Funder: National Science Foundation
Due Dates: Proposals accepted anytime | Target dates for specific solicitations (see below)
Funding Amounts: No fixed ceiling; award size and duration vary by project and solicitation. Major instrumentation and infrastructure programs range from up to $4M (MRI) to $100M (MSRI-2).
Summary: Supports fundamental research on atmospheric processes affecting weather, climate, air quality, and the water cycle, from Earth's surface to the stratosphere, using modeling, observation, and experimental approaches.
Key Information: Proposals must comply with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG); non-compliant proposals will be returned without review.
Description
The Atmosphere Cluster in the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) at NSF funds fundamental research on atmospheric processes from the Earth's surface to the stratosphere, spanning timescales from nanoseconds to millennia. Supported research addresses the chemical, physical, and dynamical processes that influence clouds, weather, climate, air quality, and the water cycle. Projects may use modeling, field and laboratory experiments, observational campaigns, and the development of new analytical techniques.
Key research areas include:
- Chemical processes and mechanisms of atmospheric gases and aerosols
- Climate and hydroclimate dynamics, including variability, external forcing, and coupled interactions (atmosphere-ocean, land-atmosphere, clouds-circulation-climate)
- Observational and modeling studies of past climate, including paleoclimate proxies and records
- Physics and dynamics of atmospheric motions at all scales (planetary to microscale), including general circulation, waves, convection, turbulence, and boundary layer dynamics
- Physical meteorology (aerosol, cloud, precipitation physics, atmospheric electricity)
- Synoptic and mesoscale meteorology, including severe and hazardous weather processes and predictability
The program encourages integration of education, outreach, and workforce development, as well as efforts to broaden participation and support diverse talent in atmospheric and geospace sciences.
Due Dates
- Proposals accepted anytime for most research topics.
- Target dates or deadlines may apply for specific solicitations, such as:
Funding Amount
- No fixed maximum or minimum for standard research proposals.
- Major Research Instrumentation (MRI): Up to $4 million per award.
- Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 (MSRI-1): Projects exceeding MRI limit but under $20 million.
- Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-2 (MSRI-2): Projects between $20 million and $100 million.
- Career development and capacity-building programs (e.g., AGS-PRF, CAREER, MCA, EMBRACE, HBCU-EiR, RUI/ROA) have their own award sizes and durations—see linked solicitations for details.
Eligibility
- Eligible applicants: Unrestricted; open to all types of organizations, including universities, colleges, research institutions, and non-R1 institutions.
- Encouraged applicants: Minority Serving Institutions, Emerging Research Institutions, EPSCoR jurisdictions, and institutions at all career stages.
- PI and institutional restrictions may apply for specific solicitations (e.g., CAREER, AGS-PRF, EMBRACE, HBCU-EiR).
Application Process
- Submission: Proposals must be submitted via NSF FastLane, Research.gov, or Grants.gov.
- Guidance: All proposals must comply with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG).
- Types of proposals: Standard research, community-building (conference, travel, planning), and special categories (RAPID, EAGER) are accepted.
- Non-compliance: Proposals not following PAPPG requirements will be returned without review.
Additional Information
Career Development Programs
- AGS Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (AGS-PRF): Up to 24 months of support for early-career researchers.
- Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER): 5-year awards for assistant professors integrating research and education.
- Mid-Career Advancement (MCA): For associate professors to advance research via partnerships.
Capacity Development
- EMBRACE: For non-R1 institutions, MSIs, 2YCs, PUIs, ERIs, and master's-level institutions.
- HBCU - Excellence in Research (EiR): For research at HBCUs.
- Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (RUI/ROA): For PUI faculty and visiting scientist opportunities.
Instrumentation and Facilities
External Links
Contact Information
For general NSF inquiries:
- Email: info@nsf.gov
- Phone: 1-703-292-5111
- NSF Contact Page