Opportunity Information: Apply for 09 542
Apply for 09 542
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tectonics" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.050 Geosciences.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 25, 2014 and posted on Mar 5, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 7, 2014 Submission Window Date(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposers local time) June 6 July 6, Annually Thereafter December 6 January 6, Annually. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $9,700,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 60 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Tectonics Program (Funding Opportunity Number 09-542) is a discretionary grant opportunity in the Science and Technology/Research and Development category that funds research aimed at understanding how continental lithosphere forms, evolves, and deforms over geologic time. The program is built around the idea that tectonic processes operate across a wide range of time scales (from short-term deformation to long-term mountain building and continental reworking) and length scales (from microstructural processes in rocks to plate-scale dynamics). As a result, NSF is looking for proposals that can clearly explain the lithospheric processes being studied, why they matter to continental tectonics, and how the work will improve understanding of deformation and evolution both at Earths surface and at depth.
The scope is intentionally broad and supports field-based, laboratory, computational, and theoretical investigations. Competitive projects often focus on questions such as how strain is localized in the crust and mantle, how faults initiate and evolve, how mountain belts grow and collapse, how sedimentary basins record tectonic forcing, how fluids and metamorphism interact with deformation, and how past tectonic events can be reconstructed through integrated datasets. The program explicitly encourages proposals that address tectonic processes at multiple scales or that connect observations (for example, geologic mapping or geomorphology) with quantitative constraints (for example, geodesy, rock mechanics experiments, or numerical modeling).
A central theme of the solicitation is integration across disciplines, since large-scale tectonic problems rarely yield to a single method. NSF highlights that the program supports integrated research involving structural geology, petrology, geochronology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, geomorphology, rock mechanics, paleomagnetics, geodesy, and other geophysical techniques. In practice, that means proposals that combine, for example, thermochronology with landscape evolution modeling, structural analysis with metamorphic petrology, basin stratigraphy with geodesy and seismic imaging, or field constraints with mechanical and numerical models are well aligned with the program goals. The emphasis is not on any one tool, but on using appropriate methods together to illuminate how continents deform and change through time.
From a funding and logistics standpoint, NSF anticipated about 60 awards with an estimated total program funding of roughly $9.7 million. Typical award sizes are framed by an award floor of $30,000 and a ceiling of $500,000, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The opportunity is listed as open eligibility (unrestricted, subject to any specific clarifications in the full announcement), meaning a wide range of applicant organizations may be able to apply as long as they meet NSF requirements described in the complete solicitation (NSF Publication 09-542).
The solicitation used recurring annual submission windows, with proposals due by 5 p.m. local time for the proposer. The listed windows were June 6 to July 6 and December 6 to January 6, repeating annually thereafter. Key dates in the record include an original closing date of July 6, 2009, a current closing date of July 7, 2014, and an archive date of August 7, 2014. For access issues, NSF directed applicants to Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov, and the official additional information link points to NSF Publication 09-542, which would contain the full proposal preparation and submission requirements, review considerations, and any program-specific guidance.
NSF Tectonics Program (09-542) FAQs
1. What is this funding opportunity?
This is the National Science Foundation (NSF) Tectonics Program, Funding Opportunity Number 09-542. It is a discretionary grant opportunity in the Science and Technology/Research and Development category that supports research on how continental lithosphere forms, evolves, and deforms over geologic time.
2. What kinds of scientific questions is NSF trying to support through this program?
The program supports research that improves understanding of tectonic deformation and evolution at Earth's surface and at depth. It is built around the concept that tectonic processes operate across broad time scales (short-term deformation through long-term mountain building and continental reworking) and broad length scales (from microstructural rock processes to plate-scale dynamics).
3. What does NSF expect proposals to clearly explain?
NSF is looking for proposals that clearly describe the lithospheric processes being studied, explain why those processes matter to continental tectonics, and show how the proposed work will improve understanding of deformation and evolution both at Earth's surface and at depth.
4. How broad is the scope of the Tectonics Program?
The scope is intentionally broad. The program supports field-based, laboratory, computational, and theoretical investigations, as long as the work is aligned with the goal of understanding continental tectonics and lithospheric processes.
5. What types of projects are considered competitive or well aligned?
Competitive projects often address questions such as:
- How strain is localized in the crust and mantle
- How faults initiate and evolve
- How mountain belts grow and collapse
- How sedimentary basins record tectonic forcing
- How fluids and metamorphism interact with deformation
- How past tectonic events can be reconstructed using integrated datasets
6. Does the program encourage multi-scale or multi-method studies?
Yes. The solicitation explicitly encourages proposals that address tectonic processes at multiple scales and/or connect observations (such as geologic mapping or geomorphology) with quantitative constraints (such as geodesy, rock mechanics experiments, or numerical modeling).
7. What research approaches are supported?
The program supports a range of approaches, including field-based studies, laboratory work, computational research, and theoretical investigations. The emphasis is on using appropriate methods to illuminate how continents deform and change through time.
8. Is interdisciplinary integration important for this program?
Yes. A central theme is integration across disciplines because large-scale tectonic problems rarely yield to a single method. Proposals that integrate multiple lines of evidence and tools are described as well aligned with program goals.
9. Which disciplines and techniques are explicitly mentioned as relevant?
The solicitation highlights integrated research involving structural geology, petrology, geochronology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, geomorphology, rock mechanics, paleomagnetics, geodesy, and other geophysical techniques.
10. What are examples of integrated project combinations that fit the program?
Examples described as well aligned include combining:
- Thermochronology with landscape evolution modeling
- Structural analysis with metamorphic petrology
- Basin stratigraphy with geodesy and seismic imaging
- Field constraints with mechanical and numerical models
11. Does the program favor a particular tool or method?
No. The emphasis is not on any single tool. The focus is on using appropriate methods together to address key tectonics questions and improve understanding of continental deformation and evolution through time.
12. How much funding is available overall?
NSF anticipated approximately 60 awards, with an estimated total program funding of roughly $9.7 million.
13. What is the typical award size range?
Typical award sizes are framed by an award floor of $30,000 and a ceiling of $500,000.
14. Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
15. Who is eligible to apply?
The opportunity is listed as open eligibility (unrestricted), subject to any specific clarifications in the full announcement. This indicates that a wide range of applicant organizations may be able to apply as long as they meet NSF requirements described in the complete solicitation (NSF Publication 09-542).
16. When are proposals due?
The solicitation used recurring annual submission windows, with proposals due by 5 p.m. local time for the proposer. The listed windows were:
- June 6 to July 6
- December 6 to January 6
These windows repeat annually as described in the record.
17. What time zone applies to the deadline?
Proposals were due by 5 p.m. local time for the proposer (meaning the local time zone where the proposer is located).
18. What are the key dates shown in the opportunity record?
The record lists these dates:
- Original closing date: July 6, 2009
- Current closing date: July 7, 2014
- Archive date: August 7, 2014
19. Where can applicants find the official proposal preparation and submission requirements?
The official additional information link points to NSF Publication 09-542. That publication would contain the full proposal preparation and submission requirements, review considerations, and any program-specific guidance referenced by the opportunity.
20. Who should applicants contact for access issues with submission?
For access issues, NSF directed applicants to Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
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