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FAQs: NSF Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) Grant Opportunity (NSF 13-508)

What is this NSF funding opportunity?

This opportunity was a National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) discretionary grant program (solicitation NSF 13-508) that supported fundamental, discovery-driven research in environmental biology, especially core questions in ecology and evolution.

What was the main purpose or goal of the program?

The program aimed to advance basic scientific understanding of how living systems work across biological scales, from populations and species to communities and ecosystems. The emphasis was on explaining ecological and evolutionary patterns and processes (not only documenting them) across short to long time frames and local to global spatial scales.

What kinds of research topics were within scope?

The scientific scope was intentionally broad and included many central areas of modern environmental biology, such as biodiversity, evolutionary relationships, ecological dynamics, ecosystem processes, conservation biology, and global change.

Did the program focus more on ecology, evolution, or both?

Both. DEB emphasized foundational research in ecology and evolutionary biology, welcoming projects that address important questions about ecological and evolutionary dynamics.

What biological scales did the program cover?

The program covered biological scales ranging from populations and species to communities and entire ecosystems.

What time and spatial scales were relevant for proposed research?

Projects were encouraged to address patterns and processes over both short and long time frames and across spatial scales from local to global.

What does "fundamental, discovery-driven research" mean in this context?

In this solicitation, it referred to rigorous, foundational science intended to deepen basic understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes, including how organisms originate, function, interact with each other and their environments, and how these relationships change over time.

Was this program intended for applied work or basic science?

The program was designed for high-quality basic research. While topics such as conservation biology and ecosystem services were included in the scope, the unifying theme was rigorous, foundational science that explains underlying dynamics.

What kinds of biodiversity research were supported?

Research on biodiversity and the mechanisms that generate and maintain biodiversity was explicitly included in the scope.

Was phylogenetic systematics and molecular evolution included?

Yes. The scope included phylogenetic systematics and molecular evolution intended to clarify evolutionary relationships and the history of lineages.

Did the program support research on natural selection and trait evolution?

Yes. Life history evolution and natural selection, including work explaining how traits evolve, were part of the listed topic areas.

Were ecology and biogeography topics eligible?

Yes. The scope included ecological and biogeographic research on how organisms are distributed and how ecological communities assemble and persist.

Did the program include ecosystem-level research?

Yes. It included ecosystem-level research on structure, function, and services.

Was conservation biology within the scope?

Yes. Conservation biology was specifically mentioned as part of the program’s broad scientific coverage.

Did the solicitation support research related to global change and climate impacts?

Yes. Studies focused on global change, including climate-related impacts and biogeochemical cycles connecting biological activity with Earth system processes, were included.

What research approaches were encouraged?

A wide range of approaches was recognized, including field-based studies, laboratory experiments, collection-based research using natural history collections and other curated biological resources, observational studies, manipulative experiments, synthesis efforts, and theoretical/quantitative approaches such as analytical, statistical, and computational modeling.

Were field studies allowed?

Yes. Field-based studies were explicitly recognized as an eligible research approach.

Were laboratory experiments allowed?

Yes. Laboratory experiments were explicitly recognized.

Could researchers propose work based on natural history collections or curated resources?

Yes. Collection-based research using natural history collections and other curated biological resources was specifically encouraged.

Were observational studies and manipulative experiments both acceptable?

Yes. The solicitation recognized both observational studies and manipulative experiments.

Did the program support synthesis projects that integrate existing data?

Yes. Synthesis efforts that integrate existing datasets or reconcile results across studies were encouraged.

Were modeling and computational approaches supported?

Yes. The program supported analytical, statistical, and computational modeling, including simulation, inference, and other mathematical tools to test hypotheses and generate predictions.

Did proposals have to be empirical, theoretical, or integrative?

The solicitation was flexible: proposals could be empirically driven, theory driven, or explicitly integrative, as long as they advanced fundamental understanding of environmental biology.

Which NSF directorate and division administered this program?

It was within NSF’s Biological Sciences Directorate, administered by the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB).

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed for the program was 47.074.

How much total funding was estimated for this solicitation?

The estimated total funding level listed was $72,000,000.

How many awards were expected?

The solicitation anticipated about 200 awards.

Was cost sharing required?

No. Cost sharing was not required.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that might have been included in the full solicitation text.

What was the submission structure for this opportunity?

The program used a two-stage submission structure: (1) a required preliminary proposal, and (2) a full proposal submitted by invitation only.

Was a preliminary proposal required?

Yes. A preliminary proposal was required as the first step.

When were preliminary proposals due?

Preliminary proposals were due in January each year. Dates noted included January 23, 2013 and January 16 annually thereafter (as described in the provided information).

Were full proposals accepted from anyone, or only by invitation?

Full proposals were due by invitation only, following the preliminary proposal stage.

When were full proposals due?

Full proposals were due in early August, listed as August 2 annually (by invitation only).

When was the opportunity originally posted?

The opportunity was originally posted on October 31, 2012.

When was this solicitation archived?

It was archived on November 13, 2013.

Was this solicitation replaced by another one?

Yes. It was replaced by NSF solicitation 14-503.

What is the main takeaway for applicants about fit and competitiveness?

Based on the provided description, the key signal was that projects needed to align with DEB’s broad but clearly defined mission in foundational ecology and evolution, and investigators first had to demonstrate significance and fit through the required preliminary proposal before being invited to submit a full proposal.