Morpho Initiative
Collaborative data science in service of environmental management
The Morpho Initiative is an applied environmental science initiative launched by NCEAS. Morpho convenes working groups consisting of government agency, NGO, tribal, and academic researchers to develop and accelerate science in the service of environmental management. Projects are enhanced by hands-on training in data science and management skills that can help tackle the project's near- and long-term challenges. Through this approach, Morpho aims to advance necessary skills while developing the science results that can inform solutions to urgent issues facing our changing planet - from wildfires to biodiversity loss and climate change.
The Need
- Solving today’s data-intensive environmental challenges requires transdisciplinary collaboration, the application of advanced tools, and diverse ways of knowing
- Rarely are agency, NGO, tribal and academic researchers from diverse disciplines funded to convene, co-develop and co-execute data-driven environmental science, despite the clear need for this
- Resource managers and researchers hold a vast amount of key environmental data sets, innovative ideas, and opportunities for impactful science to action. Integrating data science learning with hands-on application of skills in the development of synthesis products can make data more usable and research outputs more impactful
The Opportunity
Morpho accelerates science and builds capacity in the service of management solutions by:
- Engaging a range of relevant researcher and practitioner expertise in synthesis groups
- Providing tailored and targeted trainings in reproducible open data science, team science, data management and storage, facilitation, and communication
- Leveraging matching funds to extend project impact
- Funding 2-3 working groups annually with ~$75,000-125,000
The Morpho Initiative’s Annual Request for Proposals asks potential team leaders to propose a research opportunity to influence management action. Each project will bring together a working group of 12-15 experts for 3-4 in-person collaborative sessions over 24 months. The group will conceive new approaches to its respective problem, synthesize data relevant to the work, and develop science in service of relevant solutions. Between sessions, members will collaborate remotely, participate in Morpho-provided trainings, explore emerging research, identify opportunities to enhance management, and publish results. The program provides technical support for data analysis and modeling, and the creation of open-source tools. Over time, ideas and relationships fostered within Morpho teams may influence management policy or practice at local, state, national or international levels. Awards will be announced in Summer 2023 and groups will start in Fall 2023.
Ready to apply? Read our full 2023 Call for Proposals and complete the following:
- Download and fill in our Budget Template
- Download and fill in our Proposal Template
- Fill our our Call for Proposals Google form
- Email application materials to morpho@nceas.ucsb.edu
Morpho Special call for 2023: Along with proposals focused on any environmental management and conservation topic, this year we are additionally interested in proposals that address Wildfire Resilience in the U.S. and Canadian West (Alaska inclusive). We encourage proposals that address ecological, social, economic, and/or political dimensions of resilience or recovery in natural and human communities. For Wildfire Resilience proposals, the focus should be relevant to, but not necessarily constrained to, the West, and we encourage proposals that address resilience with respect to beneficial versus detrimental fire.
Ready to apply? Please follow the same process for our general call:
Read our full 2023 Call for Proposals and complete the following:
- Download and fill in our Budget Template
- Download and fill in our Proposal Template
- Fill our our Call for Proposals Google form
- Email application materials to morpho@nceas.ucsb.edu
Postdoctoral Fellow call for 2023: We also seek applications for a postdoctoral fellow focused on Wildfire Resilience to be based at NCEAS. The successful postdoc will embed within and support the wildfire working group as well as pursue their own research on wildfire resilience following the same guidance described above in the Special Call. Approximately 50% of the postdoc's time will be dedicated to Morpho Initiative synthesis groups and the other 50% will be for independent research around Wildfire in the West.
Apply online at UC Santa Barbara with the following documents:
- Your most recently updated C.V.
- A cover letter stating your interests, qualifications, and DEI experience
- Three page research proposal for the independent project
Whether this is your first Morpho proposal or you are resubmitting an idea, you may have questions about the process. We are here to answer them! Join us at this informational webinar, where we will review what NCEAS does, how working groups work, and tips for strong applications.
You can find a recording of this webinar on our YouTube channel here.
Want to submit a proposal but not sure if the idea is the right fit? Or maybe you need help strengthening a previous proposal? For these and any other lingering questions, sign up for a one-on-one office hours appointment with NCEAS staff. Please include topics of potential discussion in the notes box so we can best prepare for our meetings
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2022 Funded Proposals
Read more about the first two funded Morpho Initiative working groups, covering prescribed burn practices in the West and the decline of grassland bird species.