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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF "Paleo Perspectives on Climate Change" (P2C2)

What is the NSF P2C2 grant opportunity?

Paleo Perspectives on Climate Change (P2C2) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity that supports interdisciplinary research using evidence from Earth's past to improve understanding of how the climate system works, how quickly it can change, and how different parts of the Earth system respond to shifts in climate drivers.

What is the central goal of P2C2?

The central goal is to use geological, chemical, and biological records from the past to reconstruct climate variability across timescales and magnitudes that extend beyond the relatively short instrumental record. This is intended to clarify mechanisms behind past climate transitions, estimate climate sensitivity to different types of forcing, and understand responses in key Earth-system components.

What kinds of evidence or records does P2C2 focus on?

P2C2 emphasizes paleoclimate archives and records such as sediments, ice cores, fossils, geochemical tracers, and other paleoclimate evidence used to reconstruct past climate conditions and variability.

What types of Earth system components are emphasized in P2C2 research?

The opportunity highlights understanding responses in key components including oceans, ice sheets, atmospheric circulation, ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, and other connected elements of the climate system.

Why does P2C2 emphasize climate variability beyond the instrumental record?

Because paleoclimate archives can capture longer-term and higher-amplitude variability than is available from modern instrumental observations, they enable investigation of climate behavior under different boundary conditions and across larger ranges of change.

What are the two core scientific objectives highlighted in the solicitation?

The solicitation highlights two core objectives: (1) developing comprehensive paleoclimate data sets that can serve as model test beds similar to how modern observations are used to evaluate models, and (2) transformative integration of paleoclimate data with climate modeling results to explain longer-term and higher-amplitude variability documented in the geologic record.

What does it mean for paleoclimate data sets to serve as "model test beds"?

In this solicitation, "model test beds" refers to well-documented, high-quality reconstructions and syntheses that are suitable for benchmarking and validating model behavior, analogous to the role modern observational data play in evaluating climate models.

Does P2C2 support research that integrates data and models?

Yes. A major emphasis of P2C2 is producing community-relevant outputs that strengthen the connection between paleoclimate observations and climate modeling, including efforts that combine multiple lines of evidence with modeling results.

Is the program focused on individual case studies or broader syntheses?

The solicitation emphasizes moving beyond isolated case studies toward broader syntheses and more explanatory frameworks that help reveal how and why the climate system responds under different boundary conditions.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?

The Funding Opportunity Number is NSF 08-505.

What is the official title of the NSF solicitation?

The solicitation is titled "Paleo Perspectives on Climate Change" (P2C2).

What type of NSF funding program is this (administratively)?

Administratively, it is described as a discretionary NSF grant program in the science and technology research and development category.

How many awards did NSF anticipate making under this solicitation?

NSF anticipated making about 35 awards under this solicitation.

What was the estimated total funding level for the solicitation?

The estimated total funding level was $11,000,000.

What is the award size range under this opportunity?

Individual awards were expected to range from a floor of $20,000 up to a ceiling of $1,000,000.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity did not require cost sharing or matching.

Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA 47.050 (Geosciences) and CFDA 47.078 (Polar Programs).

Does the program allow polar-relevant paleoclimate proposals?

Yes. The association with CFDA 47.078 (Polar Programs) indicates proposals may include polar-relevant paleoclimate work where appropriate, alongside broader geoscience research.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning the call was broadly open to applicant organizations, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement.

What were the full proposal deadline dates listed in the archived notice?

The archived notice lists multiple full proposal deadlines: February 04, 2008; October 15, 2008; and October 15, 2009.

What was the final closing date shown for the opportunity?

October 15, 2009 was shown as the final closing date.

When was the opportunity originally posted?

The opportunity was originally posted on March 4, 2009.

When was the opportunity archived?

The record indicates the opportunity was archived on June 14, 2010 (with a creation date of June 15, 2010 in the record).

Where can applicants find the complete program details?

The listing points to NSF Publication 08-505 for the complete program details.

Who should be contacted for help accessing the announcement via Grants.gov?

The notice referenced NSF Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov for help accessing the announcement.