Opportunity Information: Apply for 19 531
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Frontier Research in Earth Sciences (FRES) program is a discretionary grant opportunity designed to fund ambitious, high-impact research on Earth systems, spanning from the planet's deep interior up through the continental lithosphere and all the way to the surface and the critical zone. The program is meant to support studies across the full range of spatial and temporal scales, so proposed work can address processes that unfold over seconds to millions of years, and from local field sites to regional, continental, or even global perspectives, as long as the scientific focus aligns with research priorities typically supported by NSF's Division of Earth Sciences (EAR).
A central feature of FRES is that it targets projects that are bigger in scope and usually larger in budget than what EAR core programs typically support. In practice, this means FRES is positioned for research efforts that need broader integration, more extensive datasets, multi-pronged methods, or wider collaboration than a standard single-program award can comfortably manage. The solicitation emphasizes frontier-style research: projects that push boundaries, connect different parts of the Earth system, or develop new ways to observe, model, and explain complex Earth processes.
The program is explicitly friendly to interdisciplinary proposals, especially those that do not fit neatly into any one of EAR's core programs or that would be difficult to manage through routine co-review or shared support across multiple programs. That said, proposals do not have to be interdisciplinary to be competitive. The opportunity also encourages innovative projects that sit within a single area of Earth science, provided the expected outcomes will have broad relevance to the wider Earth science community. In other words, a focused study is still appropriate if it produces insights, tools, concepts, or datasets that meaningfully influence understanding beyond a narrow subfield.
Methodologically, FRES is flexible and supports essentially any combination of fieldwork, laboratory investigations, and computational approaches. Proposals can be observational, theoretical, experimental, or integrated combinations of those approaches. This openness is intended to accommodate the reality that major advances in Earth sciences often come from linking measurements in nature, controlled experiments, and modeling or simulation frameworks into a coherent scientific story.
From the posted opportunity details, the funding instrument is a grant under the NSF, with the funding activity category listed as science and technology and other research and development (CFDA 47.050). The opportunity number is 19-531, originally posted on November 18, 2018, with an original closing date of February 20, 2019. The listing indicates an expectation of around 10 awards, while the "Award Ceiling" is shown as 0, which typically signals that a fixed upper limit was not specified in the summary field and applicants would need to rely on the full solicitation and program guidance for realistic budget expectations. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," meaning the full eligibility rules would be defined in the complete announcement rather than the abbreviated summary.Apply for 19 531
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Frontier Research in Earth Sciences" 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 Nov 18, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 20, 2019. (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 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - NSF Frontier Research in Earth Sciences (FRES)
1) What is the NSF Frontier Research in Earth Sciences (FRES) program?
FRES is a discretionary National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity intended to support ambitious, high-impact research on Earth systems. The program is designed for projects that push scientific boundaries and advance understanding of Earth processes through novel integration, large or complex datasets, and/or broader collaboration than typical awards.
2) What parts of the Earth system does FRES cover?
FRES spans Earth systems from the planet's deep interior, through the continental lithosphere, up to the surface and the critical zone. The emphasis is on Earth science questions aligned with priorities typically supported by NSF's Division of Earth Sciences (EAR).
3) What scientific scales are appropriate for FRES proposals?
FRES is meant to support research across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Projects may address processes occurring over seconds to millions of years, and may be framed around local field sites or scaled up to regional, continental, or global perspectives, as long as the scientific focus aligns with EAR research priorities.
4) How is FRES different from NSF EAR core programs?
A central feature of FRES is that it targets projects that are bigger in scope and usually larger in budget than what EAR core programs typically support. The program is positioned for efforts that require broader integration, more extensive datasets, multi-pronged methods, or wider collaboration than a standard single-program award can comfortably manage.
5) Does a proposal have to be interdisciplinary to be competitive?
No. FRES is explicitly friendly to interdisciplinary proposals, especially those that do not fit neatly into a single EAR core program or would be difficult to manage through routine co-review or shared support across multiple programs. However, proposals do not have to be interdisciplinary to be competitive.
6) What kinds of interdisciplinary projects does FRES especially encourage?
FRES encourages interdisciplinary projects that connect different parts of the Earth system or bridge multiple approaches in a way that is difficult to place within one existing EAR core program. The solicitation highlights the value of frontier-style research that integrates across domains or methods to explain complex Earth processes.
7) Can a focused, single-discipline Earth science project still be a good fit?
Yes. The opportunity encourages innovative projects that sit within a single area of Earth science when the expected outcomes have broad relevance to the wider Earth science community. A focused study can be appropriate if it produces insights, tools, concepts, or datasets that meaningfully influence understanding beyond a narrow subfield.
8) What research approaches and methods are supported by FRES?
FRES is methodologically flexible. It supports essentially any combination of fieldwork, laboratory investigations, and computational approaches. Proposals may be observational, theoretical, experimental, or integrated combinations of these approaches.
9) What is meant by "frontier-style" research in the context of FRES?
Frontier-style research refers to projects that push boundaries in Earth science, connect different parts of the Earth system, or develop new ways to observe, model, and explain complex Earth processes. The program is aimed at work that meaningfully advances capabilities or understanding at a field-wide level.
10) What type of funding instrument is used for this opportunity?
The funding instrument listed for this opportunity is a grant under the National Science Foundation (NSF).
11) What is the funding activity category and CFDA listing for FRES?
The funding activity category is listed as Science and Technology and Other Research and Development. The CFDA number shown is 47.050.
12) What is the opportunity number for this FRES solicitation?
The opportunity number listed is 19-531.
13) When was this opportunity posted, and what was the original closing date?
The listing indicates it was originally posted on November 18, 2018. The original closing date shown is February 20, 2019.
14) How many awards does the program expect to make?
The opportunity details indicate an expectation of around 10 awards.
15) Is there an award maximum (award ceiling) for FRES?
The summary field shows an "Award Ceiling" of 0. This typically indicates that a fixed upper limit was not specified in the summarized listing, and that applicants would need to consult the full solicitation and program guidance for realistic budget expectations.
16) What does it mean that the eligibility is listed as "Others (see text field...)"?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)." This means the abbreviated summary does not fully define who may apply, and the complete announcement would contain the detailed eligibility rules.
17) Is FRES intended for projects that do not fit neatly into existing EAR core programs?
Yes. One of the program's explicit aims is to be welcoming to proposals that do not fit neatly into a single EAR core program or that would be difficult to manage through routine co-review or shared support across multiple programs.
18) What kinds of project characteristics suggest FRES might be a good fit?
Based on the description, FRES may be a strong fit for projects that require broader integration across Earth system components, more extensive datasets, multiple complementary methods (for example, linking field observations with laboratory work and modeling), or wider collaboration than typical awards.
19) Does FRES allow purely observational, purely theoretical, or purely experimental proposals?
Yes. The program description notes that proposals can be observational, theoretical, experimental, or integrated combinations of those approaches.
20) What overarching scientific alignment is expected for FRES proposals?
The scientific focus should align with research priorities typically supported by NSF's Division of Earth Sciences (EAR), even when the work is interdisciplinary, unusually integrative, or broader in scope than standard core-program projects.
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