If your questions are not answered below, please email - mfp@unols.org or directly email Stefani Martynenko (stefani@unols.org). You can schedule a meeting with Stefani, following this link. We welcome questions and feedback!
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Marine Facilities Planning - Operator How To Guide
Help document with a Table of Contents can be found here. Click on a topic in the Table of Contents to be directed to the correct topic.
MSE Quick Guides:
Equipment Questions Quick Start Guide
Inventory Management Quick Start Guide
Schedule Construction Quick Start Guide
Project Management Quick Start Guide
Guide to Inventory Management - GEOMAR (translated from German)
A list of quick Tutorials can be found here:
Note: Tutorials are frequently added to the YouTube channel; we advise that you subscribe. If tutorials are not available for your specific topic or question, reach out with requests for new tutorials.
YouTube Playlist for operator MFP tutorials
- Register/Finalize Cruise Dates
- Filtering Schedule Information
- Finding Projects in Project Management
- Adding Pooled & Portable Equipment
- Adding Equipment Questions
- Find PCAR & PCAR Review Step through Schedule Module
- MFP Navigation and the Schedule Module
- Schedule Construction DRAFT Folders
- Finding the Link to the PCAR
- Adding Documents/Templates to Workflow Steps
- Publishing a Schedule
- Find the Cruise PCAR
- Download Ops & Utilization Day Report
- Filling in 365 Utilization
- Finding the SME from the Schedule Module
- Update Deadlines
- Updating Dayrates & Ship Info
- Finding Funding STATS
- Updating Ship Info
- Editing Ship Fitted Equipment
- Updating the PI and/or Chief Scientist
- Transit and Inspection Specific Workflows
- Updating Ship Rates
- How to Assign Days and Funding
- Finding the Funding & Breakdown Report
- Adding & Finding an SME
- Registering Load / Stand‑by Day / Cruise
- Reporting – Audit Report
Inventory Management Tutorials can be found here:
YouTube Playlist for IvM MFP tutorials
- Adding Contacts
- Module Overview (Anne‑Katrin Schleiser, GEOMAR)
- Transport Part 3
- Transports Part 2
- Transports Part 1
- R/VTEC 2025 – MFP – Inventory Management – Beiko Maas
- Registering Loading & Unloading of PlanLists
- Adding PlanList to Voyage
- Creating a PlanList
- Maintenance Policy
- Adding Maintenance Events/Calibrations
- Editing Equipment in Bulk
- Adding Base/Current Locations in GroundData
- Equipment Overview Screen
Marine Facilities Planning - Scientist How To Guide
Marine Facilities Planning is the new system designed to replace the old Ship Time Request System (STRS). This website allows scientists to request ship time on the vessels of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet and then update their funding. Eventually the fleet's cruise planning will also be accomplished through this portal.
Please click on the links below to learn more about each topic. You can find the MFP website here: https://www.mfp.us.
Help document with a Table of Contents can be found here. Click on a topic in the Table of Contents to be directed to the correct topic.
A list of quick Tutorials can be found here:
YouTube Playlist for science MFP tutorials
Note: Tutorials are frequently added to the YouTube channel; we advise that you subscribe. If tutorials are not available for your specific topic or question, reach out with requests for new tutorials.
- Creating an SME
- Duplicate or Cancel SME or View the Workflow
- Update Funding Status
- Download Multiple SMEs as a Zip File
- Research Planner & Cruise Location Analysis
- 7‑min Intro to Cruise Planning
- Adding Cruise Participants (Single‑Leg Cruise)
- Adding Cruise Participants (Multi‑Leg Cruise)
- Selecting Ship in the Schedules Module
- Piggy‑Back and Ancillary Projects
- SME for Multi‑Cruise Projects
- Schedules / Table View
- How to Assign Days and Funding
- Intro for Scientists
- Uploading Coordinate Files (Tips & Tricks)
API Information
Information about the MFP Cruise Data API can be found here. Please reach out if you have questions.
If you are looking for the GRID-ID for your institution, it can be found here: https://ror.org/
Overview of the GRID IDs:
| Abbreviation | Name | Grid |
| UNOLS | University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System | grid.474423.2 |
| SIO | University of California, San Diego / Scripps | grid.266100.3 |
| UW | University of Washington | grid.34477.33 |
| WHOI | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | grid.56466.37 |
| SkIO | Skidaway Institute of Oceanography | grid.263708.8 |
| UAF | University of Alaska | grid.70738.3b |
| LDEO | Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory | grid.473157.3 |
| UH | University of Hawaii | grid.162346.4 |
| OSU | Oregon State University | grid.4391.f |
| URI | University of Rhode Island | grid.20431.34 |
| BIOS | Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences | grid.248808.e |
| UDel | University of Delaware | grid.33489.35 |
| LUMCON | Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium | grid.448526.9 |
| UMIAMI | University of Miami | grid.26790.3a |
| UMN | University of Minnesota, Duluth | grid.266744.5 |