As program director for the Geospace Cluster in the NSF Directorate for Geosciences (GEO), I am taking this opportunity to expand on the solar-related announcement made in the most recent GEO’s newsletter to provide further guidance and offer that you reach out if you have further questions.

GEO has released a new funding opportunity (NSF 26-516) titled Geosciences Research: Atmospheric, Geospace, Earth, and Ocean Sciences (GEO Core). This solicitation replaces several funding opportunities, including GEM, SHINE, CEDAR and Geospace Cluster (core). The overarching goal for GEO Core is to invite submissions of proposals that reveal new information about Earth and its interaction with the Sun. Adhering more closely to this goal, the solar-terrestrial research (including SHINE) component in GEO Core has reoriented its scope as follows.

For solar-terrestrial research (STR) proposals submitted to GEO Core, projects must focus on the Sun’s interactions (e.g., via CMEs, CIRs, SEPs, solar wind and other transients) with Earth’s surface or near-Earth space environment (mesosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere, magnetosphere, and/or exosphere). Projects investigating the propagation and evolution of such transients in the inner heliosphere are also welcome. Projects may also focus on solar drivers of space weather and their impact on technology and essential infrastructure.

In contrast, projects focusing on fundamental solar physics topics, including predicting solar storms, may be more suitable for MPS/Astronomy under the funding opportunity (NSF 26-522) titled MPS Astronomical Sciences Research Programs (MPS Astro). MPS Astro also accepts proposals that consider the impact of the Sun on the broader solar system, outside of the Earth and its vicinity, such as solar wind interactions with other planetary magnetospheres.

GEO Core accepts proposals with a range of budgets and durations. Project durations and budgets must be commensurate with the scope of the proposed work. Due to budget constraints, a good rule of thumb would be to follow the budget and duration recommendation of the former SHINE solicitation.

The review process for GEO Core proposals is the same as before, that is, a combination of panel and/or ad-hoc reviews, relying on experts with expertise according to the proposal topics.

GEO is still working on plans for the future of the Geospace Facilities (GF) and Community Instruments and Facilities (CIF) portfolios. We will update the community as more information becomes available.

Lastly, if in doubt about whether a project is suitable for GEO Core, please contact me.

Sincerely,
Andreas Keiling

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Dr. Andreas Keiling
Program Director, Geospace Cluster
Directorate for Geosciences
U.S. National Science Foundation
akeiling@nsf.gov