Ecological Biology

CONTACTS

PROGRAM GUIDELINES

PD 04-1128

Important Notice to Proposers

A revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), NSF 13-1, was issued on October 4, 2012 and is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after January 14, 2013. Please be advised that, depending on the specified due date, the guidelines contained in NSF 13-1 may apply to proposals submitted in response to this funding opportunity.

Please be aware that significant changes have been made to the PAPPG to implement revised merit review criteria based on the National Science Board (NSB) report, National Science Foundation's Merit Review Criteria: Review and Revisions. While the two merit review criteria remain unchanged (Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts), guidance has been provided to clarify and improve the function of the criteria. Changes will affect the project summary and project description sections of proposals. Annual and final reports also will be affected.

A by-chapter summary of this and other significant changes is provided at the beginning of both the Grant Proposal Guide and the Award & Administration Guide.

DUE DATES

Archived

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). 

RELATED PROGRAMS

Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems

Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program

Long Term Research in Environmental Biology

Opportunities for Promoting Understanding through Synthesis

What Has Been Funded (Recent Awards Made Through This Program, with Abstracts)

Map of Recent Awards Made Through This Program