Opportunity Information: Apply for 15 596
Apply for 15 596
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Long Term Ecological Research" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.050 Geosciences 47.074 Biological Sciences.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 1, 2015 and posted on Aug 1, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 4, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $12,320,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Who May Submit Proposals Proposals may only be submitted by the following The LTER program is currently accepting only renewal proposals. Only the organization or institution that holds the current award is eligible to apply for a renewal.Collaborative proposals must be submitted using the single proposal method as described in Chapter II, Section D.5.a. of the GPG. Separately submitted collaborative proposals will be returned without review. Who May Serve as PI The lead PI on a renewal proposal must be the lead PI on the current award or one of the co PIs listed on the current award.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) opportunity (NSF Publication 15-596; Funding Opportunity Number 15-596) is a discretionary grant program designed to support continued, site-based ecological research that can only be answered through sustained observation and long-duration experiments. Established in 1980, the LTER Program focuses on building an integrated, long-run understanding of how ecosystems function and change by tracking ecological processes over years to decades. NSF currently supports 25 LTER sites, and this particular solicitation is limited to renewal proposals only, meaning it is intended to continue ongoing work at existing LTER sites rather than create new sites.
The program is defined by two distinguishing features. First, LTER research is anchored at specific, well-established sites selected to represent major ecosystem types or natural biomes, allowing science teams to produce deep, place-based knowledge while also enabling comparisons across different environments. Second, LTER projects emphasize studying ecological phenomena over long periods, using consistent measurements and datasets organized around five core areas of data collection (the solicitation references these core areas as the organizing backbone for long-term datasets). The central idea is that many ecological dynamics such as population shifts, community reorganization, ecosystem responses to disturbance, or slow biogeochemical changes are either invisible or misleading when studied only over short time frames. Long-term records are therefore treated not as a supplement, but as essential infrastructure for testing ecological theory and understanding complex interactions among populations, communities, and broader ecosystem components.
For renewals, NSF expects ongoing research at LTER sites to explicitly test ecological theories and to meaningfully advance understanding of long-term ecosystem dynamics. This includes work that clarifies how and why ecosystems change through time, how biological communities respond to environmental variability, and how processes such as nutrient cycling, productivity, disturbance regimes, or climate-driven shifts interact across scales. The solicitation also emphasizes that LTER science is frequently interdisciplinary, bringing together approaches from ecology, biology, geosciences, and related fields. Beyond the individual site, the program encourages cross-site interactions that allow researchers to examine broader patterns and processes across large spatial gradients, which is one of the ways the network generates insights that single-location studies cannot.
A major requirement of the LTER Program is that data produced at LTER sites must be made broadly accessible. NSF highlights that the value of long-term ecological datasets extends far beyond the originating site and research team, since these records can support future analyses, synthesis efforts, cross-site comparisons, and unanticipated research questions. In practice, this means renewal projects must treat data stewardship and sharing as a core responsibility, not an optional add-on.
In terms of funding details, the solicitation lists an estimated total funding amount of $12,320,000, with an award floor of $1,127,000. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the associated CFDA numbers are 47.050 (Geosciences) and 47.074 (Biological Sciences). The opportunity was posted on August 1, 2015, with an original and current closing date of March 4, 2016, and an archive date of April 3, 2016.
Eligibility is tightly restricted. Only renewal proposals are accepted, and only the organization or institution that holds the current LTER award is eligible to apply. The lead Principal Investigator on a renewal proposal must be the current award’s lead PI or one of the co-PIs listed on the current award. For collaborations, NSF requires the “single proposal” method as described in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide; separately submitted collaborative proposals are not allowed and would be returned without review. For access or technical issues related to the full announcement, the solicitation lists NSF grants.gov support (grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov) as the primary point of contact.
NSF Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Renewal Opportunity (NSF 15-596) FAQs
1. What is this funding opportunity?
This is the National Science Foundation (NSF) Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) solicitation (NSF Publication 15-596; Funding Opportunity Number 15-596). It is a discretionary grant program supporting continued, site-based ecological research that requires sustained observation and long-duration experiments.
2. What is the main purpose of the LTER Program?
The LTER Program is designed to build an integrated, long-run understanding of how ecosystems function and change. It does this by tracking ecological processes over long time horizons (years to decades), using consistent measurements and long-term datasets.
3. Is this solicitation open to new LTER sites?
No. This solicitation is limited to renewal proposals only. It is intended to continue ongoing work at existing NSF-supported LTER sites rather than create new sites.
4. How many LTER sites does NSF currently support?
NSF currently supports 25 LTER sites.
5. What are the two distinguishing features of LTER research described in the solicitation?
First, LTER research is anchored at specific, well-established sites selected to represent major ecosystem types or natural biomes, enabling deep place-based knowledge and comparisons across environments. Second, LTER projects emphasize studying ecological phenomena over long periods using consistent measurements and long-term datasets.
6. Why does the program emphasize long-term research and sustained observation?
The solicitation explains that many ecological dynamics can be invisible or misleading in short-term studies. Examples include population shifts, community reorganization, ecosystem responses to disturbance, and slow biogeochemical changes. Long-term records are treated as essential infrastructure for testing ecological theory and understanding complex interactions over time.
7. How should renewal proposals frame their science goals?
For renewals, NSF expects ongoing research at LTER sites to explicitly test ecological theories and to meaningfully advance understanding of long-term ecosystem dynamics, including how and why ecosystems change through time and how communities respond to environmental variability.
8. What kinds of ecological processes and themes are specifically highlighted for renewals?
The solicitation highlights processes and themes such as nutrient cycling, productivity, disturbance regimes, climate-driven shifts, and interactions across scales, along with broader questions about how ecosystems and biological communities change through time.
9. Does the program encourage interdisciplinary research?
Yes. The opportunity notes that LTER science is frequently interdisciplinary, bringing together approaches from ecology, biology, geosciences, and related fields.
10. Are cross-site interactions and network-scale research encouraged?
Yes. Beyond individual sites, the program encourages cross-site interactions that allow researchers to examine broader patterns and processes across large spatial gradients, generating insights that single-location studies cannot.
11. What is the role of long-term datasets in this program?
Long-term datasets are presented as central to the LTER approach, not an optional supplement. The solicitation notes that consistent measurements over long time frames support theory testing and deeper understanding of ecosystem function and change.
12. How are the long-term datasets organized according to the solicitation?
The solicitation references five core areas of data collection that serve as the organizing backbone for long-term datasets. (The specific names of the five core areas are not listed in the provided opportunity summary.)
13. What are the data sharing and accessibility expectations for LTER sites?
Data produced at LTER sites must be made broadly accessible. NSF emphasizes that long-term ecological datasets have value beyond the originating site and team, supporting future analyses, synthesis efforts, cross-site comparisons, and unanticipated research questions. Renewal projects must treat data stewardship and sharing as a core responsibility.
14. What is the estimated total funding amount for this solicitation?
The estimated total funding amount listed is $12,320,000.
15. Is there an award floor?
Yes. The solicitation lists an award floor of $1,127,000.
16. Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement stated for this opportunity.
17. What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development.
18. What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The associated CFDA numbers are 47.050 (Geosciences) and 47.074 (Biological Sciences).
19. When was the opportunity posted, and what are the key dates?
The opportunity was posted on August 1, 2015. The original and current closing date is March 4, 2016. The archive date is April 3, 2016.
20. Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is restricted to renewal proposals only. Only the organization or institution that holds the current LTER award is eligible to apply.
21. Who can serve as the lead Principal Investigator (PI) on a renewal proposal?
The lead PI on a renewal proposal must be the current award's lead PI or one of the co-PIs listed on the current award.
22. Are collaborative submissions allowed, and if so, how must they be submitted?
Collaborations must use the "single proposal" method as described in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide. Separately submitted collaborative proposals are not allowed and would be returned without review.
23. What happens if collaborators submit separate proposals instead of a single proposal?
The solicitation indicates that separately submitted collaborative proposals are not allowed and would be returned without review.
24. What support contact is provided for access or technical issues with the full announcement?
For access or technical issues related to the full announcement, the solicitation lists NSF grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
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