Title : NSF 96-49 NSF/DOE/NASA/USDA JOINT PROGRAM ON TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY Type : Program Guideline NSF Org: BIO Date : February 23, 1996 File : nsf9649 AND GLOBAL CHANGE Type : Program Guideline Exposure: Public NSF Org: bio Date : February 23, 1996 Delete : None Replaces: None NSF/DOE/NASA/USDA JOINT PROGRAM ON TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY AND GLOBAL CHANGE ______________________________ Program Announcement DIRECTORATE FOR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 26, 1996 NSF/DOE/NASA/USDA JOINT PROGRAM ON TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY AND GLOBAL CHANGE INTRODUCTION In recent decades extensive efforts have been made to characterize and monitor the distribution and state of terrestrial ecosystems. Various global-scale environmental changes that are known or have the potential to affect terrestrial ecosystems have either already been documented (e.g., increasing atmospheric CO2, decreasing stratospheric ozone, land cover/land use change) or are predicted to occur (e.g., increased temperature, altered precipitation patterns, incidence of severe storms). Presently, what is lacking is an understanding of the potential combined effects of such changes on terrestrial ecosystems, particularly the effects of multiple and interacting global- scale changes (e.g., temperature, moisture, CO2, nutrients) on essential ecosystem components, functions, and/or processes. Key uncertainties are how ecosystems will react to change, and how such changes may influence global phenomena. It is unclear from existing information how the essential functions of species or ecosystems are being or will be affected by global environmental changes in the future, on scales from the individual cell to an individual organisms to populations to communities to ecosystems to landscapes and subcontinental regions. Without the ability to make such projections, implications for the sustainability of ecosystems as a support system for humans remain uncertain. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION In concert with the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and with the intent of enhancing interagency collaboration, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE) , the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) seek to augment terrestrial ecological research with this special competition. This activity extends the research begun as a result of the first Terrestrial Ecology and Global Change (TECO) competition during FY95, current USGCRP activities in NSF on Ecological Rates of Change (EROC), Water, Energy, Atmosphere, Vegetation and Earth (WEAVE), Land Margin Ecosystem Research (LMER) and Ecological Diversity (ED); in DOE on Programs on Ecosystem Research (PER), Terrestrial Carbon Processes (TCP), and research funded through the National Institute for Global Environmental Change (NIGEC); in NASA on the programs in Terrestrial Ecology and Boreal Ecosystem- Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) follow-on research; in USDA on programs in Forest/Range/Crop/Aquatic Ecosystems, Soils and Soil Biology, and on Plant Responses to the Environment (PRE). This competition will allow more comprehensive research on: ecosystem responses to combined effects of elevated CO2, temperature, water, and nutrients; obtaining an understanding of the combined effects of global forcing and landscape-scale processes on the future structure and distribution of ecosystems; potential proximal and evolutionary effects of global land-use changes on biodiversity of managed and unmanaged ecosystems; and the reciprocal influence of ecological processes on atmosphere and climate. The goal for this research is to improve understanding of how species, ecological characteristics and processes, and ecosystems are affected by global change at proximal and evolutionary time scales, and to enhance capabilities to predict consequences of multiple influences (e.g., concurrent changes in climate and atmospheric composition). The research also will increase the capability for extending experimentally-derived information obtained at smaller geographical scales (e.g., plot-size, stand-level, patch- size) and shorter time frames (e.g., growing seasons) to landscape and larger scales (e.g., regions, river basins) at longer temporal intervals (e.g., decades, centuries). To achieve this scientific understanding, innovative field experiments are needed to address interactions of ecological processes and combinations of effects related to global change, and to relate observed effects to causative factors. Also, to improve predictability, new modeling efforts will be needed for extrapolating information to other systems and across multiple scales that will contribute to the development of regional and subcontinental models. Agencies involved in this interagency announcement encourage multidisciplinary proposals involving companion experimental, manipulative and modeling efforts to provide critically needed data and understanding for improved predictions of global change phenomena in the following, equally important areas: (1) Carbon, CO2, and Other Trace Gases Related to Global Change The combined results of process, observation, and global modeling studies strongly suggest that terrestrial ecosystems must be taking up and storing significant amounts of carbon each year, yet we do not know where it is going, how long this might continue, and whether this storage will be permanent or only temporary. Improved databases, experiments and process models are needed: * To understand complex interactions that control exchange of CO2 and other trace gases between the biosphere and the atmosphere for representative terrestrial ecosystems; * To develop databases for the use, intercomparison, and testing of models of terrestrial vegetation and productivity, including data to quantify carbon content of terrestrial ecosystems and estimate how sources and sinks of carbon are changing; * To measure continental atmospheric CO2, carbon isotopes, and oxygen to better quantify processes within terrestrial carbon cycles. (2) Consequences of Global Change on Ecosystems It is hypothesized that ecosystems are changing or will change in response to climate changes of the past century and predicted future changes due to the enhanced greenhouse effect. Linking these changes to climate presents unprecedented challenges because many other types of change are occurring simultaneously. There is a need to relate observed changes to likely causes using experimental approaches that examine phenomena at multiple scales and to incorporate the influence of ongoing evolutionary changes through time. Also, the research needs to provide the quantitative information for models that generalize from selected study sites to broader areas at local, regional and global levels at multiple temporal scales. The focus of research on consequences should be on improving the predictive understanding of how the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems will respond to global change, including land use, climatic, and atmospheric changes. The research should improve the scientific basis for assessing the vulnerability of different ecosystems to global changes, including the potential beneficial and adverse effects of such changes on ecosystem components and processes of utilitarian and/or intrinsic value to humans. This capability should also include projecting potential ecological effects of future environments that many ecological communities may not yet have experienced, and the potential role of natural selection in driving these changes. Experimental and modeling research is encouraged: * To understand and predict how ecosystem processes (e.g., net primary production, respiration, net ecosystem productivity) are affected by combinations of altered atmospheric CO2 and other trace gas concentrations, different climate conditions, changing resource constraints (e.g.,nutrients, water and light), and changing land- use patterns (e.g., urban/suburban sprawl, conversion of forest to other uses, restoring wetlands); * To identify and quantify the mechanism(s) or process(es) controlling observed responses to altered climatic and atmospheric conditions, and to understand the potential for which the controlling mechanism(s) or process(es) might undergo natural selection in evolutionary time and the consequences of evolutionary change to ecosystem function; * To investigate trends, patterns, and relationships among vegetation, climate, and land use to document and understand the interaction between natural and human- dominated systems; * To determine how biological and ecological responses are manifested at higher levels of ecosystem hierarchy (populations, communities, ecosystem, landscape) of terrestrial environments; * To identify changes in structural components (e.g., landscape pattern, community structure, architectural properties of vegetation), caused by different atmospheric, climatic, and land-use activities that will predict the future structure and distribution of ecosystems; * To understand and predict the effects of combinations of altered CO2, climate conditions, changing resource constraints and land-use change on biodiversity (e.g., genetic diversity, species diversity, habitat diversity). (3) Ecosystem Feedbacks to Global Change There is a need to better understand the full range of interactions and feedbacks between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere (e.g., water and energy exchange, aerosol exchange, nutrient fluxes, biotic propagule movement, etc.). Research is encouraged on how species composition, ecological properties and processes influence the ability of managed and unmanaged ecosystems, for example: * To control or modify physical factors such as albedo, regional precipitation, wind speed, and particulate movement in water and air; * To control biogeochemical cycling, nutrient retention, and trace gas fluxes that affect soil fertility, water quality, and atmospheric composition; * To regulate the exchange of energy, water, trace gases, aerosols, and biotic materials between the atmosphere and terrestrial environment under variable and/or changing climatic conditions; * To develop and validate ecosystem components and interactive surface- atmosphere processes in integrative climate models. Research proposed for this competition is encouraged to take advantage of existing programs, research sites or data sets of other agencies with multidisciplinary efforts. Examples of such existing efforts are: NASA field campaigns (FIFE, BOREAS), DOE's National Environmental Research Parks (NERPS), Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) field sites, the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains site, and Program on Ecosystem Research (PER) sites, NSF's Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and Land Margin Ecosystem Research (LMER) sites, and USDA's Management Systems Evaluation Areas (MSEA). In addition to interest in proposals in these three areas, one-year scoping proposals also are encouraged to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of new experimental approaches and/or facilities for field studies to investigate the responses and/or feedback effects of terrestrial ecosystems to global environmental changes. The agencies involved in the TECO program recognize the need for new, innovative field experimental approaches and facilities to study interactive effects of environmental changes on terrestrial ecosystems. Accordingly, this announcement also solicits one-year scoping proposals to design and test the feasibility of new approaches and/or field experimental systems for studying the effects of environmental changes on ecosystems. WHO MAY SUBMIT All U.S. institutions eligible to receive support from DOE, NASA, USDA, and the NSF may submit proposals in response to this announcement. The NSF also has express statutory authority to support research performed by other Federal agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). The Foundation ordinarily does not encourage research proposals from other Federal agencies or FFRDCs; however, for this particular announcement the Foundation will consider proposals for research and logistic support activities of other Federal agencies or FFRDCs directed to the goals of special national and international research programs. Scientists from other Federal agencies or FFRDCs are encouraged to participate by developing collaborations with university scientists. Similarly, university scientists may be benefited by collaborations with scientists from Federal agencies and FFRDCs. Any proposals under these categories should not include costs related to Civil Service Salaries for federal scientists. AWARDS Proposals may request funding for projects with a duration not to exceed three years and a total budget not to exceed $500,000 per year. The NSF is the lead agency in this effort and although proposals submitted to this interagency announcement will be sent to NSF, the participating agencies will jointly administer the program throughout the entire phase from the receipt of proposals until the close-out of awards. Final selection of awardees by the agencies will be determined by the review panel's recommendations and programmatic considerations. Each award will be supported by a single agency. Overall estimated amount of funding is $6 M for fiscal year 1996, depending upon the availability of funds from each agency. Each agency supporting an award will act as the sole administrative unit for that award although all successful awards will be identified with the joint effort. Principal investigators may be requested to modify their budgets and work plans to comply with special requirements of the particular agency supporting their award. Individual agency contacts are listed later in this announcement. The principal investigator of an award will be requested to travel to Washington, DC for a meeting of all principal investigators to discuss additional collaboration, sharing of information and integration of efforts among successful projects and other appropriate efforts discussed previously. AWARD ADMINISTRATION NSF awards made as a result of this document will be administered in accordance with the terms and conditions of NSF GC-1, "Grant General Condition" or FDP-II, "Federal Demonstration Project." Copies of these documents are available at no cost from the NSF Forms and Publication Unit, phone (703) 306-1130, or via e-mail (Internet: pubs@nsf.gov). More comprehensive information is contained in the NSF Grant Policy Manual (NSF 95-26, July 1995), for sale through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. The telephone number at GPO is (202) 783-3238 for subscription information. USDA award authority for this program is contained in section 2(b) of the Act of August 4, 1965, as amended (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)). Under this program, subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary may award competitive research grants, for periods not to exceed five years, for the support of research projects to further the programs of the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Proposals may be submitted by any state agricultural experiment station, college, private organization, corporation, or individual. Proposals from scientists at non-United States organizations will not be considered for support. Pursuant to Section 712 of Public Law 103-330 (the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1995), funds available in fiscal year 1995 to pay indirect costs on research grants awarded competitively by CSREES may not exceed 14 per centum of the total Federal funds provided under each award. In addition, pursuant to Sec. 719(b) of Public Law 103-330, in the case of any equipment or product that may be authorized to be purchased with the funds provided under this Program, entities are encouraged to purchase only American-made equipment or products. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS The NSF, DOE, NASA , and USDA use similar criteria in review of competitive grant proposals, for example, as described in the NSF document "Grant Proposal Guide" (GPG, NSF 95-27). Proposals will be evaluated through a merit review process conducted jointly by the participating agencies based on the agencies' criteria cited above. The merit review process will center upon the following criteria: 1) Research performance competence - This criterion relates to the capability of the investigator(s), the technical soundness of the proposed approach, and the adequacy of the institutional resources available. 2) Intrinsic merit of the research - This criterion is used to assess the likelihood that the research will lead to new discoveries or fundamental advances within its field of science, or have substantial impact on progress in that field or in other scientific fields. 3) Utility or relevance of the research - Proposals will be evaluated with respect to their relevance to the terms in one or more of the three important areas of this Announcement described in the Program Description section. This criterion also is used to assess the likelihood that the research can contribute to the achievement of a goal that is extrinsic or in addition to that of the research field itself, and thereby serve as the basis for new or improved technology or assist in the solution of societal problems. 4) Collaboration with other efforts - Attention will be given to each proposal's ability to strengthen collaboration and add value to other proposed and/or ongoing scientific work. The proposed research also will be judged on how effectively it builds upon existing research, databases, and/or modeling capabilities, and how it links with ongoing federal and university projects relevant to global change. Coordination/collaboration plans will be evaluated in terms of demonstrated opportunity, linkage, compatibility, readiness, and feasibility of the research. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT To provide a consistent format for the review process for this interagency announcement, the preparation and submission of proposals must follow the guidelines given in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 95-27. Note especially that there is a limit of 15 pages for the Project Description section; visual materials and tables count toward the 15 page limit. No letters of endorsement or other appendices are allowed. Required NSF forms are found in GPG which can be obtained from: NSF Publications and Supplies Unit 4201 Wilson Boulevard Room P-15 Arlington, VA 22230 Tel: 703-306-1130, or via e-mail from Internet: pubs@nsf.gov PROPOSAL SUBMISSION Eighteen copies of the formal proposal must be placed in a single package clearly marked "Interagency Terrestrial Ecology and Global Change Initiative" and mailed to: Ecosystem Studies Program Division of Environmental Biology, Rm. 635 National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22230 Proposals must be received by NSF no later than April 26. Proposals received after the deadline will be returned without further consideration. The PI is responsible for the completeness and accuracy of the proposal as submitted. CONTACTS NSF: Dr. Cliff Dahm Dr. Jim Coleman Division of Environmental Biology Division of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience, Room 685 Room 635 National Science Foundation National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Blvd. 4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22230 Arlington, VA 22230 Telephone: 703-306-1479 Telephone: 703-306-1421 Fax: 703-306-0367 Fax: 703-306-0349 email: cdahm@nsf.gov email: jcoleman@nsf.gov DOE: Dr. Jerry W. Elwood U.S. Department of Energy Office of Health & Environmental Research ER-74, GTN Washington, D.C. 20585 Telephone: 301-903-4583 Fax: 301-903-8519 email: Jerry.Elwood@oer.doe.gov NASA:Dr. Diane Wickland Terrestrial Ecology Program Office of Mission to Planet Earth National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, D.C. 20546 Telephone: 202-358-0272 Fax: 202-358-2771 email: dwickland@mtpe.hq.nasa.gov USDA: Dr. Timothy C. Strickland National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program U.S. Department of Agriculture Ag Box 2241 Washington, D.C. 20250-2241 Telephone: 202-401-4082 Fax: 202-401-6488 email: tstrickland@reeusda.gov The Foundation provides awards for research in the sciences and engineering. The awardee is wholly responsible for the conduct of such research and preparation of the results for publication. The Foundation, therefore, does not assume responsibility for the research findings or their interpretation. The Foundation welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists and engineers and strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully in any of the research related programs described here. In accordance with federal statues, regulations, and NSF policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from the National Science Foundation. Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research assistants) to work on NSF projects. See the program announcement or contact the program coordinator at (703) 306- 1636. Privacy Act and Public Burden. The information requested on proposal forms is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. It will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals and may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the review process; to applicant institutions/grantees; to provide or obtain data regarding the application review process, award decisions, or the administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers, and researchers as necessary to complete assigned work; and to other government agencies in order to coordinate programs. See Systems of Records, NSF 50, Principal Investigators/Proposal File and Associated Records, and NSF-51, 60 Federal Register 4449 (January 23, 1995). Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records, 59 Federal Register 8031 (February 17, 1994). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of your receiving an award. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Herman G. Fleming, Reports Clearance Officer, Contracts, Policy, and Oversight, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230. The National Science Foundation has TDD (Telephonic Device for the Deaf) capability, which enables individuals with hearing impairment to communicate with the Foundation about NSF programs, employment, or general information. To access NSF TDD dial (703) 306-0090; for FIRS, 1-800-877-8339. Activities described in this publication are in the category 47.074, Biological Sciences and 47.050, Geological Sciences in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). OMB 3145-0058 NSF 96-49 PT 34 KW 1230025, 1007025