Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Sponsor Program Solicitation:
NSF 12-575, replaces NSF 06-588
Funding Amount: 8 awards totaling $8M. Awards will be up to $5,000,000 over 5 years per CZO, pending
Duration: 5 years
Status of this Limited Submission Opportunity
NU Pre-Proposal Deadline: 12/05/2012
Sponsor Deadline: 02/05/2013
Eligibility and Nomination Requirements
Only one proposal is allowed from NU.
This opportunity is still open. If you are interested in submitting, please call Wittmann (x3836) immediately.
NSF seeks proposals to establish a networked set of Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs) that will address pressing interdisciplinary scientific questions concerning geological, physical, chemical, and biological processes and their couplings that govern critical zone system dynamics. The CZOs are expected, collectively, to 1) measure and quantify the significant processes of the critical zone on appropriate time and space scales; 2) develop a unifying theoretical framework that integrates new understanding of coupled hydrological, geochemical, geomorphological, sedimentological and biological processes; and 3) develop, couple and validate system-level models to predict how the critical zone responds to external forces such as anthropogenic, climatic, and/or tectonic processes. Each observatory must contribute to strengthening the scientific basis for decision-making, particularly with regards to impacts on health, safety, and environment due to observed and predicted changes in the critical zone.