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FAQs: NSF Geophysics Program (Funding Opportunity Number 09-539)

1) What is the NSF Geophysics Program (09-539)?

The NSF Geophysics Program (Funding Opportunity Number 09-539) is a discretionary research funding opportunity that supports basic research in the physics of the solid Earth. The focus is on advancing foundational geophysics knowledge rather than developing applied products.

2) What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?

The central aim is to improve understanding of Earth's composition, internal structure, and the physical processes that shape the planet over time. The program emphasizes generating new knowledge, methods, and observations that advance geophysics as a discipline.

3) Is this opportunity focused on basic research or applied development?

It is focused on basic, foundational research. The solicitation emphasizes research that advances scientific understanding, methods, and observations, rather than applied product development.

4) What types of research approaches are supported?

The program supports a wide range of approaches, including laboratory experiments, field investigations, theoretical work, and computational modeling.

5) What topic areas are highlighted by the program?

The solicitation highlights several core areas, including:

• Seismicity and seismic wave propagation
• Research on the nature, causes, and occurrence of earthquakes
• Earth's magnetic, gravity, and electrical fields (including their use to infer subsurface structure and dynamic processes)
• Earth's thermal structure and geodynamics (for example, heat flow, mantle convection, and lithosphere dynamics)
• Geophysical studies of active deformation, including geodesy (such as GPS- and satellite-based measurements of crustal motion)
• Properties and behavior of Earth materials when they support geophysical observations or improve the physical basis of geophysical theory

6) Does the program support earthquake-related research?

Yes. The program includes studies of seismicity and seismic wave propagation and explicitly encourages research into the nature, causes, and occurrence of earthquakes.

7) Are studies of Earth's magnetic, gravity, and electrical fields included?

Yes. The solicitation encourages research examining Earth's magnetic, gravity, and electrical fields, including work that uses those fields to infer subsurface structure and dynamic processes.

8) Does the opportunity include geodynamics and Earth's thermal structure?

Yes. A major emphasis is Earth's thermal structure and geodynamics, including topics such as heat flow, mantle convection, lithosphere dynamics, deformation, and long-term planetary evolution.

9) Is geodesy (GPS and satellite measurements) within scope?

Yes. The program explicitly includes geophysical studies of active deformation, including geodesy such as GPS- and satellite-based measurements of crustal motion.

10) Are studies of Earth materials eligible?

Yes, when studies of the properties and behavior of Earth materials support geophysical observations or improve the physical basis of geophysical theory.

11) What funding instrument is used for awards?

Awards are made using a Cooperative Agreement funding instrument.

12) What is the funding activity category?

The funding activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

13) How many awards did NSF anticipate making under this opportunity?

NSF anticipated around 80 awards under this opportunity.

14) What was the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount was about $14.6 million.

15) What is the expected size range for individual awards?

Individual awards were expected to range from a floor of $20,000 up to a ceiling of $1.3 million.

16) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. Cost sharing or matching is not required, meaning proposers generally do not need to commit non-federal funds as a condition of eligibility or review. Standard NSF budget rules and justification expectations still apply.

17) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted. Proposals are open to any type of entity, subject to any clarifications that may appear in the full program text.

18) What kinds of organizations might be able to participate under "unrestricted" eligibility?

Based on the description provided, unrestricted eligibility typically allows participation from universities, nonprofit research organizations, government or national laboratories (where permitted), and potentially for-profit entities if they meet NSF requirements and the solicitation does not impose additional limits.

19) When were proposals due?

The solicitation used recurring annual proposal windows, with full proposals due by 5 p.m. local time of the proposer on May 5 and June 5 (annually) and again on November 5 and December 5 (annually).

20) What does "5 p.m. local time of the proposer" mean?

It means proposals were due at 5 p.m. in the local time zone of the organization submitting the proposal (the proposer), rather than a single nationwide time zone.

21) Is this opportunity still open?

The provided information indicates the solicitation is historical in the form provided. It lists an original closing date of June 5, 2011, and an archive date of October 19, 2012.

22) Where can applicants find complete requirements and official guidance?

For complete requirements and official guidance, the announcement points to NSF Publication 09-539.

23) Who should be contacted for access or technical issues?

For access or technical issues, the notice directs applicants to NSF grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

24) What if there is a problem linking to the funding announcement?

The notice indicates applicants can contact NSF for problems linking to the funding announcement, although the specific contact line in the provided text appears incomplete.