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National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis

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

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.

  • Gulf Ecosystem Initiative

    The Gulf Ecosystem Initiative is a partnership between the NCEAS and the NOAA RESTORE Science Program to fund synthesis science and postdoctoral research. Working groups of scientists and decision makers will collaborate to solve pressing questions across the Gulf of Mexico. Synthesis science proposals and working groups will cover three main areas of research for decision making in the Gulf of Mexico: fisheries, climate change, and the ecological impacts of management.

    Learn more about the Gulf Ecosystem Initiative
  • Morpho Initiative

    The Morpho Initiative is an applied environmental science initiative that convenes working groups consisting of government agency, NGO, tribal, and academic researchers to develop and accelerate science in the service of environmental management.

    Learn more about the Morpho Initiative
  • 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