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Ecological Biology

Status: Archived

Archived funding opportunity

This document has been archived.

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.

Synopsis

The Ecological Biology Cluster supports research that advances the conceptual or theoretical understanding of species interactions and community dynamics in terrestrial, wetland and freshwater habitats.  We encourage projects that integrate theoretical, modeling, and empirical approaches, or that promote synthesis, across spatial and temporal scales.  The cluster seeks to fund projects that are transformative -- that is those that will change the conceptual bases of ecology and have broad implications for future research.  Proposals that develop research questions within the context of existing theory, consider alternate mechanisms, and design critical tests to distinguish among mechanisms are particularly encouraged, together with those that use contemporary approaches to develop new paradigms.  Inter- and multi-disciplinary proposals that cross traditional programmatic boundaries are welcomed in the Ecological Biology Cluster.  Research focused on dynamics of single species should be directed to the Population and Evolutionary Processes Cluster.  Studies that focus on the ecology of marine organisms should be directed to the Biological Oceanography Program in the Division of Ocean Sciences.  Research focused on human disease or health is not supported.  The Ecological Biology Cluster funds projects within the Ecology Program as well as LTREB, OPUS, and CAREER. Other relevant funding opportunities are listed below as well as on DEB Home (see link on left). 

The Ecology Program supports studies of interspecific interactions and species diversity at diverse spatial and temporal scales.  These include, but are not limited to, (1) food-web structure and trophic dynamics, (2) biotic interactions, including mutualism, competition, predation and parasitism, (3) mechanisms of coexistence, community assembly and the maintenance of species diversity, (4) co-evolution and (5) landscape ecology, habitat fragmentation and macroecology.  Ecology particularly encourages studies that can be applied to a wide range of habitats and taxa across multiple scales.  Unsolicited proposals should be prepared as described in the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). 

Program contacts

William J. Resetarits
wresetar@nsf.gov (703) 292-7184
Richard Inouye
rinouye@nsf.gov (703) 292-4974
Laura Gough
lgough@nsf.gov (703) 292-7137
Alan J. Tessier
atessier@nsf.gov (703) 292-7198
Saran Twombly
Program Director
stwombly@nsf.gov (703) 292-8133
N. Thomas Hobbs
nhobbs@nsf.gov (703) 292-8610

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