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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) Grant (FON 15-500; CFDA 47.074)

What is this NSF funding opportunity?

This is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 15-500; CFDA 47.074 Biological Sciences). It supports fundamental, curiosity-driven research in environmental biology, especially core questions in ecology and evolution.

What kind of research does DEB fund?

DEB funds hypothesis-driven research that advances general biological principles and fundamental understanding of how biological systems work. Projects can address patterns and processes across levels of organization (populations, species, communities, ecosystems) and across broad spatial and temporal scales (local habitats to continents and oceans; contemporary dynamics to deep evolutionary history).

Is the program focused on applied work or product development?

The program is described as a home for projects that develop or test general biological principles rather than projects focused mainly on product development or near-term implementation.

What scientific topics are explicitly within scope?

The opportunity describes a broad scope, including biodiversity and the origins/maintenance of biological diversity, phylogenetic systematics and reconstructing evolutionary relationships, molecular evolution, and major areas of evolutionary ecology (such as life history evolution and natural selection). It also includes organismal and community ecology, biogeography, ecosystem structure and function, and ecosystem services when the emphasis is on fundamental mechanisms and generalizable understanding.

Does DEB support conservation biology and global change research?

Yes. The opportunity highlights conservation biology, global change biology, and biogeochemical cycles, reflecting interest in how environmental change and nutrient/energy flows shape ecological and evolutionary outcomes.

Are studies limited to certain types of organisms?

No. The program description indicates interest in explaining organismal origins, functions, relationships, interactions, and evolutionary history whether the work centers on microbes, plants, animals, or multi-trophic systems.

What research approaches and methods are allowed?

DEB supports a wide range of approaches, including field-based, laboratory-based, and collection-based research (such as museum or herbarium resources and long-term ecological datasets). Observational studies and manipulative experiments are appropriate, including experiments that alter environmental conditions, species interactions, or resource availability to test causal hypotheses.

Does the program support synthesis or theoretical work?

Yes. The opportunity states that DEB supports synthesis activities that integrate existing data and knowledge to generate new insights, as well as theoretical work grounded in analytical theory, statistical inference, and computational or simulation modeling.

What is the overall goal or theme across the supported areas?

A recurring theme is explaining organismal origins, functions, relationships, interactions, and evolutionary history, using empirical, experimental, synthetic, or theoretical approaches, as long as the work advances fundamental understanding in environmental biology.

What is the estimated total funding amount available?

The opportunity lists an estimated total funding level of about $72,000,000.

What are the minimum and maximum award sizes?

The listing indicates an award floor of $5,000 and an award ceiling of $5,000,000.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. Cost sharing or matching is not required for this opportunity.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of applicant entity types may apply, subject to any clarifications in the full program announcement (NSF Publication 15-500).

Is this a discretionary grant program?

Yes. The opportunity is described as a discretionary grant program run by NSF under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category.

Does this opportunity use a preliminary proposal stage?

Yes. The listing describes an annual cycle with preliminary proposals due around January 23 each year, followed by full proposals due around early August each year (noted as August 2 annually in later cycles).

When are full proposals typically due?

The opportunity notes full proposals due around early August each year and references August 2 as an annual full proposal due date in later cycles.

What dates are mentioned in the listing?

Key dates include a posted date of October 2, 2014; an original full proposal deadline of August 3, 2015; a current closing date shown as August 2, 2016; and an archive date of September 1, 2028.

What does the archive date mean for applicants?

The archive date suggests the opportunity materials remain accessible for reference even after active deadlines pass.

How should an applicant judge whether their project is a good fit?

Based on the description, a good fit is hypothesis-driven, mechanism-focused research in ecology and evolution that contributes broadly relevant knowledge about biological patterns and processes in the natural world and emphasizes fundamental understanding rather than near-term implementation.

Where can applicants find the complete official details?

The listing indicates that full details are available through the NSF Publication 15-500 link referenced in the opportunity.

Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing the electronic announcement?

For access issues with the electronic announcement, the listing directs users to NSF Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

What is the CFDA number and program area noted for this opportunity?

The opportunity lists CFDA 47.074 (Biological Sciences) and identifies the program as NSF Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) under Funding Opportunity Number 15-500.