Long Term Research in Environmental Biology | Apply Online

LTREB (NSF Long Term Research in Environmental Biology) FAQs

What is the NSF Long Term Research in Environmental Biology (LTREB) program?

LTREB is a discretionary NSF grant opportunity in the Biological Sciences directorate (CFDA 47.074) that supports research requiring long, continuous records of biological and environmental observations. The central focus is on building and sustaining extended time series datasets so researchers can address ecological and evolutionary questions that cannot be resolved with short-term studies.

What kinds of research questions is LTREB meant to support?

LTREB is designed for questions that depend on long-term datasets, including slow or rare ecological and evolutionary processes, long-lag responses to environmental change, and multi-generational dynamics in organismal and environmental biology.

Is LTREB intended to fund brand-new long-term studies?

No. A defining feature of LTREB is that it is not meant to start a new long-term project from scratch. Projects must already have an established record of data collection that directly motivates the next phase of research.

How much prior data collection is required to be eligible?

Investigators must already have at least six years of prior data collection. That existing dataset must be central to the proposal and must justify why continued observation is necessary to test emerging hypotheses or interpret patterns that have appeared in the earlier years.

How should prior data be used in an LTREB proposal?

The prior record is expected to be more than background context. Proposals should show how the earlier observations revealed patterns, anomalies, or hypotheses that can only be tested or understood by continuing and expanding the study over a longer time horizon.

What is the overall project time horizon for LTREB?

LTREB is structured around a ten-year conceptual plan. Applicants are expected to present a cohesive rationale or framework that spans a full decade of research.

How is LTREB funding staged across the ten-year plan?

LTREB is funded in two stages. The proposal covers an initial five-year period guided by a ten-year conceptual framework, and an abbreviated renewal is intended to extend the project to complete the full decadal research plan.

What does NSF mean by a "ten-year conceptual plan"?

It means the proposal should articulate a unified, long-term conceptual rationale that frames the major questions or hypotheses for a full decade. Reviewers look for continuity in hypotheses, methods, sampling design, and analytical approaches across the full ten years, rather than two unrelated funding requests.

What level of continuity do reviewers expect between the first stage and renewal stage?

Reviewers are looking for a unified long-term strategy, with clear continuity in the driving hypotheses, the core methods and sampling, and the analytical approaches that will be carried forward over the decade.

How important is data sharing in LTREB?

Data sharing is a major emphasis and is treated as an essential deliverable. As a condition of funding, projects must explain how resulting long-term datasets will be made broadly available to both the scientific community and interested members of the public.

What does "broadly available" data imply for LTREB projects?

It implies well-documented datasets, thoughtful data management practices, and dissemination plans that make long-term records reusable and interpretable beyond the original research team. The program values open and well-curated data because long time series become more valuable when they can be compared, synthesized, or reanalyzed across systems and decades.

Which NSF divisions and clusters co-review LTREB proposals?

LTREB proposals are co-reviewed across participating clusters in two NSF divisions: the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) and the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS).

What DEB clusters are listed as participating in LTREB co-review?

The DEB clusters listed are Ecosystem Science, Population and Community Ecology, and Evolutionary Processes.

What IOS clusters are listed as participating in LTREB co-review?

The IOS clusters listed are Behavioral Systems and Physiological and Structural Systems.

What research scope does the co-review structure suggest?

The co-review structure signals that LTREB welcomes long-term research that can cut across levels of biological organization, including physiology and behavior as well as populations, communities, ecosystems, and evolutionary change, as long as the topic fits within the participating programs.

How can an applicant tell if their project fits LTREB scope?

Projects must fit within topics supported by the participating DEB and IOS programs. If there is uncertainty about fit, investigators are encouraged to contact the cognizant program director for guidance before submitting.

What solicitation is referenced in this opportunity summary?

The information provided references an archived solicitation, NSF 12-501.

Is the referenced solicitation still active?

No. The referenced announcement (NSF 12-501) is archived and was replaced by NSF 14-507. The summary provided reflects the LTREB model described in the notice.

What were the anticipated number of awards and total funding level under the archived solicitation?

NSF anticipated making about eight awards with an estimated total funding level of $3,000,000 under the archived solicitation.

What was the award ceiling under the archived solicitation?

The award ceiling listed was $450,000.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement was listed in the provided summary.

Who was eligible to apply based on the provided summary?

Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types could apply, subject to any clarifications contained in the full solicitation text.

What were the key due dates listed for the archived solicitation?

The opportunity was originally posted on October 11, 2011. Required preliminary proposals were due January 10, 2012 (and annually thereafter), and full proposals were due August 1, 2012 (and annually thereafter).

Were preliminary proposals required?

Yes. The summary states that preliminary proposals were required, with a deadline of January 10, 2012 (and annually thereafter).

What is the core deliverable LTREB is trying to produce over time?

The core deliverable is an extended, continuous time series of biological and environmental observations that is sustained long enough to address long-horizon ecological and evolutionary questions, with the resulting datasets documented and shared for broad reuse.