's Annual Reports. These are mandatory year-end reports required from all Principal Investigators (PI's) , who engage in science and resource management activities in the various parks. A wide range of technical disciplines are represented. Parks are listed alphabetically and a search utility is provided for retrieval of research summaries according to park, subject or names of the PI's.

Priority consideration is given to research proposals that address resource issues of most immediate concern to park managers. Many of these concerns are documented in the park Resources Management Plan, a strategic plan that monitors the condition of park resources and recommends remedial actions to deal with specific problems. However, qualified scientists are invited to conduct independent studies in their special areas of expertise in the national parks when the work promises to yield information that is useful to park management. NPS policy discourages studies that are not likely to produce results having some intrinsic value for preserving or managing park resources.

Persons wishing to conduct scientific research in Glacier National Park can apply for a Research and Collection Permit through the NPS Research Permit and Reporting System website. This is done by selecting “Submit applications for research permits” and following the instructions on the screen. The application form can be filled out and submitted electronically from the website. Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the instruction set and general guidelines posted on the website prior to completing the Application Form (see “Application FAQs” and “Permit FAQs”) .

A Research Proposal or Study Plan is required in addition to the Application Form. Proposals can be attached during the on-line application process or can be sent directly to the park Research Coordinator either electronically or via regular mail. Information for contacting the Research Coordinator appears at the end of this section and on the application site . If a peer reviewed proposal already exists (i.e., one prepared for a granting institution, etc.) this will often satisfy the requirement for a study plan. In this case PI's are asked to attach a short letter to the proposal describing how their work in Glacier National Park relates to the overall goals of the investigation. Research methods to be employed in the park should be clearly described in the letter if they are not fully documented in the study proposal. Experience has shown that lack of details on field methods causes most of the delays in the permitting process.

Investigators are encouraged to apply at least 90-days in advance of the time they plan to arrive in the p ark. This amount of lead-time is sometimes necessary because processing the application involves numerous steps. These include various levels of review and checks for compliance with NEPA, park regulations, compatibility with wilderness management guidelines, etc. In many cases accompanying research proposals will already have undergone one or more levels of peer review. Additional review may be sought depending upon the scope and complexity of the proposal. Applicants may be contacted by park staff and requested to provide additional information or clarification about the proposed work. A special permit must be obtained from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service by investigators planning to handle or otherwise disturb any species listed under the Endangered Species Act . Upon completion of these reviews PI's will be notified via e-mail, telephone or letter about the status of their permit. Persons conducting multi-year projects may request a permit valid for up to 5 years . Researchers will be mailed two copies of the permit. The PI should sign both and mail one back to the p ark. The other signed original must be carried by the PI or field team leader at all times while in the field in the p ark.

Principal Investigators and members of their research teams who will be undertaking field work for the first time in Glacier National Park are required to receive a safety and informational briefing before entering the field. This is the final step in the application process; the permit will become valid upon completion of this briefing. Returning investigators and co-workers who received this briefing during a previous year are exempt from this requirement. However, if several new people join the study team during subsequent field seasons we recommend they receive the briefing. These normally take about 20 minutes . The NPS staff person conducting the safety and informational briefing will discuss any special restrictions or requirements that may apply depending on location of study sites, current conditions, trail closures, etc. They will also recommend some means for keeping the appropriate District or Subdistrict Ranger advised of their field activities. This is especially important for projects involving methods that may attract the attention of park visitors. In many cases a schedule of planned field activities will suffice. If field tasks and work locations cannot be easily scheduled, an alternate means for notifying District or Subdistrict personnel will be arranged on a case by case basis. These procedures have been established to ensure the safety of researchers working in the field and to avoid conflicts with other park activities.

In addition to the general guidelines, rules and requirements described on the NPS Research Permit and Reporting System website, researchers may have additional restrictions or conditions imposed that are specific to Glacier National Park . These are sometimes necessary due to temporary closures of areas due to bear activity, wildfire, active eagle nests, wolf denning, etc. Researchers carrying out their work in public view may also be asked to display some type of apparel that clearly identifies them as members of a field research team. The p ark has a limited number of colored vests that display appropriate identifying marks available for loan if needed.

Information gained from research investigations is archived in several standardized databases that are in Service-wide use throughout the NPS. Scientific data obtained in a national park under the authority of a Research and Collection Permit must be reported in formats that have been adopted for these databases. This includes a protocol for recording metadata. Guidelines for reporting results in the appropriate formats will be furnished to investigators conducting scientific studies in Glacier National Park . A digital copy of original data files and any derived data products may also be requested, in addition to metadata, when the study topic has potential for future monitoring. Investigators needing assistance with this or who wish to discuss technical aspects of reporting their data may contact Richard Menicke, the natural resource database manager in Glacier National Park . He can be contacted by phone at (406) 888-7918 or via e-mail: richard_menicke@nps.gov.

Principal Investigators issued a Research and Collection Permit will be contacted at the end of the year and requested to submit an "Investigator's Annual Report" (IAR) . This can be prepared either in hard copy or online via the NPS Research Permit and Reporting System website . Instructions for filing the report will be provided with the notification. Completion of an IAR is a condition for renewal of permits and are required each year of the project from initial data collection until a final report is submitted. IAR's are intended to be brief, stand-alone summaries to communicate the highlights of objectives and research progress and findings to park management, park interpreters, and the public. Upon completion of a project, investigators must submit a copy of the final report or publication to the park for our library. We encourage investigators to submit a one to two page layman's abstract along with their final report. Investigators may also be invited to speak to park staff and the public at our Science Conference or brown bag seminars.

Investigators engaged in approved research projects at Glacier National Park are entitled to a fee waiver for entry into the p ark. To obtain a gate pass PI's or field team leaders should provide the Chief Ranger's Office with a list of names of all persons in their crews along with license number(s) and a description of the vehicle(s). This must be submitted in advance of arrival. Fee waivers can not be generated the same day as your arrival. Please contact the Chief Ranger's Office by phone at (406) 888-7820 or via e-mail: christie_merrell@nps.gov.

Camping fee waivers are not typically granted, and are only awarded under exceptional circumstances. Principal Investigators are advised to make allowances for field expenses, including use of public campgrounds, during preparation of their budgets. Use of backcountry campsites is allowed on a space-available basis and arrangements for the use of these facilities must be made through the park backcountry camping reservation system.

Persons interested in obtaining a research and collection permit may contact:

Tara Carolin, Ecologist
Science Center
Glacier National Park
West Glacier, Montana 59936

Phone: (406) 888- 7919
Fax: (406) 888-7990
E-mail: tara_carolin@nps.gov

Those needing assistance with the application process and administrative or logistical aspects of their work in Glacier National Park should contact:

Debbie Hervol
Science & Resources Management
Glacier National Park
West Glacier, Montana 59936

Phone: (406) 888- 7916
Fax: (406) 888- 7946
E-mail: debbie_hervol@nps.gov