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NSF Tectonics (Funding Opportunity 16-556) - FAQs

What is the NSF Tectonics grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 16-556)?

NSF Tectonics (16-556) is a National Science Foundation research funding opportunity that supports basic research aimed at understanding how Earths continental lithosphere deforms. The program focuses on the solid Earth above the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary and the processes that cause continents to bend, break, thicken, thin, and otherwise change shape through time.

What types of research does this program support?

The program supports basic, fundamental research that advances scientific understanding of continental deformation. It welcomes studies that clarify deformation mechanisms, how those mechanisms vary with conditions (such as temperature and pressure), and what tectonic forces and boundary conditions drive deformation in different tectonic settings.

How broad is the scope of topics covered by this opportunity?

The scope is intentionally broad. Proposals may address a wide range of deformation processes and environments, as long as the work advances understanding of how and why the continental lithosphere deforms and connects processes across scales and/or time where relevant.

Which part of the Earth does the program focus on?

The program is focused on the continental lithosphere above the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. It emphasizes deformation of the continental crust and upper lithosphere rather than processes restricted to the deeper asthenosphere.

Are proposals limited to near-surface deformation processes?

No. Projects can focus on deformation processes operating at any depth within the continental lithosphere, rather than being limited to near-surface phenomena.

What research approaches are eligible or encouraged?

A wide range of approaches is supported, including field-based investigations, laboratory experiments, computational modeling, and theoretical work. The opportunity is designed to accommodate different ways of testing hypotheses and building quantitative understanding of lithospheric deformation.

What are examples of field-based investigations that fit this program?

Field studies may include mapping and structural analysis, geodetic measurements, and other observations that characterize deformation in natural settings. These efforts can be used to document active deformation, reconstruct deformation histories, or constrain boundary conditions and material behavior in real tectonic systems.

What kinds of laboratory studies are relevant to NSF Tectonics?

Laboratory work can include rock mechanics and rheology experiments that constrain how crustal and upper-lithospheric materials respond to stress under realistic conditions. These studies are useful for understanding deformation mechanisms and how they depend on variables such as temperature and pressure.

What kinds of computational or theoretical work are supported?

Computational and theoretical efforts may include numerical simulations of crust and lithosphere dynamics, mechanical or thermomechanical models, and frameworks that connect observations to governing physical principles. Projects that develop or test quantitative models of deformation are within scope.

Does the program emphasize linking observations to physical principles?

Yes. The program is well suited for proposals that integrate observations and theory, develop or test quantitative models of lithospheric deformation, and clarify links between deformation mechanisms and the tectonic forces that shape continental regions.

What time scales does the program cover?

The program emphasizes multiple time scales. It includes decades-to-centuries time scales associated with active tectonics (such as ongoing fault slip, crustal strain accumulation, and present-day mountain belt evolution) as well as longer geologic time scales related to the evolution of continental interiors, rifts, plate boundary zones, and orogenic belts.

What spatial scales does the program cover?

The program spans from micro-scale processes (for example, deformation mechanisms in minerals and rocks and how these scale up to bulk behavior) to regional, plate-boundary, and orogenic-belt length scales where large tectonic systems and their drivers can be tested.

Can a project focus on active tectonics and present-day deformation?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes shorter time scales relevant to active tectonics, including ongoing fault slip, crustal strain accumulation, and present-day mountain belt evolution.

Can a project focus on ancient deformation and long-term geologic evolution?

Yes. The program supports research on longer geologic time scales, including the evolution of continental interiors, rifts, plate boundary zones, and orogenic belts, and the histories recorded in rocks and structures.

What tectonic settings are included within the scope?

The scope includes multiple tectonic settings, including continental interiors, rifts, plate boundary zones, and orogenic belts, as well as other settings where continental deformation can be studied and tested against tectonic drivers and boundary conditions.

What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?

The listed award ceiling is $500,000.

How many awards did NSF anticipate making under this opportunity?

NSF anticipated making about 50 awards under this opportunity.

When was this solicitation posted and what was the closing date?

The solicitation was posted on April 1, 2016. The original and current closing date listed is July 8, 2016.

What type of funding opportunity is this administratively?

This is described as a discretionary NSF research grant opportunity in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category.

What CFDA number is associated with this NSF opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA numbers 47.050.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the solicitation eligibility section. Applicants are directed to consult the full text of the solicitation for specific eligibility rules, including any constraints on who may submit.

What is the central scientific goal of the Tectonics Program?

The overall goal is to advance fundamental knowledge of how continents deform, why that deformation occurs, and how processes observed at small scales connect to large-scale tectonic behavior over both human and geologic time.

What kinds of proposals are a strong fit based on the description provided?

Proposals that are a strong fit include those that integrate observations and theory, develop or test quantitative models of lithospheric deformation, examine deformation mechanisms under varying conditions (for example temperature and pressure), and clarify links between mechanisms and tectonic forces or boundary conditions across scales and time.