OARS funding Geology & Earth Science

The Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) awards Postdoctoral Fellowships to recent recipients of doctoral degrees to conduct an integrated program of independent research and professional development.  Fellowship proposals must address scientific questions within the scope of EAR disciplinary programs and must align with the overall theme for the postdoctoral program. The program supports researchers for a period of up to two years with fellowships that can be taken to the institution of their choice (including institutions abroad). The program is intended to recognize beginning investigators of significant potential, and provide them with research experience, mentorship, and training that will establish them in leadership positions in the Earth Sciences community. Because the fellowships are offered only to postdoctoral scientists early in their career, doctoral advisors are encouraged to discuss the availability of EAR postdoctoral fellowships with their graduate students early in their doctoral programs. Fellowships are awards to individuals, not institutions, and are administered by the Fellows.

The primary objective of the EDMAP component of the NCGMP is to train the next generation of geologic mappers. To do this NCGMP provides funds for graduate and selected undergraduate students in academic research projects that involve geologic mapping as a major component. Through these cooperative agreements NCGMP hopes to expand the research and educational capacity of academic programs that teach earth science students the techniques of geologic mapping and field data analysis. Another important goal is to increase the level of communication between the Nations geologic surveys (both State Geological Surveys and the USGS) and geologic mappers in the academic community. We hope that this improved communication will have two results: 1) that the academic mapping community will learn more about the societal needs that drive geologic mapping projects at the USGS and State Geologic Surveys, and 2) more geologic maps produced in academia will eventually be made available to the public.

Oceanographic facilities and equipment are supported by the Integrative Programs Section (IPS) of the Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE), Directorate for Geosciences (GEO). These awards are made for the procurement, conversion and/or up-grade, enhancement or annual operation of platforms in the ocean, coastal, near-shore and Great Lakes. Awards are generally directed specifically to support facilities that lend themselves to shared use within the broad range of federally-supported research and education programs. Most of these platforms and facilities also receive partial support from federal agencies other than NSF. This includes state and local governments and private sources on a proportional basis usually through a daily rate mechanism. The primary objective of these awards is to ensure the availability of appropriate facilities for federally-funded investigators and educators. Individual project-based facilities and instrumentation, limited to one, or a small group of investigators, should be supported through appropriate research programs as opposed to the IPS programs listed herein. The individual programs covered within this solicitation include: Ship Operations (Ship Ops) Oceanographic Technical Services (Tech Services) Oceanographic Instrumentation (OI) Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment (SSSE) Ship Acquisition and Upgrade (SAU) Other Facility Activities (OFA)

The University of Iowa will conduct a study entitled:"In-situ bedload measurements using multi-beam echosounders (MBES) and AcousticCurrent Doppler Profilers (ADCPs)." The primary contribution of the proposedresearch is the Acoustic Mapping Velocimetry (AMV) implementation formeasurements in natural streams where the current bedload measurementtechnologies are of questionable accuracy irrespective of their type (bottomtracking with ADCPs or direct sampling with bedload probes).

The Antarctic Sciences Section (ANT) of the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) supports cutting-edge research that (1) expands fundamental knowledge of the Antarctic and the natural laboratory it represents across a range of disciplines, (2) improves understanding of interactions between the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region and Earth system, and (3) utilizes the unique characteristics of the Antarctic continent as an observing platform. The U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) supports scientific research in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean with logistics provided by OPP’s Antarctic Infrastructure and Logistics Section (AIL). Antarctic fieldwork is supported only for research that must be performed, or is best performed, in Antarctica. ANT encourages research, using existing samples, data, and models, that does not require fieldwork. ANT also encourages research that crosses and combines, disciplinary perspectives and approaches.

The goal of the program is to stimulate progress on fundamental scientific questions of major importance in mathematics, theoretical physics, and theoretical computer science. To that end, $2 million a year for an initial period of four years, including up to 20 percent a year for indirect costs, will be awarded in support of collaborations that address a mathematical or theoretical topic of fundamental scientific importance where a significant, new development creates a novel area for exploration or provides a new direction for progress in an established field. Questions addressed by the collaboration may be concrete or conceptual, but there should be little doubt that answering them would constitute a major scientific milestone. The project should involve outstanding researchers in a range of career stages. The foundation expects to award up to two collaborations in 2020.

Plasma Physics is a study of matter and physical systems whose intrinsic properties are governed by collective interactions of large ensembles of free charged particles. 99.9% of the visible Universe is thought to consist of plasmas. The underlying physics of the collective behavior in plasmas has applications to space physics and astrophysics, materials science, applied mathematics, fusion science, accelerator science, and many branches of engineering. The National Science Foundation (NSF), with participation of the Directorates for Engineering, Geosciences, and Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and the Department of Energy, Office of Science, Fusion Energy Sciences are continuing the joint Partnership in Basic Plasma Science and Engineering begun in FY1997 and renewed several times since. As stated in the original solicitation (NSF 97-39), which is superseded by the present solicitation, the goal of the Partnership is to enhance basic plasma science research and education in this broad, multidisciplinary field by coordinating efforts and combining resources of the two agencies. The current solicitation also encourages submission of proposals to perform basic plasma experiments at NSF and/or DOE supported user facilities, including facilities located at DOE national laboratories, designed to serve the needs of the broader plasma science and engineering community.

The multi-agency Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases program supports research on the ecological, evolutionary, and social drivers that influence the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases. The central theme of submitted projects must be the quantitative or computational understanding of pathogen transmission dynamics. The intent is discovery of principles of infectious disease transmission and testing mathematical or computational models that elucidate infectious disease systems. Projects should be broad, interdisciplinary efforts that go beyond the scope of typical studies. They should focus on the determinants and interactions of transmission among humans, non-human animals, and/or plants. This includes, for example, the spread of pathogens; the influence of environmental factors such as climate; the population dynamics and genetics of reservoir species or hosts; the feedback between ecological transmission and evolutionary dynamics; and the cultural, social, behavioral, and economic dimensions of pathogen transmission. Research may be on zoonotic, environmentally-borne, vector-borne, or enteric pathogens of either terrestrial or aquatic systems and organisms, including diseases of animals and plants, at any scale from specific pathogens to inclusive environmental systems.

The goal of this project is to complete a Level-II soils map of the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VALL). The soils map is an integral part of natural resource planning for forest restoration actions, fuels management, fire applications and watershed management.

NPS requires cooperative technical expertise in geospatial technologies and cultural resource management from Colorado State University (CSU) to support the research and development of cultural data to support the Intermountain Region¿s enterprise data management efforts. These data will support the general understanding of cultural resources in our 84 park units and better serve the research communities.

* Assist in research concerning aquatic ecosystem health and aquatic invasive species. * Assist in water sample processing, along with any other sample preparation as needed * Assist in scanning existing aerial photographs and maps to create and maintain digital archives of data * Utilize ArcGis and other GIS software to perform various geoprocessing tasks and to create cartographic product

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in Chevy Chase, Maryland, is inviting applications for the third round of its Inclusive Excellence Initiative (IE3), which is designed to promote diversity and inclusion in science education. The program challenges colleges and universities to work with faculty to examine and change campus cultures so that a diverse group of students feel included in science. More than 1,400 institutions are eligible to compete, and HHMI expects to award grants to up to 30 more schools, with $1 million provided to each over five years.

The International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program supports international research and research-related activities for U.S. science and engineering students. The IRES program contributes to development of a diverse, globally-engaged workforce with world-class skills. IRES focuses on active research participation by undergraduate or graduate students in high quality international research, education and professional development experiences in NSF-funded research areas. The overarching, long-term goal of the IRES program is to enhance U.S. leadership in research and education and to strengthen economic competitiveness through training the next generation of research leaders. This solicitation features three mechanisms; proposers are required to select one of the following tracks to submit their proposal. Track I focuses on the development of world-class research skills in international cohort experiences. Track II is dedicated to targeted, intensive learning and training opportunities that leverage international knowledge at the frontiers of research. Track III supports U.S. institutional collaborations to develop, implement and evaluate innovative models for high-impact, large-scale international research and professional development experiences for U.S. graduate students. Student participants supported by IRES funds must be citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States. Students do not apply directly to NSF to participate in IRES activities. Students apply to NSF-funded investigators who receive IRES awards. To identify appropriate IRES projects, students should consult the directory of active IRES awards. All PIs, co-PIs and Senior Personnel on IRES proposals must be from U.S. based institutions.

The Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) Integrative Programs Section (IPS) is soliciting proposals from eligible organizations to serve as the Operating Institution (OI) for the third ship in the Regional Class Research Vessels (RCRV #3). Planning for construction of new RCRVs for the U.S. Academic Research Fleet (ARF) has been ongoing at the National Science Foundation for more than a decade. In early 2012 a Solicitation (NSF-12-558) was issued for the design and construction of up to three RCRVs. The solicitation provided that the Awardee would serve as Lead Institution (LI) for the Design and Construction of all vessels in the Class with the option to serve as Operator of the Lead Ship. The solicitation further indicated that selection of OIs for any additional vessels would be conducted by means of a separate competition that would be completed prior to delivery of the first RCRV.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the lead Federal agency managing the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP), which supports scientific research and education in the Antarctic and the Southern Ocean. The Antarctic Artists and Writers Program was established to facilitate writing and artistic projects designed to increase the public's understanding and appreciation of the Antarctic and human endeavors on the southernmost continent. The Artist and Writers Program gives priority to projects that focus on interpreting and representing the scientific activities being conducted in the unique Antarctic region. Proposed projects must target audiences in the U.S. and be distributed/exhibited in the U.S. The program does not support site installations or performances in Antarctica. The program also does not support short-term projects that are essentially journalistic in nature (See Section IX. Other Information). Artists and Writers Program field teams should consist of no more than one or two people. Larger projects-such as television or documentary film crews-should contact the cognizant AAW Program Officer.

NSF seeks proposals to establish an adaptive and responsive research network that supports investigations of the Earth's Critical Zone. This network will consist of two components that will work together to advance knowledge, education, and outreach in this convergent science: 1) Thematic Clusters of fixed or temporary locations will conduct basic research on significant, overarching scientific questions concerning the structure, function, and processes of the Critical Zone. These U.S.-based Clusters could include existing observatories engaged in collecting environmental data, other monitoring locations that have been in operation for extended periods of time, and new sites that will support the scientific goals of the Cluster; 2) A Coordinating Hub that will oversee the compatibility and archiving of the data resulting from the Thematic Clusters, coordinate outreach and community-building activities, support the use of network facilities by outside researchers, and plan for infrastructure needs of the network. This solicitation invites proposals for either of the two components: 1) Thematic Cluster or 2) Coordinating Hub. The Thematic Clusters will carry out interdisciplinary research on scientific questions and manage part of the network infrastructure; the Coordinating Hub will serve as the national center for the network. The infrastructure of the network will be accessible to other research teams pursuing research in the Critical Zone

The Science and Technology Centers (STC): Integrative Partnerships program supports exceptionally innovative, complex research and education projects that require large-scale, long-term awards. STCs focus on creating new scientific paradigms, establishing entirely new scientific disciplines and developing transformative technologies which have the potential for broad scientific or societal impact. STCs conduct world-class research through partnerships among institutions of higher education, national laboratories, industrial organizations, other public or private entities, and via international collaborations, as appropriate. They provide a means to undertake potentially groundbreaking investigations at the interfaces of disciplines and/or highly innovative approaches within disciplines. STCs may involve any area of science and engineering that NSF supports. STC investments support the NSF vision of creating and exploiting new concepts in science and engineering and providing global leadership in research and education.

The program is also responsible for implementing the following Secretarial Orders and will support: 1). S.O. 3347: Conservation Stewardship and Outdoor Recreation 2). S.O. 3356, Hunting, Fishing, Recreational Shooting, and Wildlife Conservation Opportunities and Coordination with States, Tribes, and Territories 3). S.O. 3366, Increasing Recreational Opportunities on Lands and Waters Managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior BLM Montana/Dakotas has an opportunity to work with partner organizations to assist BLM with the following: 1. Increase and enhance access to public lands and waters. 2. Increase and enhance hunting, fishing and recreational opportunities. 3. Increase and enhance recreational shooting opportunities. 4. Improve inventory, assessment and planning on public lands and waters. 5. Improve management, administration, and monitoring of public lands and waters. 6. Provide enriched visitor services, information, interpretation and education. 7. Enhance community-supported partnerships in tourism and marketing. 8. Protect visitor health and safety. 9. Improve accessibility for persons with disabilities. 10. Improve motorized and non-motorized trails including trail construction and maintenance; comprehensive travel and transportation inventory and assessment, planning management and monitoring

One of the BLM's highest priorities is to promote ecosystem health and one of the greatest obstacles to achieving this goal is the rapid expansion of weeds across public lands. These invasive plants can dominate and often cause permanent damage to natural plant communities. If not eradicated or controlled, noxious weeds will continue to jeopardize the health of the public lands and to constrain the myriad activities that occur on public lands. BLM NM has opportunities to work with partner organizations to collaboratively manage and coordinate treatments, inventories, monitoring, education and outreach, and prevention activities to control new infestations and treatment to remove existing infestations of noxious weeds and invasive species in order to gain efficiencies across multiple jurisdictions.

The Colorado State Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) seeks to develop partnerships that improve access to and use of heritage resources and that promote their educational, scientific, cultural, and recreational values in a manner that meets U.S. Department of Interior priorities and Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Program goals. The Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Resources Management Program achieves these goals by: - Protecting and preserving cultural heritage and paleontological resources for the benefit of future generations; - Improving professional and/or public understanding of the nation's cultural and natural history; - Providing educational, recreational, and economic opportunities for local communities and the public; - Increasing American Indian access to locations and natural resources important to traditional cultural practices and beliefs; and - Managing heritage resource collections and associated records to appropriate standards, and providing access to the public and American Indians. For more information on how to apply, please visit www.grants.gov to download the full announcement, instructions, and application package.