GEO Programs

The U.S. National Science Foundation Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) supports research, facilities and education on atmospheric processes and our planet's interactions with the sun.

AGS is organized into three clusters to maintain the division's ongoing investments in disciplinary-based research while removing barriers to cross-disciplinary collaboration. 

The U.S. National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) supports research, infrastructure and education on all aspects of the global ocean. 

OCE is organized into programs to maintain the division's ongoing investments in disciplinary-based research and promote cross-disciplinary collaboration. 

OCE invests in ocean research education and infrastructure, including vessels, underwater vehicles and observatories, to provide state-of-the-art equipment and assets for the ocean sciences community. 

The U.S. National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs (OPP) supports innovative and creative scientific research relating to Earth's polar regions and the global interplay of these regions with others across our planet. OPP facilitates access to both Antarctica and the Arctic and works with the United States military and other federal agencies to provide the necessary logistical support for this research. 

Section for Arctic Sciences (ARC)

Supports fundamental research at the forefront of understanding the Arctic, including its human and natural components and its global linkages.

Section for Antarctic Sciences (ANT) 

Supports cutting-edge research across all scientific fields that expands fundamental knowledge of Antarctic systems and processes, improves understanding of the interactions between the Antarctic region and global systems, and uses the unique characteristics of Antarctica as a science observing platform.

Section for Antarctic Infrastructure and Logistics (AIL)

Provides the operational and logistical platform necessary for the U.S. to conduct world-class science in Antarctica and maintain its active and influential presence on the continent. 

Environment Team (ENV)

Manages the environmental impact assessment process for all U.S. government activities in Antarctica, protects Antarctica's unique environments through the administration of a permitting system and participates in the consensus-based decision-making on the management of the Antarctic environment through the Antarctic Treaty's Committee for Environmental Protection. 

Safety and Occupational Health Team (SOH)

Facilitates a culture of safety and health in support of research throughout the polar regions.

GEO can support international collaborations through lead agency agreements. The agreements allow representatives from the U.S. and another country to submit a joint proposal that will undergo a single review process through the lead agency. The agreements are developed as activities under an existing memorandum of understanding with a foreign science agency. Some are specific to an NSF directorate or division, while others encompass programs across the agency.  

These agreements are not GEO's only tool for international collaboration. For example, some solicitations include international partners, some collaborations occur through broader international partnerships like the Belmont Forum, and in some cases, GEO has reciprocal relationships for sharing resources or facilities with international counterparts.  

GEO participates in the active lead agency opportunities listed below. Please refer to the current opportunity webpages for more information about GEO-specific options for collaboration.