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NIST is soliciting applications from eligible colleges and universities in the U.S. and its territories, nominating undergraduate students to participate in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program. The SURF Program will provide research opportunities for undergraduate students to work with NIST scientists and engineers, to expose them to cutting-edge research and promote the pursuit of graduate degrees in science and engineering.

Notice of Intent to award a Cooperative Agreement to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute (UAF-GI) in volcano monitoring, and in performing geological and geophysical studies related to volcano monitoring and volcanic hazard assessment in Alaska and the Aleutians. This work is in cooperation with the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (ADGGS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The National Science Foundation is soliciting proposals for the management and operation of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). NCAR, an NSF Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), is a center of excellence supporting the atmospheric, geospace and broader Earth sciences communities. NCAR operates world-class observational facilities and computing infrastructure, conducts extensive in-house research, maintains vigorous programs of education, outreach, and the promotion of diversity, and cultivates extensive national and international collaborations. NCAR also carries out research and development on behalf of other organizations, most commonly other U.S. Government agencies. This work, which can only be undertaken if it supports the NCAR mission, currently accounts for approximately 30% of NCAR's total funding.

The consequences of climate variability and change are becoming more immediate and profound than previously anticipated. Over recent decades, the world has witnessed the onset of prolonged droughts on several continents, increased frequency of floods, loss of agricultural and forest productivity, degraded ocean and permafrost ecosystems, global sea level rise and the rapid retreat of ice sheets and glaciers, loss of arctic sea ice, and changes in ocean currents. These important impacts highlight that climate variability and change can have significant effects on decadal and shorter time scales, with significant consequences for plant, animal, human, and physical systems. The EaSM funding opportunity enables interagency cooperation on one of the most pressing problems of the millennium: climate change and??how it is likely to affect our world. It allows the partner agencies -- National Science Foundation (NSF) and??U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) -- to combine resources to identify and fund the most meritorious and highest-impact projects that support their respective missions, while??avoiding duplication of effort and fostering collaboration between agencies and the investigators they support.This interdisciplinary scientific challenge calls for the development and application of next-generation Earth System Models that include coupled and interactive representations of such??components as ocean and atmospheric currents, agricultural working lands and forests,?? biogeochemistry, atmospheric chemistry,?? the water cycle and land ice.?? This solicitation seeks to attract scientists from the disciplines of geosciences, agricultural sciences, mathematics and statistics. Successful proposals will develop intellectual excitement in the participating disciplinary communities and engage diverse interdisciplinary teams with sufficient breadth to achieve the scientific objectives. 

Applicants must choose one of the following categories they feel their project best exemplifies: 1.) Outstanding Emerging Innovation: The winning nominee is a person or company working on the basic research phase of an innovation - for three years or less, pre-commercialization - that has received grant money or outside money and that demonstrates the potential for continued growth and success. 2.) Outstanding Bioscience Innovation: The winning nominee is a company that has achieved a significant milestone in the life sciences, including but not limited to drug therapeutics, medical devices, medical imaging and pharmacogenetics. 3.) Outstanding Information Technology Innovation: The winning nominee is a company that has achieved a significant milestone in information technology, including hardware and software, packaged applications, custom applications and digital media. 4.) Outstanding Marketing Innovation: The winning nominee is a company that has achieved a significant milestone in consumer marketing. 5.) Outstanding Advanced Engineering Innovation: The winning nominee is a company that has achieved a significant milestone in advanced engineering - where technology is used to design a product.

The Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) offers postdoctoral research fellowships to provide opportunities for scientists early in their careers to work within and across traditional disciplinary lines, develop partnerships, and avail themselves of unique resources, sites and facilities. The fellowship program is intended to recognize beginning investigators of significant potential, and provide them with experience that will establish them in positions of leadership in the scientific community. During tenure, fellows will affiliate with an appropriate research institution(s) and conduct research on topics supported by OCE. The OCE fellowship program has two tracks: 1) Track 1 (Broadening Participation) and 2) Track 2 (International). Fellowships are awards to individuals, not organizations, and are administered by the fellows.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Office of University Programs (OUP) requests applications from U.S. colleges and universities to serve as a partner institution for a Critical Infrastructure Resilience Center of Excellence (CIRC). OUP is posting a separate FOA for eligible applicants to submit lead proposals for consideration. Please see FOA Number DHS-14-ST-061-COE-CIRC-001A or CFDA #97.061on http://www.grants.gov. DHS may select individual project partners from applications received for either the Center Lead FOA or the Center Partner FOA to the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Center. Principal Investigators that are already Partners under a Center Lead application may not submit the same application under this Partner FOA.The DHS COEs are university consortia that work closely with DHS to conduct research, develop and transition mission-relevant science and technology, and educate the next generation of homeland security technical experts

The Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) of the Research Councils UK (RCUK) are pleased to announce an NSF/GEO-NERC lead agency opportunity. The goal of this opportunity is to reduce some of the current barriers to working internationally. Through a lead agency model, GEO and NERC will address these issues by allowing US and UK researchers to submit a single collaborative proposal that will undergo a single review process.

The Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) of the Research Councils UK (RCUK) are pleased to announce an NSF/GEO-NERC lead agency opportunity. The goal of this opportunity is to reduce some of the current barriers to working internationally. Through a lead agency model, GEO and NERC will address these issues by allowing US and UK researchers to submit a single collaborative proposal that will undergo a single review process

The Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) offers postdoctoral research fellowships to provide opportunities for scientists early in their careers to work within and across traditional disciplinary lines, develop partnerships, and avail themselves of unique resources, sites and facilities. The fellowship program is intended to recognize beginning investigators of significant potential, and provide them with experience that will establish them in positions of leadership in the scientific community. During tenure, fellows will affiliate with an appropriate research institution(s) and conduct research on topics supported by OCE. The OCE fellowship program has two tracks: 1) Track 1 (Broadening Participation) and 2) Track 2 (International). Fellowships are awards to individuals, not organizations, and are administered by the fellows.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities (LAOF) Program oversees a portfolio of multi-user national facilities that are sponsored by NSF for use by the geosciences research community. Program management resides within AGS in the NCAR and Facilities Section (NFS) which provides a single point for coordination of planning and resources.

The LAOF program enables geoscience research through the provision of specialized facilities, instrumentation, and field support services necessary to carry out the scientific field work associated with investigations of a wide range of geophysical phenomena. The program is actively involved in decisions about the acquisition, operation, maintenance, upgrading and replacement of these facilities based on input from the scientific community. LAOF funding supports both the planning for scientific field programs (e.g., experimental design, operational plans, logistical support) and the actual deployment of NSF-sponsored facilities.

The GIP and MIS youth internship programs provide opportunities for geoscientists and other natural resource scientists to assist with inventorying, monitoring, research, and interpretation/education projects on lands administered by the NPS. The projects and work products enable the participants, public, and park staff to gain a better understanding of the natural resources in NPS units and assist park staff with managing its resources using sound science. The National Park Service, the Department of Interior, and the President of the United States have sought to increase science-based resource management in national park units, to improve the understanding of resources and incorporation of such information by park managers in making decisions, to improve the quality of information given to the public, and to increase the number of NPS partners and volunteers helping parks. The actions to be undertaken will help address numerous NPS GPRA goals. Hiring interns through the GIP Program addresses unmet geoscience needs identified by parks, regions, networks, and central offices and advances the Departments of the Interior¿s and NPS¿ diversity and youth initiatives. The NPS benefits from addressing identified NPS objectives through the program partner, The Geological Society of America which has similar education and outreach goals.

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) is pleased to offer a limited number of conference grants. These grants will be used to subsidize the cost of attendance for individuals to attend either CUR Dialogues 2015: Climbing the Ladder to Funding Success: Diverse Sources, Diverse Pathways or Undergraduate Research Programs: Building, Enhancing, Sustaining. Nominees are asked to provide contact and demographic information, a statement of expenses, a statement describing financial need, and a statement on expected outcomes from attending the conference. Historically under-represented groups and first-time attendees will be given priority. The review committee will work to ensure awardees represent a diverse subset of the applicants, specifically across discipline/CUR Division and geographic location. Awardees will receive the conference grant as a rebate after their confirmed participation in the conference, and the submission of reimbursement paperwork.

The Expeditions Council is an editorially driven grant program that supports exploration and adventure worldwide.  Proposed projects must have the potential to yield compelling stories and images. Applications are also judged on the qualifications of applicants and their teams, and on the project's merit, uniqueness and safety protocols. The Council consists of representatives of National Geographic editorial divisions (magazines, television, books, website, and so on) who review and vote on grant applications, as well as an advisory board of external consultants. While the Expeditions Council funds a broad range of exploration and adventure, if a project is based on scientific inquiry, applicants must provide detailed methodology.  In addition, all projects must adhere to applicable scientific or professional ethical standards, which are outlined in the grant application and are subject to scientific review The Expeditions Council offers its grantees the opportunity to work effectively with National Geographic's many divisions. Grantees are therefore able to share the results of their expeditions with National Geographic's global audience.

The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) is a national and regional partnership working to provide observations, data, and new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment. NOAA is requesting proposals for coordinated regional efforts that further the IOOS in two topic areas, 1) sustaining and enhancing comprehensive regional observing systems and 2) verification and validation of observing technologies for studying and monitoring coastal and ocean environments. NOAA invites applicants to submit proposals for one or both of these topic areas, described in detail below, and requests applicants submit separate applications for each topic area. For single topic proposals, clearly identify the topic area and present all required information such that merit reviewers can associate proposal elements (project description, partners, budgets) with the specific topic area. NOAA anticipates making multiple awards, subject to the availability of funds, in amounts ranging from $1,000,000 to $4,000,000 per year, for up to five years.

The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) is a national and regional partnership working to provide observations, data, and new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment. NOAA is requesting proposals for coordinated regional efforts that further the IOOS in two topic areas, 1) sustaining and enhancing comprehensive regional observing systems and 2) verification and validation of observing technologies for studying and monitoring coastal and ocean environments. NOAA invites applicants to submit proposals for one or both of these topic areas, described in detail below, and requests applicants submit separate applications for each topic area. For single topic proposals, clearly identify the topic area and present all required information such that merit reviewers can associate proposal elements (project description, partners, budgets) with the specific topic area. NOAA anticipates making multiple awards, subject to the availability of funds, in amounts ranging from $1,000,000 to $4,000,000 per year, for up to five years.

Benefit-Cost Analysis is a widely employed approach for evaluating the economic consequences of environmental decisions. For environmental quality improvements, particularly those involving air pollution controls, major investments have been made in data collection and modeling methods. As a result, public and private stakeholders have well-developed tools available to inform their understanding of air pollution policies. America's water resources are also at risk of degradation from chemical and microbial pollutants and changing climatic conditions; however, the ability to estimate the benefits of water quality improvements has lagged behind analogous work for air quality. The U.S. GAO (2014) recently noted the challenges associated with valuing water quality. In addition, how differences in spatial scales impact water quality benefits is not well understood. It is recognized that actions that improve water quality in headwater streams, for example, can affect the quality of downstream waters, thereby supplying benefits far from the site of action. The U.S. EPA is interested in supporting research to improve non-use valuation methods that will enable public and private stakeholders to better evaluate water quality for the Nation's inland fresh water small streams, lakes and rivers, estuaries, coastal waters, and the Great Lakes.  For purposes of this RFA, small streams are defined as streams that are perennial and wadeable. 

The Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry Program focuses on geochemical processes in terrestrial Earth's surface environmental systems, as well as the interaction of geochemical and biological processes. The program supports field, laboratory, theoretical, and modeling studies of these processes and related mechanisms at all spatial and temporal scales. Studies may address: 1) inorganic and/or organic geochemical processes occurring at or near the Earth's surface now and in the past, and across the broad spectrum of interfaces ranging in scale from planetary and regional to mineral-surface and supramolecular; 2) the role of life in the transformation and evolution of Earth's geochemical cycles; 3) surficial chemical and biogeochemical systems and cycles, including their modification through environmental change and human activities; 4) low-temperature aqueous geochemical processes; 5) mineralogy and chemistry of earth materials; 6) geomicrobiology and biomineralization processes; and 7) medical mineralogy and geochemistry. The Program encourages research that focuses on geochemical processes as they are coupled with physical and biological processes in the critical zone. The Program also supports work on the development of tools, methods, and models for the advancement of low-temperature geochemistry and geobiology. The Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry Program is interested in supporting transformational and cutting-edge research. The Program is highly interdisciplinary and interfaces with other programs within the Earth Surface Section and with programs in biology, chemistry and engineering.

Together with University Advancement, the Office for the Advancement of Research & Scholarship (OARS) is rolling out an new crowdfunding platform called HawksNest. Through HawksNest, alumni, family, and friends of the university can directly support the research, scholarship, and service projects of Miami University students, faculty, and staff. This is how HawksNest works: * Any Miami University student, faculty, or staff member may complete an online application to have a project considered for funding. * An internal review team assesses applications and posts approved projects on HawksNest for a maximum of 45 days. * Potential donors visit the site to learn about and pledge funds to approved projects. * Once a funding goal has been met, the project can begin! * Project managers use the site to keep donors up-to-date with information on the project's progress.

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) is seeking proposals to provide independent, objective analysis of scientific and technical topics of relevance to the Air Force and national defense. The activity would include refining areas of interest provided by the Air Force into organized, rigorous studies concerning, for many scientific and technical fields, determining the state of the art, projecting trends, utilizing science and technologies for national defense purposes, and identifying promising or necessary areas of additional study. This announcement solicits proposals for up to five (5) years of performance and up to $25M of funding, dependent on the needs of the Air Force and the availability of funding. All proposals must be unclassified, but work under any award may be classified.