Calls for Proposals
Turn big data into big insights that improve our world
We periodically invite researchers to submit proposals for collaborative, synthesis research projects in both basic and applied environmental science. If selected, research teams, called working groups, meet one to two times per year at our headquarters in Santa Barbara, CA to focus on their projects.
Successful proposals present research questions that could benefit specifically from the synthesis of existing data and analysis by an interdisciplinary team.
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Open Calls for Proposals
With support from Microsoft AI for Earth, NCEAS launches this research opportunity to inform the science of sustained, automated, and technology-driven ecosystem assessment. This call for proposals invites research to advance and accelerate the science and process of rigorous ecosystems assessments, leveraging the technological expertise and reach of Microsoft and NCEAS’ strength in supporting innovative and robust synthesis science.
Proposals are due November 10, 2020, 5:00 p.m. PDT.
Required Proposal Elements:
The data produced at LTER sites are an extraordinary scientific resource that can inform a wide variety of questions. Among-site comparisons interrogate the generality of effects observed at particular sites. Modeling efforts employ long term observations and experiments to formulate and test rigorous descriptions of theory. Scaling exercises get at the continental or even global impacts of documented effects.
LTER synthesis working groups organized through the LTER Network Office (LNO) are intended to support collaboration on these and many other types of questions. In the 2020 competition, the LNO expects to award 2-4 synthesis working groups at a funding level of up to $55,000 per year for up to two years.
Required proposal elements and instructions can be found on the LTER website.
The proposal due date is October 14, 2020, 5:00 p.m. PDT.
For this program, NSF approves funds devoted to convening synthesis working groups at NCEAS. You are encouraged to consider including within your application a request for funds to do this. For more information, see this PDF and/or contact NCEAS Director Ben Halpern at halpern@nceas.ucsb.edu or Deputy Director Courtney Scarborough at scarborough@nceas.ucsb.edu.
Working Group Model
Collaboration and diversity are among our core values, and team science is part of our approach. Our research is always conducted in working groups, a model we've pioneered for the field of ecology.
Research proposals should reflect these values and approach.
Calls for proposals are typically associated with one of the following initiatives.
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Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP)
SNAPP is our collaboration with The Nature Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Society to fill knowledge gaps and advance solutions to challenges that lie at the intersection of nature conservation, sustainable development, and human well-being. Teams are typically a mix of academic and non-academic researchers, sometimes also including experts from the realms of policy, management, and business. Calls for proposals are typically issued once a year between February and April.
Learn more about SNAPP -
Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network Synthesis
Through the LTER Network Office, we solicit proposals for projects that synthesize and analyze data from one or more LTER sites. While all relevant ideas will be considered, the selection committee is most interested in ideas that could have high-impact results in the core LTER research areas. Principal investigators are strongly encouraged to contact the Network Office to briefly discuss ideas before submitting proposals.
Learn more about LTER synthesis -
Special Projects
We occasionally convene one or more working groups to tackle a specific issue of interest to a funding partner, such as a foundation, consortium, or government agency.
Learn more about partnering with us