Investing in NCEAS | Funding Opportunities | Donor Dollars at Work |
News: Donors Recognized for Their Contributions | Contact Us

Contact: Anne Branch , Director of Development, 805-892-4701

Investing in NCEAS

The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) was established in 1996 with a grant from the National Science Foundation. Since that time, the National Science Foundation, along with other major contributions from foundations has allowed NCEAS to fulfill its primary mission of organizing and synthesizing ecological information in a manner vital to researchers, students, resource managers and policy makers.  The impact of NCEAS has been broad and penetrating.

NCEAS' Development Office was formed in 2006 to facilitate support from private philanthropic sources. Funds raised support Visiting Distinguished Scholars, Postdoctoral Associates, NCEAS Sabbatical Fellows, Graduate Student Fellowships, Research Internships, technology enhancements, Distinguished Lecture Series, Distributed Graduate Seminars and the NCEAS Excellence Fund. Gifts to the Excellence Fund provide the Director with flexibility to direct gifts to the area of greatest need.

NCEAS is an Organized Research Unit of the Marine Science Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara. UCSB is the tax-exempt entity that is entitled to accept gifts which benefit NCEAS. Charitable contributions are made to the UCSB Foundation or to the Regents of the University of California. NCEAS seeks support from individuals, corporations and foundations and accepts contributions in many forms including cash, securities, real-estate, and planned gifts. The Development Office is well-equipped to work with a variety of donors using all available philanthropic tools.

Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law. Please contact us to discuss how you can help us achieve our vision. Your interests are very important to us and we look forward to working with you.

Funding Opportunities

NCEAS is honored to have researchers from all over the world bringing their own research and collectively sharing and analyzing ecological and environmental data. We would be happy to discuss any of these areas of need and naming opportunities associated with these funds.

Areas of Need:

Visiting Distinguished Scholars - Income helps provide significant support for the teaching and research responsibilities of a distinguished NCEAS scholar

Postdoctoral Associates - Income provides money to bring a visiting scientist to NCEAS on an annual or short-term basis

NCEAS Sabbatical Fellows Awards - Income provides support for one of our sabbatical fellows, to aquire new skills and/or training

Graduate Student Fellowships/Research Internships - Income from this fund provides partial funding to deserving graduate student

Technology Enhancements - Income from this fund supports new tools and enhancements to existing technology

Distinguished Lecture Series - Income from this fund will provide for a distinguished lecturer

Distributed Graduate Seminars -Income from this fund allows students and faculty from nationally or globally distributed universities to collaborate remotely in a research project and convene at NCEAS for a final synthesis at the project's end

NCEAS Excellence Fund - Gifts to the Excellence Fund provide the Director with flexibility to enhance the excellence of the Center by directing the gift to the area of greatest need

Endowment- Provide funding beyond the traditional level of support

Donor Dollars at Work 

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation contributed to a NCEAS project that provides tools for managing the extraordinary natural resources in Kruger National Park in South Africa.  NCEAS researchers and students are creating and implementing cutting-edge computational tools to study and manage Cape buffalo, elephants, and Park vegetation. The tools are designed to be used by Park managers, in addition to the researchers, and adaptable to a wide variety of management issues in Kruger and elsewhere.

The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has supported the Sustainable Fisheries project. This fishery management project is designed to align economic incentives for fishermen with implementation of conservation tools to improve ocean stewardship. 

The Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation has contributed to an NCEAS project in which scientists identify, rank, and map human threats and impacts on marine ecosystems in the California Current. The analysis and synthesis of this large field of information, by leading academic and non-academic scientists, will result in knowledge that is directly applicable to conservation and management planning and action.  

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has supported a NCEAS project that informs the design and implementation of Ecosystem-based Management of Coastal Marine Systems. This grant supports both the deep analysis necessary to understand this multi-faceted management issue, and the development of technological tools that increase the efficiency of large teams of collaborating researchers. Such cutting-edge software allows big research groups to work more swiftly toward the acquisition of knowledge that is necessary for the wise management of natural resources.

News: Donors Recognized for their Contributions

Work by Curtis Bentzinger Shown at NCEAS

NCEAS has also enhanced the Center with photographs of esteemed photographer, Curtis Bentzinger. Curt has photographed many animals, mountain ranges, ocean and marine pictures locally and globally.

Julie Larsen Maher Donates Photographs to NCEAS

In November 2006, the walls of NCEAS became adorned with photographs taken by Julie Larsen Maher. Julie began her career with the Wildlife Conservation Society, in 1991 as Creative Director of Publications. Julie is the sixth person (and first female) in the history of the organization, established in 1895, to be named Staff Photographer. Her digital photographs and the stories that go with them represent remarkable, behind-the-scenes access to 20,000 animal residents and their caregivers in New York wildlife parks. Through these images, we can learn about beautiful and remote places, and why conserving them is of global importance.

Contact Us:

Anne H. Branch
Director of Development
NCEAS
735 State St., Ste.300
Santa Barbara, CA  93441
Phone:  (805) 892-4701
Fax:  (805) 892-2510
branch@nceas.ucsb.edu