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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this NSF opportunity?

This is the National Science Foundation (NSF) Ecological Biology funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PD 04 1128). It supports basic research on how ecological systems are structured and how they function, with an emphasis on both natural and managed ecosystems.

What kinds of ecosystems and environments are in scope?

The opportunity emphasizes terrestrial, wetland, and freshwater ecosystems. It supports ecological research in natural and managed settings within those environments.

What types of research approaches does the program fund?

The program is designed to fund a wide range of ecological research approaches, including field experiments, laboratory experiments, observational studies, theory development, and computational or mathematical modeling.

What is the central scientific theme emphasized by the program?

A central theme is understanding complex biological associations and linking processes across scales, especially how small-scale processes connect to, influence, or are constrained by larger spatial and temporal processes.

Are projects that connect empirical work with theory and modeling encouraged?

Yes. Proposals that deliberately link empirical work with theory and modeling are especially encouraged, particularly when they help connect mechanisms and patterns across multiple ecological scales.

Does the program encourage research that spans multiple ecological scales?

Yes. Work across multiple ecological scales (spatial and temporal) is explicitly encouraged, especially when it helps explain how processes at one scale affect or constrain processes at another.

Is synthesis research (combining existing findings into new concepts) a good fit?

Yes. The program especially encourages proposals that synthesize existing findings into new general concepts or frameworks.

What focal research areas are highlighted under this opportunity?

The announcement highlights community ecology and population interactions across different habitats and timeframes, including topics such as habitat-specific dynamics, food web organization and change, landscape pattern effects on ecological processes, and paleoecology (reconstructing and interpreting past ecosystems).

What types of biotic interactions are explicitly called out?

The program explicitly calls out biotic interactions such as mutualism, competition, predation, and parasitism, as well as studies on coexistence mechanisms, community assembly, coevolution, and chemical ecology.

What does the program value in terms of scientific contribution?

The program places value on work that identifies causal mechanisms (not just correlations), reveals broadly applicable ecological patterns or processes, and generates insights that can generalize across taxa and habitats.

Are single-species population dynamics projects appropriate for this opportunity?

Usually not. The announcement states that proposals centered primarily on the population dynamics of a single species are better directed to NSF's Population and Evolutionary Processes Cluster.

If my project focuses on marine organism ecology, should I apply here?

No. The announcement indicates that marine organism ecology is expected to go to the Biological Oceanography Program in the Division of Ocean Sciences.

Does this opportunity support studies focused on human disease or health?

No. Studies focused on human disease or health are not supported under this opportunity.

What is LTREB and how does it relate to this program?

Long Term Research in Environmental Biology (LTREB) is a related funding avenue for ecological or evolutionary questions that genuinely require long time horizons to answer. LTREB provides base support to help sustain an already established long-term project.

Can LTREB be used as start-up funding to begin a new long-term study?

No. The announcement says LTREB awards are not meant to serve as start-up money to begin a long-term study.

Is LTREB intended to be an investigator's primary external funding source?

No. The announcement states LTREB is not intended to be the primary external funding stream for an investigator.

When are LTREB proposals reviewed?

LTREB proposals are reviewed on a twice-yearly cycle with target dates of January 9 and July 9.

What is NCEAS and how does it connect to ecological biology funding?

The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) in Santa Barbara, California is an NSF-funded center that emphasizes synthesis science using existing datasets, advanced analytical methods, and improved practices for ecological data access and reuse.

What types of activities does NCEAS support?

NCEAS supports in-person Working Groups, sabbatical-style Center Fellows, and Postdoctoral Associates.

Does NCEAS support work that bridges science and decision-making?

Yes. NCEAS has interests that bridge science and decision-making, including how ecological evidence is translated into policy and management and sociological dimensions of ecological research.

When does NCEAS typically solicit proposals?

NCEAS typically solicits proposals in January and August.

Are off-cycle NCEAS submissions allowed?

Off-cycle submissions are possible only in unusual cases after consulting the NCEAS Director.

How are NCEAS proposals reviewed?

NCEAS proposals are reviewed by the NCEAS Science Advisory Board.

Is this a discretionary grant program, and how is it categorized?

Yes. The opportunity is described as a discretionary NSF grant opportunity categorized under science and technology and other research and development.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 47.074 (Biological Sciences).

Who is eligible to apply?

The opportunity is open to an unrestricted set of applicant entity types, subject to any eligibility clarifications in the full program description.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The announcement indicates that cost sharing or matching is not required.

What are the target dates for full proposals under this program?

The solicitation history indicates recurring annual target dates for full proposals on January 9 and July 9, reflecting regular review cycles during the period covered by the archived notice.

Are interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary projects encouraged?

Yes. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary projects that cut across traditional program boundaries are explicitly welcomed, as long as the core questions remain ecological and aligned with the program scope.

What are examples of complementary fields that could strengthen a proposal?

The announcement gives examples such as geoscience, hydrology, informatics, statistics, or socio-environmental analysis, when appropriate and when the core questions remain ecological.