Realigning the NSF Division of Earth Sciences 

December 16, 2024

Plate tectonics not required for the emergence of life — PLATE DATE: Plate tectonics involves the horizontal movement and interaction of large plates on Earth’s surface. New research indicates that mobile plate tectonics—thought to be necessary for the creation of a habitable planet—was not occurring on Earth 3.9 billion years ago.

The U.S. National Science Foundation Division of Earth Sciences (NSF EAR) has realigned its disciplinary science programs as of Dec. 10, 2024. The new NSF EAR programs are: 

The change aims to better support the Earth sciences research community. "Our new programs support a wide range of project sizes and scopes," said Dena Smith-Nufio, division director for EAR. "Although these changes realign previous disciplinary and interdisciplinary programs, they do not change the division’s overall science portfolio." 

EAR program directors are sharing the realignment through public webinars, which will be recorded and posted on our website. The schedule with registration information: 

Dec 17, 2024, 1 p.m. ET: Life and Environments through Time (LET). 
Dec 17, 2024, 3 p.m. ET: Water, Landscape, and Critical Zone Processes (WaLCZ). 
Dec 18, 2024, 2 p.m. ET: Chemical Evolution of the Solid Earth and Volcanology (CESEV). 
Dec 18, 2024, 1 p.m. ET: Structure and Physics of the Solid Earth (SPSE).

The division published a Dear Colleague Letter to detail its rationale for the realignment. If you'd like additional information, you can visit a list of frequently asked questions.