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NSF Hydrologic Sciences (NSF 09-538) Grant Opportunity: FAQs

What is the NSF Hydrologic Sciences opportunity (NSF 09-538)?

It is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunity that supports research advancing fundamental understanding of hydrologic systems, especially how water moves through and interacts with natural environments such as streams, soils, and groundwater aquifers.

What kinds of scientific questions does this program focus on?

The program centers on the physical flow of water and the transport of particles and chemicals. It is especially interested in how hydrologic systems vary across space and time, and how that variability affects water storage and release, solute and contaminant transport, and connectivity across environmental boundaries.

Which environments and interfaces are emphasized?

The solicitation highlights hydrologic processes and transport across interfaces and boundaries, including the land surface, subsurface soils, stream networks, coastal zones, and biological interfaces involving microbial communities.

What does the opportunity mean by "heterogeneity" in hydrologic systems?

It refers to the real-world patchiness and variability of hydrologic systems from place to place and over time (for example, seasonal differences). The program emphasizes understanding how this heterogeneity influences hydrologic behavior and transport processes.

Why are scaling (upscaling and downscaling) themes highlighted?

Many hydrologic processes are observed or measured at small scales (such as a soil pore, a stream reach, or a monitoring well), while decision-making and prediction often require understanding at much larger scales (such as a watershed, a region, or a coastal margin). The opportunity encourages theories, observations, and models that bridge these scales while accounting for natural variability.

Does the program support both upscaling and downscaling approaches?

Yes. It explicitly highlights both upscaling (linking fine-scale mechanisms to broader-scale behavior) and downscaling (connecting broader-scale conditions to fine-scale processes), with attention to heterogeneity and interfaces.

How does climate variability and change factor into the research scope?

The opportunity calls attention to how hydrologic and transport processes are altered by climate variability and climate change, making it relevant to research on drought and flood behavior, groundwater recharge, and changing water quality under shifting environmental conditions.

Is land use or land cover change within scope?

Yes. The solicitation notes that hydrologic and transport processes can be altered by land use and land cover change, including topics such as watershed responses to development and associated water-quality impacts.

Is water quality and contaminant/solute transport part of this program?

Yes. The program emphasizes transport of particles and chemicals, including how solutes and contaminants are carried and how transport connects across boundaries like soils, streams, and coastal zones.

Does the scope include aqueous geochemistry?

Yes. The scope is broad and can include aqueous geochemistry along with intertwined physical, chemical, and biological processes within water bodies and connected environments.

Is interdisciplinary research expected or encouraged?

Yes. The solicitation describes hydrologic science as inherently intersecting multiple disciplines (including hydrology and fluid mechanics, geochemistry, geomorphology, ecology and microbiology, soil science, coastal science, applied mathematics, and computational modeling) and notes that proposals frequently require joint review with related NSF programs.

What does it mean that proposals may receive a joint review?

It indicates that projects spanning more than one NSF program area may be reviewed jointly with related programs, reflecting the expectation that interdisciplinary submissions can be competitive when the integration is clear and scientifically necessary.

What federal program listing is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is offered by NSF under the Geosciences CFDA listing 47.050.

What type of funding instrument is used?

The funding instrument type is listed as a cooperative agreement.

How many awards were anticipated?

The program anticipated roughly 40 awards.

What was the estimated total funding level for the program?

The estimated total program funding level was about $7.9 million.

What is the expected award size range?

Individual awards were expected to range from a minimum of $30,000 to a maximum of $1,000,000.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The information provided indicates there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity is open to any type of applying organization, subject to any clarifications in the full announcement text.

What are the proposal deadlines?

The solicitation operated on recurring annual deadlines, with full proposal due dates listed as June 1 and December 5 each year.

What were the closing dates shown in the record metadata?

Key dates shown include an original closing date of June 1, 2011, with subsequent annual deadlines continuing thereafter, and a current closing date shown as June 1, 2013 in the provided metadata.

Where should applicants look for full details and official requirements?

Applicants are directed to NSF Publication 09-538 for the complete solicitation details and requirements.

Who should be contacted for technical access issues (for example, Grants.gov problems)?

For technical access issues, the contact provided is NSF's Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.