Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry (GG) | 22 578

Opportunity Information: Apply for 22 578

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunity titled "Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry (GG)" (Funding Opportunity Number 22-578) supports basic research focused on how geochemical processes operate at or near Earth surface conditions and how those chemical processes intersect with biology. In practical terms, the program is aimed at understanding the chemical reactions and pathways that shape soils, rivers, lakes, groundwater, oceans, sediments, and the near-surface crust, especially where temperatures are relatively low compared to deep Earth environments. A central theme is the two-way relationship between life and chemistry: how microorganisms, plants, and ecosystems influence geochemical cycling, and how geochemical conditions in turn control biological activity, preservation, and evolution in surface environments.

The program is broad in the types of approaches it will consider, and it explicitly welcomes proposals that use field observations, laboratory experiments, theoretical work, and computational or numerical modeling. Projects can be designed at essentially any spatial scale, from pore-scale reactions on mineral surfaces to watershed, regional, or global biogeochemical cycles, and at any temporal scale, from rapid reaction kinetics to long-term environmental change recorded in geologic archives. This flexibility makes the program a good fit for investigators studying processes such as mineral weathering, redox transformations, carbonate and silicate chemistry, nutrient and metal cycling, isotope systematics, microbe-mineral interactions, organic matter transformation, or the geochemical controls on habitability in terrestrial surface settings.

A notable emphasis of this opportunity is on transformational and cutting-edge research, meaning proposals are encouraged to push beyond incremental advances and instead test new ideas, develop new conceptual frameworks, or open up emerging areas of inquiry. Alongside process-focused studies, the program also supports the development of geochemical proxies and analytical techniques. That includes creating or improving measurements and indicators that can reconstruct environmental conditions (for example, past temperature, oxygenation, acidity, hydrology, or biological productivity) as well as advancing instrumentation, methods, and workflows that enable new kinds of chemical, isotopic, or molecular data to be collected with higher precision, better sensitivity, or improved spatial and temporal resolution.

The Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry Program is described as highly interdisciplinary. It sits within NSF's Geosciences Directorate but is designed to connect strongly with other geoscience programs and with programs across NSF, including biology, chemistry, and engineering. This interdisciplinary positioning reflects the reality that many Earth-surface problems require integrating multiple perspectives, such as combining microbial ecology with isotope geochemistry, coupling reactive transport modeling with field hydrology, or using novel sensors and analytical platforms to observe complex biogeochemical systems.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary NSF grant program in the category of science and technology and other research and development, associated with CFDA number 47.050. Proposals are accepted at any time rather than being tied to a single annual deadline, which allows investigators to submit when their project plans and partnerships are ready. The opportunity listing indicates an expected number of around 30 awards, and it does not specify a formal award ceiling in the summary data, which often signals that budgets are evaluated based on project scope and NSF norms rather than a fixed maximum stated in the solicitation. Eligibility is listed as "Others" with reference to additional eligibility text in the full announcement, so prospective applicants typically need to confirm institutional eligibility and any constraints in the complete NSF program description and current proposal guidance.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry (GG)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.050.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 17, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Proposals accepted anytime. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 22 578

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