Infrastructure Cluster
Oversight of AGS research facilities, including NCAR, supports atmospheric and geospace sciences research.
Funder: National Science Foundation
Due Dates: Proposals accepted anytime
Funding Amounts: No specified ceiling or floor; award size and duration vary by project and facility type
Summary: Supports state-of-the-art facilities, instrumentation, and data infrastructure for research in atmospheric and geospace sciences, including oversight of NCAR and community-based resources.
Key Information: Proposals must follow the current NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG); some facilities require invitation or specific request processes.
Description
The Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) Infrastructure Cluster (IC) program provides oversight and support for facilities, instrumentation, and data infrastructure that enable research in atmospheric and geospace sciences. The IC primarily manages the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), a major research center offering resources such as supercomputing, research aircraft, and advanced models for the university community. The program also supports community-based instrumentation, field facilities, and data storage/provisioning, facilitating fundamental research and education in Earth system science.
The IC encompasses several sub-programs:
- NCAR: A Federally Funded Research and Development Center in Boulder, CO, providing world-class facilities and services for atmospheric research.
- Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education (FARE): Includes the Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities (LAOF) and Community Instruments and Facilities (CIF), supporting field and laboratory studies.
- Geospace Facilities (GF): Supports large geospace observatories and distributed instrument arrays for research on Earth's geospace environment.
- Data and Computing: Oversees data infrastructure, open-source software, and community data distribution services, including the Unidata Program Center and NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputer Center.
Proposals may be for facility operation, instrumentation, data infrastructure, or access to existing resources. Some opportunities (e.g., LAOF, large geospace observatories) require invitation or specific request processes.
