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Atmosphere Cluster (AGS-AC)

Important information about NSF’s implementation of the revised 2 CFR

NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website. These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.

Important information for proposers

All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Supports fundamental research on atmospheric processes, including chemical, physical and dynamic factors that influence weather, climate, air quality and the water cycle.

Supports fundamental research on atmospheric processes, including chemical, physical and dynamic factors that influence weather, climate, air quality and the water cycle.

Synopsis

The Atmosphere Cluster (AC) in the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) supports fundamental studies of atmospheric processes from the Earth’s surface to the stratosphere, and from timescales of nanoseconds to millennia. Core areas of research include the chemical, physical, and dynamical processes in the atmosphere that impact clouds, weather, climate, air quality, and the water cycle. Research methods include modeling, collecting observations, conducting experiments in the laboratory and field, and advancing analytical measurement techniques. 

 

General research topics that are supported by the AC include, and are not limited to: 

  • Chemical processes and mechanisms that explain how atmospheric gases and aerosols form, react, transform and interact with the surrounding environment. 
  • Processes and dynamics that govern climate and hydroclimate, including their mean state, variability, response to external forcing and their role in the establishment of a global energy and water balance; coupled atmosphere-ocean interactions, land-atmosphere interactions and interactions among clouds, atmospheric circulation and climate. 
  • Observational and modeling studies of past climate and its drivers and studies that develop and synthesize paleoclimate proxies and records. 
  • Physics and dynamics of atmospheric motions on all scales, from the planetary to the microscale, including the general circulation of the troposphere and stratosphere, planetary waves, synoptic and mesoscale systems, convection, gravity waves, turbulence and planetary boundary layer dynamics. 
  • Physical meteorology including aerosol, cloud, and precipitation physics and atmospheric electricity. 
  • Synoptic and mesoscale meteorology including the processes, predictability and future changes in severe and hazardous weather. 

 

Proposals to the AC are welcome at any time. However, the following solicitations in support of specific atmospheric science and community efforts have target dates or deadlines. They also may have PI and/or Institution restrictions. Please refer to the solicitation documents for further details: 

 

  • The Paleo Perspectives on Present and Projected Climate (P4CLIMATE) solicitation supports observational and modeling studies to provide paleo perspectives addressing the two research themes: 1) Past Regional and Seasonal Climate; and 2) Past Climate Forcing, Sensitivity, and Feedbacks. 
  • The Facility and Instrumentation Request Process (FIRP) solicitation describes the requirements for the submission of proposals that will make use of AGS-supported facilities and instrumentation managed by the Facilities for Atmospheric Reseach and Education (FARE) program. 

AGS encourages and inspires scientific leaders by investing in the atmospheric and geospace sciences, enhancing educational opportunities and experiences and supporting faculty and researchers at all career stages. The Division expects that proposers will integrate education, outreach and dissemination activities into their research plans in compliance with NSF Broader Impacts Merit Review criteria.    

 

AGS invites proposals that include plans for workforce development, educational and outreach activities, open science initiatives, and efforts to broaden participation and encourage diverse talent in the atmosphere and geospace sciences. Furthermore, AGS encourages proposals from all institutions, including Minority Serving Institutions, Emerging Research Institutions and institutions in Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) jurisdictions. 

 

The Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) provides the instructions for submitting proposals to AGS. Additionally, Chapter II.F of the PAPPG defines “Other Types of Proposals,” including community-building proposals such as Conference, Travel or Planning Proposals and special categories of proposals, such as Rapid Response Research (RAPID) and EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER). Proposals that are not compliant with the PAPPG will be returned without review. 

 

The following sections highlight specific NSF-, GEO- or AGS-wide solicitations that may be relevant to the AGS Community. Please be aware that solicitations are frequently updated, so make sure that you are looking at the most recent version.   

 

Career Development 

 

AGS Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (AGS-PRF):  The AGS-PRF program supports researchers (also known as Fellows) for up to 24 months at the institution of their choice. The program is intended to recognize beginning investigators of significant potential and provide them with research experience that will broaden perspectives, facilitate interdisciplinary interactions and establish them in leadership positions within the AGS community. 

 

Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER):  The CAREER program supports early career (assistant professor-level) faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances for their department or organization. Awards are 5 years long and must integrate research and education. 

 

Mid-Career Advancement (MCA):  The MCA program provides opportunities for scientists and engineers at the associate professor rank (or equivalent) to substantively enhance and advance their research program through synergistic partnerships. 

  

Capacity Development 

 

EMpowering BRoader Academic Capacity and Education (EMBRACE):  The EMBRACE program supports research and educational efforts at "non-R1" institutions, including non-R1 minority serving institutions (MSIs), two-year colleges (2YCs), primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs), and emerging research (ERIs) and master's level institutions. 

 

Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Excellence in Research (HBCU - EiR):  The HBCU-EiR – program supports research at public and private historically Black colleges and universities to strengthen research capacity and promote engagement with NSF. 

 

Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (RUI and ROA):  RUI awards support PUI faculty in research that engages them in their professional field(s), builds capacity for research at their home institution, and supports the integration of research and undergraduate education. ROA awards similarly support PUI faculty research, but these awards typically allow faculty to work as visiting scientists at research-intensive organizations where they collaborate with other NSF-supported investigators. 

 

Instrumentation and Facilities 

 

Major Research Instrumentation:  The MRI program supports requests for up to $4 million from NSF for the development or acquisition of multi-user research instruments that are critical to the advancement of science and engineering. 

 

Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1:  The MSRI-1 program supports the design and implementation of research infrastructure — including equipment, cyberinfrastructure, large-scale datasets and personnel — whose total project costs exceed the NSF Major Research Instrumentation program limit but are under $20 million. 

 

Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-2:  The MSRI-2 program supports the implementation of research infrastructure — including equipment, cyberinfrastructure, large-scale datasets and personnel — whose total project costs fall between $20 million and $100 million.  

   

Program contacts

Main points of contact by theme:

Atmospheric Chemistry:  Sylvia Edgerton, Ben Brown-Steiner

Climate and Large-scale Dynamics:  Eric DeWeaver, Var Limpasuvan, Yolande Serra

Paleoclimate:  David Verardo, Mea Cook

Physical and Dynamic Meteorology:  Chungu Lu, Nick Anderson (Cluster Coordinator), Yu Gu

Nicholas F. Anderson
Program Director - Physical and Dynamic Meteorology
nanderso@nsf.gov (703) 292-8522 GEO/AGS
Benjamin E. Brown-Steiner
Program Director - Atmospheric Chemistry
bebrowns@nsf.gov (703) 292-8522 GEO/AGS
Mea S. Cook
Program Director - Paleoclimate
mcook@nsf.gov (703) 292-8522 GEO/AGS
Eric DeWeaver
Program Director - Climate and Large-scale Dynamics
edeweave@nsf.gov (703) 292-8522 GEO/AGS
Sylvia Edgerton
Program Director - Atmospheric Chemistry
sedgerto@nsf.gov (703) 292-8522 GEO/AGS
Yu Gu
Program Director - Physical and Dynamic Meteorology
ygu@nsf.gov (703) 292-8522 GEO/AGS
Chungu Lu
Program Director - Physical and Dynamic Meteorology
clu@nsf.gov (703) 292-8522 GEO/AGS
Yolande L. Serra
Program Director - Climate and Large-scale Dynamics
yserra@nsf.gov (703) 292-8522 GEO/AGS
David J. Verardo
Program Director - Paleoclimate
dverardo@nsf.gov (703) 292-8522 GEO/AGS
Varavut Limpasuvan
Program Director - Climate and Large-scale Dynamics
vlimpasu@nsf.gov (703) 292-8522 GEO/AGS

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