Funding-NSF-Dimensions of
Biodiversity; March 28,
2011
Agency
National Science
Foundation
Description
Despite centuries of
discovery, most of our planet's biodiversity remains unknown. The scale of the
unknown diversity on Earth is especially troubling given the rapid and permanent
loss of biodiversity across the globe. With this loss, humanity is losing links
in the web of life that provide ecosystem services, forfeiting an understanding
of the history and future of the living world, and losing opportunities for
future beneficial discoveries in the domains of food, fiber, fuel,
pharmaceuticals, and bio-inspired innovation.
The goal of the
Dimensions of Biodiversity campaign is to transform, by 2020, how we describe
and understand the scope and role of life on Earth. The campaign promotes novel,
integrated approaches to identify and understand the evolutionary and ecological
significance of biodiversity amidst the changing environment of the present day
and in the geologic past.
This campaign seeks
to characterize biodiversity on Earth by using integrative, innovative
approaches to fill the most substantial gaps in our understanding of the
diversity of life on Earth. It will take a broad view of biodiversity, and in
its initial phase will focus on the integration of genetic, taxonomic, and
functional dimensions of biodiversity. Successful proposals should integrate
these three dimensions to understand interactions and feedbacks among them.
While this focus complements several core NSF programs, it differs by requiring
that multiple dimensions of biodiversity be addressed simultaneously, in
innovative or novel ways, to understand their synergistic roles in critical
ecological and evolutionary processes.
Investigators wishing
to inquire about the suitability of potential projects for Dimensions of
Biodiversity are encouraged to email a brief summary and contact information to
Dimensions@nsf.gov.
Announcement
Number:
nsf11518
Closing
Date: March 28,
2011
Link to Full
Announcement
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2011/nsf11518/nsf11518.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click
Contact
Information
Richard Inouye,
BIO/DEB, telephone: (703) 292-4974, email: Dimensions@nsf.gov
Rafael de Sa, BIO/DEB, telephone: (703) 292-7836, email: Dimensions@nsf.gov
George W. Gilchrist,
BIO/DEB, telephone: (703) 292-7138, email: Dimensions@nsf.gov
Matt Kane, BIO/DEB,
telephone: (703) 292-7186, email: Dimensions@nsf.gov
Saran Twombly, BIO/DEB, telephone: (703) 292-8133, email: Dimensions@nsf.gov
Reed Beaman, BIO/DBI, telephone: (703) 292-8167, email: Dimensions@nsf.gov
Susanne von Bodman, BIO/MCB, telephone: (703) 292-8440, email: Dimensions@nsf.gov
Michael Sieracki, GEO/OCE, GEO/OCE,
telephone: (703) 292-2688, email: Dimensions@nsf.gov
Roberta L. Marinelli, OPP, telephone: (703) 292-7448, email: Dimensions@nsf.gov
De Andra Beck, telephone: (703) 292-8998, email: Dimensions@nsf.gov