Through this program, NSF enables the production of professional-quality literature and art that complement the U.S. Antarctic Program's (USAP's) science, engineering, and education programs to increase public understanding of the Antarctic continent, the surrounding oceans, and human activities there, as well as the region's unique geopolitical and other characteristics. The program provides opportunities for artists and writers-whether promising early career practitioners or those of longstanding professional reputation and accomplishment-to make the observations at USAP research stations and field camps or aboard ships necessary to completing their projects as envisioned and as described in their proposals. Integral to achieving the goals of the program is a requirement to broadly disseminate the works that are produced by program participants as a public benefit; therefore the Foundation expects that successful proposals will contain well-developed plans for bringing the artistic or literary works before the widest possible cross-section of the public. Discussions with the cognizant program officer are encouraged to help prospective applicants, many of whom are unfamiliar with NSF grants process and requirements, draft the most competitive proposal possible. Projects across the range of the humanities are eligible for the program, though some projects, such as magazine journalism or films, for example, would be more appropriate for submission to another NSF program. The majority of supported projects in the Artists & Writers Program has been in photography, painting, and writing.