Removal of Target Dates for Geospace Science Programs

Dear Colleague:

The Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) will eliminate target dates for three solicitations in the Geospace Science Section — Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions (CEDAR), Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM), and Solar, Heliospheric, and INterplanetary Environment (SHINE). Although these programs traditionally accepted new proposals throughout the latter half of the year, new proposals should only be submitted after October 1, 2017. This date was selected due to relocation of the NSF staff and services to a new headquarters building in Alexandria, VA, and to better align these programs with the fiscal year. The Program Solicitations for each of the programs listed above will be updated to reflect these changes. It is also important to note that the core Solar Terrestrial, Aeronomy, and Magnetosphere programs will continue to accept proposals at any time.

By submitting proposals at any time, investigators will have more time to prepare proposals and build strong collaborations; this will allow them to think more creatively without the pressure of a deadline, and to propose more complex, interdisciplinary projects that have the potential to dramatically advance science. As has been shown in other NSF Programs and Divisions where a no deadline submission process has been instituted, eliminating deadlines can reduce the burden on institutions and the community by spreading out the request period over the course of the year, as opposed to having submissions limited to two short time windows.

We will continue to use a combination of ad hoc reviews and panel input to assess the intellectual merit and broader impacts of submitted proposals. Supplements, EAGERs, and RAPIDs will continue to be entertained anytime following communication with the cognizant Program Director as indicated in the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG).

We remind our community that proposals that have been declined need to be substantially revised to be considered again by the programs. Submissions that have not been changed significantly will be returned without review as outlined in the PAPPG.

Sincerely,

Dr. William E. Easterling
Assistant Director
Directorate for Geosciences