OARS funding Geology & Earth Science

The Tectonics Program supports a broad range of field, laboratory, computational, and theoretical investigations aimed at understanding the deformation of the terrestrial continental lithosphere (i.e. above the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary). The Program focuses on non-magmatic deformation processes and their tectonic drivers that operate at any depth within the continental lithosphere, on time-scales of decades/centuries (e.g. active tectonics) and longer, and at micro- to plate boundary/orogenic belt length-scales.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of the P3-People, Prosperity and the Planet Award Program, is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real world challenges involving the overall sustainability of human society. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative projects focused on sustainability. The P3 Award program was developed to foster progress toward sustainability by achieving the mutual goals of improved quality of life, economic prosperity and protection of the planet -- people, prosperity, and the planet - the three pillars of sustainability. The EPA offers the P3 competition in order to respond to the technical needs of the world while moving towards the goal of sustainability. Please see the P3 website for more details about this program.

USAID/Middle East is making a special call for the submission of Concept Papers focused on the Middle East Water Security Initiative (MWSI). The goal of the MWSI is to improve sustainable, long-term access to water for up to 20 million people living in the Middle East. The MWSI will target Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, West Bank/Gaza, and Yemen and promote sharing of best practices and lessons learned among the five participating countries. To achieve its bold but doable goal, MWSI will engage both international and local actors from the private sector, civil society, public sector, and other organizations to (a) support dynamic young entrepreneurs, researchers, and consumers with opportunities to develop, test, scale-up and market "water-smart" technologies; and (b) increase awareness of and local ability to address water security challenges in the Middle East through behavior change and advocacy campaigns.

The Division of Graduate Education announces the Graduate Research Internship Program (GRIP) to provide professional development to NSF Graduate Research Fellows through internships developed in partnership with federal agencies (see the GRIP website for a current list of partner agencies). Through this initiative, NSF Graduate Fellows will participate in mission-related, collaborative research under the guidance of host research mentors at federal facilities and national laboratories. The internship experiences will support Fellows with developing expertise in critical STEM areas, enhancing professional skills, developing networks, and preparing for a wide array of career options. The sponsor agencies will benefit by engaging Fellows in mission-critical projects, helping to develop a highly skilled U.S. workforce in areas of national need.

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 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) application period is now open!  NSF is soliciting applications for the GRFP until the posted deadlines in late October and early November 2014.  Since 1952, GRFP has provided Fellowships to individuals selected early in their graduate careers based on their demonstrated potential for significant achievements in science and engineering. Three years of support is provided by the program for graduate study in science or engineering and leads to a research-based master's or doctoral degree.  The NSF expects to award 2,000 Graduate Research Fellowships under this program solicitation pending availability of funds. 

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 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. 

The Aeronomy program supports research on upper and middle atmosphere phenomena of ionization, recombination, chemical reaction, photo emission, and transport; the transport of energy, and momentum. This program also supports research into mass in the mesosphere-thermosphere-ionosphere system including the processes involved and the coupling of this global system to the stratosphere below and magnetosphere above and the plasma physics of phenomena manifested in the coupled ionosphere-magnetosphere system, including the effects of high-power radio wave modification.About the Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions (CEDAR) ProgramThe CEDAR concept originated in the mideighties and was developed over several years through workshops, symposia, and committee deliberations by nearly 100 scientists involved in aeronomical studies.

Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) Primary Announcement (7 Task Statements) 1. Fuels Mapping for Emissions Inventories 2. Smoke Hazard Warning Signs 3. Implications of Changing Fuels and Fire Regimes 4. Fire Ember Production 5. Fire Effects on Soil Heating 6. Fire Weather and Decision Making 7. Re-measurement-Long Term Effects on Vegetation/Fuels. See Section IV of announcement for proposal submission requirements.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) is announcing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for applicants to provide the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) non-federal partners with support for further integrating citizen-based and nontraditional environmental monitoring programs into the CBP partnership's existing monitoring networks.

The Science and Technology Centers (STC): Integrative Partnerships program supports innovative, potentially transformative, complex research and education projects that require large-scale, long-term awards. STCs conduct world-class research through partnerships among academic institutions, national laboratories, industrial organizations, and/or other public/private entities, and via international collaborations, as appropriate. They provide a means to undertake significant investigations at the interfaces of disciplines and/or fresh approaches within disciplines. STCs may involve any area of science and engineering that NSF supports

During 2015 - 2019, NHERI will be a distributed, multi-user, national facility to provide the natural hazards engineering community with access to research infrastructure (earthquake and wind engineering experimental facilities, cyberinfrastructure, computational modeling and simulation tools, and research data), coupled with education and community outreach activities. NHERI will enable research and educational advances that can contribute knowledge and innovation for the nation's civil infrastructure and communities to prevent natural hazard events from becoming societal disasters. NHERI will consist of the following components, established through up to ten individual awards: Network Coordination Office (one award), Cyberinfrastructure (one award), Computational Modeling and Simulation Center (one award), and Experimental Facilities for earthquake engineering and wind engineering research (up to seven awards, including one award for a Post-Disaster, Rapid Response Research Facility).

A primary focus is on developing algorithms and prototyping products for combined use of data from Landsat and Sentinel-2toward global land monitoring. However, we also welcome proposals combining Landsat with other sources of moderate resolution data, such as IRS and/or CBERS. Proposals fusing optical sensor data as listed above with radar observations such as from Sentinel-1, as well as those pursuing innovative use of thermal infrared data to improve LCLUC monitoring, are also welcome. The ultimate goal is to develop multisensor methods based on increased temporal-spatial coverage and measurement spectral diversity to advance the virtual constellation paradigm for midresolution land imaging

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.

As "The Army's Sensor Developer," NVESD researches and develops cutting edge technology, with the goal of exceeding U.S. Soldier requirements, and allowing an asymmetrical advantage in changing battlefield environments. This BAA solicits proposals against a broad range of night vision technologies which support the Warfighter and challenges of Asymmetric Warfare. The technologies have been divided into three (3) sections: Science and Technology; Ground Combat Systems; and Modeling and Simulation.

Hazards SEES seeks research projects that will productively cross the boundaries of the atmospheric and geospace, earth, and ocean sciences; computer and information science (including cyberinfrastructure); engineering; mathematics and statistics; and social, economic, and behavioral sciences. Successful proposals will integrate across multiple disciplines to promote research that advances new paradigms that contribute to creating a society resilient to hazards.

NASA has issued an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for proposals about science instruments that could be carried aboard a future mission to Jupiter's moon Europa. Selected instruments could address fundamental questions about the icy moon and the search for life beyond Earth. "The possibility of life on Europa is a motivating force for scientists and engineers around the world," said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at the agency's headquarters in Washington. "This solicitation will select instruments which may provide a big leap in our search to answer the question: are we alone in the universe?"

The Science of Science & Innovation Policy (SciSIP) program supports research designed to advance the scientific basis of science and innovation policy. Research funded by the program thus develops, improves and expands models, analytical tools, data and metrics that can be applied in the science policy decision making process.

Examples of fundamental research topics of interest in SusChEM include the replacement of rare, expensive, and/or toxic chemicals/materials with earth-abundant, inexpensive, and benign chemicals/materials; recycling of chemicals/materials that cannot be replaced; development of non-petroleum based sources of important raw materials; chemicals/materials for food and/or water sustainability; the elimination of waste products and enhancement in efficiencies of chemical reactions and processes; discovery of new separation science that will facilitate recycling and production of valuable chemicals/materials; and development and characterization of low cost, sustainable and scalable-manufactured materials with improved properties.