Instrumentation and Facilities Program

The Instrumentation and Facilities Program in the Division of Earth Sciences (EAR/IF) supports meritorious requests within and across Earth science disciplines. EAR/IF will consider proposals for:

1. Acquisition or Upgrade of Research Equipment that will advance laboratory and field investigations, and student training opportunities in the Earth sciences.
2. Development of New Instrumentation, Analytical Techniques, Software or Cyberinfrastructure that will extend current research and research training capabilities in the Earth sciences.
3. Support of National or Regional Multi-User Facilities that will make complex and expensive instruments or systems of instruments broadly available to the Earth sciences research and student communities.
4. Support of Research Technicians who will provide for optimal and efficient operation of advanced instrumentation, analytical protocol development, and user training for Earth science research instrumentation.

Planned research uses of requested instruments must include basic research on solid-Earth and surface-Earth processes.

Support is available through grants or cooperative agreements awarded in response to investigator-initiated proposals. Human resource development and education are expected to be an integral part of all proposals submitted to EAR/IF. Proposals requesting equipment, infrastructure or personnel that will serve disciplines outside the Earth sciences may be jointly reviewed with other programs within the foundation. EAR/IF will consider co-funding of projects with other National Science Foundation (NSF) programs.

Deadline: The target date for full proposals is March 15, 2007. See www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf06576 for more information.