Internal Funding Sources

External Funding Sources

American Association of Petroleum Geologists
American Geological Institute
Brown and Caldwell
National Academy of Sciences
National Science Foundation, Earth Sciences division
National Science Foundation, Geosciences overview
National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
Society of Exploration Geophysicists
U.S. Geological Survey

Specific Programs

• GEO-Division of Ocean Sciences-Marine Geology and Geophysics
• GEO-Division of Earth Sciences- Sedimentary Geology and Paleobiology
• GEO-Division of Earth Sciences-Petrology and Geochemistry
• GEO-Division of Earth Sciences-Tectonics
• GEO-Earth Sciences- Dynamics
• GEO-Earth Sciences-Instrumentation and Facilities Program
• Great Lakes Protection Fund Grants Program
• National Geographic Society-Research Grants
• NATO-Advanced Research Workshops (ARWs)
• OPP-Arctic Natural Sciences Research Program
• OPP-Arctic System Science (ARCSS) Program
• Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI)-Faculty Research Projects
• Spencer Foundation Grants Program
• USGS-National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP)

Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Deadline(s): February 15 and August 15, annually

Objectives:
The sponsor supports research on all aspects of geology and geophysics of the ocean basins and margins, as well as the Great Lakes. The Program includes:

• structure, tectonic evolution and volcanic activity of the ocean basins, the margins, the mid-ocean ridges, and island arc systems
• processes controlling exchange of heat and chemical species between seawater and ocean rocks
• genesis, chemistry, and mineralogic evolution of marine sediments
• processes controlling deposition, erosion and transport of marine sediments
• evolution of marine biota, especially microfossils, and their utility as environmental and climatic indicators
• past ocean circulation patterns and climates
• interactions of and marine geologic processes.

In conjunction with on-going research, the Program also supports purchase and development of instrumentation, software and database development, and workshop activities.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are universities and colleges, nonprofit, non-academic organizations, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, and unaffiliated individuals.

Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Deadline(s):July 16, January 16 annually

Objectives:
Sedimentary Geology and Paleobiology (SGP) will support studies of: (1) life and ecology in past geologic time based on fossil plants, animals, and microbes; (2) stratified rocks and interpretation of the historical information they contain; (3) the science of dating and measuring the time sequence of events of the Earth’s past; and (4) the production, transport and deposition of physical and chemical sediments.  SGP especially encourages integrative studies at the national and international levels that seek to link subdisciplines, such as paleoclimatology, paleobiogeography, and paleoenvironmental and paleoecologic reconstructions. 

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are universities and colleges, nonprofit, non-academic organizations, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, and unaffiliated individuals.

Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Deadline(s): December 1, annually
Objectives:
The sponsor supports basic research that uses any combination of field, analytical, experimental and theoretical approaches to explore the nature, origin, and temporal evolution of planet Earth's crust, mantle, and core. The Program accepts proposals in the broad areas of:

• mineralogy
• crystallography
• chemical aspects of mineral physics
• thermodynamics
• experimental petrology
• igneous and metamorphic petrogenesis
• ore deposit petrogenesis
• volcanology
• stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry and geochronology applied to igneous and metamorphic systems
• development of analytical methods
• data storage and access
• modeling/imaging of chemical processes in the Earth

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are universities and colleges, nonprofit, non-academic organizations, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, and unaffiliated individuals.

Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Deadline(s): December 1, annually

Objectives:
The sponsor supports studies in structural geology, tectonics, geochronology, petrology, paleomagnetics, and other fields related to understanding the tectonic history of the lithosphere through time. Supported research includes field, laboratory, and theoretical studies of the processes and kinematics accompanying deformation at plate boundaries and in plate interiors.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are universities and colleges, nonprofit, non-academic organizations, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, and unaffiliated individuals.

Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Deadline(s): November 1, annually

Objectives:
The sponsor supports proposals for multidisciplinary research that will result in a better understanding of the processes that govern the origin, structure, composition, and dynamical evolution of the continents and building blocks. This program is especially geared toward projects whose scope and complexity require a cooperative or multi-institutional approach and multiyear planning and execution. It is intended that the program fund only relatively large projects that do not fit easily within Eartch Sciences Project Support, and that offer broad support for major sections of the earth sciences community. The program also funds research as part of the interagency and International Scientific Drilling and Exploration Program.

Eligibility:
Proposals are considered from colleges, universities, and other nonprofit institutions in the U.S. with formal research programs in the areas supported by EAR. This program is especially geared toward projects whose scope and complexity require a cooperative or multi-institutional approach and multi-year planning and execution.

Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Deadline(s): Second Wednessday in January and July, annually

Objectives:
Support is provided for instrumentation and facilities that exist for the pursuit of research in the earth sciences. Proposals will be considered for the following: acquisition of new research equipment or the modernization of existing equipment; the development of new instrumentation or techniques that extend current research capabilities in the earth sciences; the support of shared facilities that make complex and expensive instrument systems available on a national or regional basis; and support of research technicians.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are colleges, universities, and other nonprofit institutions in the U.S. with formal research programs in areas of science supported by the sponsor.

Sponsor: Great Lakes Protection Fund
Deadline(s):Open

Objectives:
The sponsor supports projects which lead to tangible improvements in the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem, promote the interdependence of healthy ecological and economic systems, and are innovative, creative, and venturesome.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are non-profit organizations (including environmental organizations, trade associations, and universities), for-profit businesses, government agencies, and individuals.

Sponsor: National Geographic Society
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
The sponsor provides support for basic, original, scientific field research in disciplines including anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, biology, botany, geography, geology, oceanography, paleontology, and zoology. Particular emphasis is placed on multi-disciplinary projects that address environmental issues (e.g., loss of biodiversity and habitat, effects of human population pressures).

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are expected to have advanced degrees (Ph.D. or equivalent) and be associated with an educational organization or institution. Independent researchers or those pursuing a Ph.D.-level degree may apply, but competition is keen and awards to non-Ph.D. applicants are rare. As a general rule, all applicants are expected to have published a minimum of three articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Researchers planning work in foreign countries should include at least one local collaborator as part of their research teams.

Sponsor: North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Deadline(s):varied-please check website for workshop options and deadlines

Objectives:
The purpose of an advanced research workshop is to contribute to the critical assessment of existing knowledge on new and important topics, to identify directions for future research and to promote close working relationships between scientists from different countries and with different professional experience. All areas of science are applicable. The meeting is not an international conference or symposium but rather a forum for advanced level, intensive discussions between qualified experts from different countries and often from different research sectors.

Eligibility:
The workshops should be directed by a scientist from both a NATO country and a partner country of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. NATO countries are as follows:

• Belgium
• Canada
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Spain
• Turkey
• United Kingdom
• USA

Partner countries are as follows:

• Albania
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Bulgaria
• Estonia
• Georgia
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrghyz republic
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Moldova
• Romania
• Russian Federation
• Slovak Republic
• Slovania
• Tajikstan
• the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
• Turkmenistan
• Ukraine
• Uzbekistan.

Participants should normally come from a NATO or partner country, but to augment the available expertise, outstanding scientists from other countries may be considered for participation as key speakers if they are included in the original application. Participation must be well balanced between the group of NATO countries and the group of partner countries, that is with 40%-50% coming from partner countries. A balanced distribution between individual countries should also be sought and ARW participants from any one country should not exceed 25% of the total number of participants.

Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Deadline(s): Octorber 15, annually

Objectives:
The program provides core support for disciplinary research in the Arctic and coordinates its support of arctic research with the Directorates for Geosciences, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and Biological Sciences. Areas of special interest include marine and terrestrial ecosystems, arctic adaptations, atmospheric chemistry, exploration of the Arctic Ocean, as well as arctic geological and glaciological processes. Areas of research interest include the following:

Atmospheric Sciences--research focuses on stratospheric and tropospheric processes as well as arctic climate and meteorology. Research on past climates and atmospheric gases as preserved in snow and ice cores have also been supported as has research on atmosphere-sea and atmosphere-ice interactions. In upper atmospheric and space physics, research interests include auroral studies, atmospheric dynamics and chemistry as well as magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. Conjugate studies are considered jointly with the Antarctic Aeronomy and Astrophysics Program.

Biological Sciences--supports projects that emphasize understanding of the adaptation of organisms to the arctic environment. Biological studies in the Arctic include: research in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial biology; organismal adaptation to the arctic environment; ecology; microbiology; ecosystem structure and processes; and the biological consequences of ultraviolet radiation.

Earth Sciences--research includes all sub-disciplines of terrestrial and marine geology and geophysics. Of greatest interest is a better understanding of Arctic geological processes that are important for improving our ability to interpret the geologic record of environmental change in the ancient polar regions, particularly in the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic. Also of high interest is a better understanding and reconstruction of the plate tectonic history of the Arctic Ocean.

Glaciology--for research concerned with the history and dynamics of all naturally occurring forms of snow and ice, including seasonal snow, glaciers, and the Greenland ice sheet. The program also includes ice dynamics, modeling, glacial geology, and remote sensing studies of ice sheets.

Ocean Sciences--for research to develop knowledge of the structure of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas, their physical and biological interactions with the global hydrosphere, and the formation and persistence of the arctic sea-ice cover. Areas of special interest are: the distribution of life in high latitude oceans; low temperature life processes; the formation, movement, and mixing of arctic water masses; the growth and decay of sea ice; the exchange of salt and heat with the Atlantic Ocean and the Bering Sea; geographical anomalies; and sedimentary history and the role of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas in global climate. Proposals concerned with the interdependencies of chemical and physical processes and marine organisms and productivity are encouraged.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are those normally supported by the sponsor, including universities and colleges; non-profit, non-academic organizations; for-profit organizations; state and local governments; and unaffiliated researchers.

Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Deadline(s): October 15, annually

Objectives:
In order to achieve these goals, an emphasis is placed on four scientific questions that seek to: understand the global and regional impacts of the arctic climate system and its variability, determine the role of the Arctic in global biogeochemical cycling, identify global change impacts on the structure and stability of arctic ecosystems, and establish the links between environmental change and human activity.

The program has four linked components for which proposal are encouraged: Ocean/Atmosphere/Ice Interactions (OAII); Land/Atmosphere/Ice Interactions (LAII); Human Dimensions of the Arctic System (HARC); and Paleoenvironmental Studies.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are primarily individual investigators and groups of investigators at universities, research centers, and other non- and for-profit institutions and organizations, including State and local government agencies.

Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF); Office of the Director (OD); Office of Polar Programs (OPP)
Deadline(s):Varied

Objectives:
The Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) activity is part of the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) effort to help assure a broad base for science and engineering research, and thereby enhance the scientific and technical training of students in undergraduate institutions. The specific objectives of the RUI program are to support high-quality research by faculty with active involvement of undergraduate students; strengthen the research environment in academic departments that are oriented primarily toward undergraduate instruction; and promote the integration of research and education at predominantly undergraduate institutions.

Proposals for RUI Faculty Research Projects are submitted by the home institution of the prospective principal investigators, and any ensuing award will be made to that institution. Funds may then be provided by the home institution through billing or via subcontract to another (host) institution to defray incremental costs of supporting the RUI investigator's research. An increased need for travel (but not commuting) is recognized, including the possibility of costs for the participation of students from the home institution.

Eligibility:
There are two facets of eligibility to submit an RUI proposal, institutional and departmental; both must be met. Eligible "predominantly undergraduate" institutions include U.S. two-year, four-year, master's-level, and small doctoral colleges and universities. Institutions must meet the following criteria:

1. Grant baccalaureate degrees in NSF-supported fields or provide programs of instruction for students pursuing such degrees with institutional transfers (e.g., two-year schools).
2. Have undergraduate enrollment exceeding graduate enrollment.
3. Award no more than 20 Ph.D.s or D.Sc.s in all NSF-supportable disciplines during the two academic years preceding proposal submission. Autonomous campuses in a system are considered independently, although they may be submitting their proposals through a central office.

Eligible departments (of the principal investigator) must meet the following criteria:

1. Offer courses that qualify for bachelor's degree credit in NSF-supportable fields. 2. May offer master's degrees, but may not award a doctorate or offer doctoral courses and supervise doctoral research, even though the Ph.D. is not technically awarded by that campus.

The principal investigator for an RUI proposal must be employed by, or have a commitment to be employed by, an eligible home institution (i.e., a predominantly undergraduate institution) at the time the proposal is submitted, and during the period of any resulting grant. In addition, the principal investigator must be from an eligible (i.e., nondoctoral) department. Co-principal investigators may be from other institutions, or from doctoral departments. The citizenship of the PI is unrestricted, yet the PI must reside in the United States.

Sponsor:Spencer Foundation
Deadline:Open

Objectives:
The sponsor's mission is to fund activities, anywhere in the world, which foster new ideas in education and encourage creativity. The sponsor prefers to fund specific initiatives that conform to the mission statement.

Eligibility:
The sponsor funds activities from anwhere in the world.

Sponsor: U.S. Geological Survey
Deadline(s): May 15, 2008

Objectives:
The sponsor supports research in earthquake hazards reduction. Applications will be considered in the following general areas of interest:

PRODUCTS FOR EARTHQUAKE LOSS REDUCTION--produce and demonstrate products that enable the public and private sectors to assess earthquake hazards and implement effective mitigation strategies. For urban areas at risk from earthquakes, maps and other products are needed to quantify the seismic shaking amplification and susceptibility to liquefaction and landslides. The sponsor is focusing on three of these urban areas that are at risk from earthquakes: The Seattle/Puget Sound Region; the San Francisco Bay Area; and the Memphis Tennessee region.

RESEARCH ON EARTHQUAKE OCCURRENCE AND EFFECTS--earthquake research to understand earthquake occurrence and effects for the purpose of developing and improving hazard assessment methods and loss reduction methodologies. A major focus is on understanding earthquake occurrence in space and time. The physical conditions of earthquake rupture initiation and growth need to be elucidated with field measurements in fault zones and modeling of seismicity, crustal deformation, and other earth science data.

Additional areas of interest include earthquake triggering, fault interactions, and the role of seismic slip in relieving the buildup of crustal strain. To address short-term seismic hazard evaluations, work on earthquake statistics and evaluations of stress fields associated with large earthquakes may facilitate estimates of likelihood and location of future earthquakes. Research in this area will address how complexities in the earthquake source, wave propagation effects, and near-surface geological deposits control the strong shaking. Studies will also investigate the factors that govern susceptibility to ground failure from landsliding, liquefaction, and lateral spreading.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are educational institutions, private firms, private foundations, individuals, and agencies of State and local governments. Proposals will not be considered from U.S. Government agencies or U.S. Government employees; however, collaborative proposals involving non-government and USGS scientists are encouraged. Proposals from foreign individuals and/or institutions are eligible. Applications submitted by foreign organizations should be submitted in English and in U.S. dollars.

Proposals to fund research in foreign countries will be considered when the research will provide knowledge or new techniques transferable to a U.S. seismogenic zone. Proposals for foreign research must be based on cooperation with scientific groups in the host countries, with host country personnel being used for operational functions, and host countries providing financial support for such personnel. Proposals for cooperative efforts with agencies of foreign governments may be subject to additional approvals within the U.S. government.