GEOSCIENCES $583,000,000

The FY 2001 Budget Request for the Geosciences (GEO) Activity is $583.0 million, an increase of $95.20 million, or 19.5 percent, over the FY 2000 Current Plan of $487.80 million.

(Millions of Dollars)

Totals may not add due to rounding.

The Geosciences Activity supports research, infrastructure, and education in the atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciences. GEO is the principal source of federal funding for university-based basic research in the geosciences, providing over half of the total support in this area. GEO plays a critical role in addressing the nation's need to understand, predict and respond to environmental events and changes and to use Earth's resources wisely. Fundamental research in the geosciences advances scientific knowledge of Earth's environment, including resources such as water, energy, minerals, and biological diversity. GEO-supported activities also advance our ability to predict natural phenomena of economic and human significance, such as climate change, earthquakes, weather, fish-stock fluctuations, and disruptive events in the solar-terrestrial environment.

Three goals guide GEO's activities:

• Advancement of knowledge about the Earth system, which includes both maintaining adequate base support across all geoscience fields and identifying opportunities where more focused support can play a catalytic role in advancing scientific progress.

• Enhancement of the infrastructure for the conduct of geoscience research. GEO will identify and make investments in instrumentation and facilities, including ships, aircraft, computers, radars, seismographs, and data management systems, needed to do world-class research.

• Improvement of the quality of geoscience education and training. GEO will advance education and training for current geoscientists, facilitate education and training for future generations of geoscientists, and enhance the general public's knowledge about the integrated components of the Earth system.

People are NSF's most important product. At NSF, placing research and learning hand in hand is our highest priority, and the people involved in our projects represent both the focus of our investments and the most important products of them. Across its programs, GEO provides support for over 10,000 people, including teachers, students, researchers, post-doctorates, and trainees. Support for programs specifically addressing NSF's Strategic Goal of "People -- A diverse, internationally competitive and globally-engaged workforce of scientists, engineers and well-prepared citizens" totals more than $18 million in FY 2001, an increase of 25.2 percent over FY 2000. Moreover, almost 40 percent of the funding for research grants --an amount approaching $130 million in FY 2001-- provides support for researchers and students, including almost 4,000 post-doctorates, trainees, and graduate and undergraduate students.

GEO actively participates in and contributes to the Foundation's four initiative areas: Biocomplexity in the Environment, Information Technology Research, Nanoscale Science and Engineering, and 21 ^st Century Workforce.

Biocomplexity in the Environment (BE) includes a set of coordinated activities in environmental science, engineering and education which advance scientific knowledge about the connection between the living and non-living Earth system. The geosciences are inherently related to the function of the interrelated systems which compose the environment in which we live, and are therefore directly linked to the study of BE. GEO will provide $39.50 million in FY 2001 for focused Biocomplexity studies. These funds will enable the initiation and/or enhancement of several interdisciplinary activities within GEO.

• Microscale Systems: Research in this area will expand our knowledge of geomicrobiology and examine both continental and oceanic crust as a microbial habitat, including examination of the transport of microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, and protozoa) in the subsurface environment. Such research will lead to a greater understanding of life in the extremes of hydrothermal systems as well as the transmission of water-borne contaminants, the recovery of secondary oil, the production of gas hydrates, and the bioremediation of contaminated aquifers. FY 2001 support will be $4.31 million.

• Ecosystems: This includes research on complex interactions among human, biological, geological and climatic systems in an extended chronological framework. Investigations will also be supported to understand how biological systems are impacted by ocean and atmospheric systems dynamics, and in turn play a major role in climate/ocean/atmosphere interactions, carbon and nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and evolution. Research will also focus on paleobiology to examine the evolution of biocomplexity. This activity will examine the influence of biological systems on the physical and chemical nature of the Earth's surface, and how the biosphere responds to environmental perturbations at regional and global scales. FY 2001 support will be $10.27 million.

• Planetary Systems: This effort will address the biogeochemistry of carbon and related nutrients, and enable scientists to gain a better understanding of the hydrological cycle. Fundamental research on the Earth's biogeochemical cycles is required in order to obtain an integrated understanding of the interdependencies between the environment and the biology of the Earth. Research will be aimed at understanding life in the deep biosphere and its relation to the origin and history of life on Earth as well as the evolution of the Earth's atmosphere due to solar variability and the long term loss of light elements from the ionosphere. It also encompasses research on biogeochemical dynamics at environmental interfaces which includes activities to understand photochemical and photoecological processes at or near the land-air and water-air boundaries; the energetics and kinetics of sorption/desorption of bioessential and exotic substances at the mineral-water-air, cell-water-air, and mineral-microbe interfaces; studies of the exchange of gases and aerosols between the Earth's surface and atmosphere in terrestrial and oceanic environments; and influence of the solar cycle on atmosphere. FY 2001 support will be $17.92 million.

• Research Platforms: Support for ship operations necessary to carry out studies of biocomplexity in the oceans will be supported at a level of $7.0 million in FY 2001.

Information Technology Research (ITR) In FY 2001, GEO will provide $16.60 million to support focused information-based activities. Highlights include:

• $8.0 million to enhance computational models and capacity at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and to expand the capabilities of the Upper Atmospheric Research Collaboratory.

• $5.60 million to continue development of computational resources to enable the analysis and synthesis of data from major global ocean field programs, and develop predictive global-and regional-scale coupled ocean-atmosphere models.

• $3.0 million for computationally challenging research topics in the Earth sciences including dynamic modeling of Earth system processes and management of very large data sets.

Nanoscale Science and Engineering In FY 2001, GEO will support the Nanoscale Science and Engineering initiative at a level of $7.84 million, a $1.84 million increase over FY 2000. FY 2001 activities will focus on recognizing and observing organisms at the sub-micron scale and the development of new field and laboratory instrumentation. Enhanced instrumentation will be utilized to characterize the chemical composition and physical/chemical properties of molecular clusters, ultrafine and fine aerosol particles, and the gaseous precursors and reactants which influence nucleation. Advanced laboratory equipment for nanoscale analyses will enable simulated studies of planetary interiors as well as studies on the origin and character of single magnetic domains, and the speciation of toxic metals and radionuclides in contaminated soils and sediments.

21 ^st Century Workforce GEO supports a range of programs which encourage innovative approaches to meeting the challenge of educating students for the 21 ^st century. A FY 2001 total of $1.55 million will support the Interagency Education Research Initiative, the Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education program, as well as provide funding toward an effort to initiate a Network for Diversity and Education in the Geosciences. This network, consisting of major geoscience research and education institutions, will conduct geoscience education research; develop products that reflect best educational practices; serve as an interface between the geoscience research community and the education community by making the results of scientific investment accessible; and make high-quality geoscience education materials widely available to interested constituencies.

STRATEGIC GOALS

GEO's support for ongoing and new activities contributes to NSF efforts to achieve its strategic goals, as well as to the administration and management activities necessary to achieve those goals.

(Millions of Dollars)

1 Includes only costs charged to the R&RA Appropriation.

Ideas

Support for ideas spans the geosciences and encompasses a wide range of topics. Projects in Atmospheric Sciences improve the understanding and prediction of climate, weather, space weather, and the global environmental system. Earth Science research advances knowledge of the structure, composition, and history of the solid Earth and of the geological and hydrological processes that modify Earth. Projects in Ocean Sciences improve knowledge of the global climate system, coastal environments, the character of the ocean floor, processes that control the chemical composition and motion of ocean waters, and biological production.

GEO will emphasize research on the key physical, chemical and geologic cycles within the Earth System, the characteristics and dynamics of which are of paramount importance to science and society. These activities will be complementary to, and well coordinated with, the biologically oriented studies of Earth cycles that will be carried out within the context of the Foundation-wide Biocomplexity in the Environment initiative. Increased emphasis on fundamental research on the Earth's cycles is required to achieve the broader goal of obtaining an integrated understanding of the Earth system. Representative examples of the areas of study include:

• Improved understanding of the primary processes involved in the large-scale water cycle which will provide knowledge of the regional distribution of water and will enhance our ability to predict and prepare for droughts and floods.

• Gaining a working knowledge of geologic sources and sinks for carbon as well as the chemical and physical processes that control the exchange of carbon between the ocean, atmosphere and terrestrial reservoirs. These are not well understood but are essential to improved knowledge of the global carbon cycle.

To fully understand many of the key physical cycles will require emphasizing observations, models and analysis at the interfaces of the Earth systems. FY 2001 activities will total $28.84 million.

A second area of emphasis within Geosciences will be research on natural phenomena to enable mankind to assess potential threats from a variety of natural causes and to anticipate, and thereby mitigate, the resulting loss of life, injury, and property damage. Significant advances in Geosciences research and observation have led to major improvements in the characterization and reduction of risk in the United States from natural hazards. However, in many parts of the world, infrastructure continues to develop in areas where there is minimal information on the potential impact of natural hazards. In an ever more integrated global society, it is in the economic and strategic interests of the U.S. to cooperate in observation and research to reduce global vulnerability to natural hazards. The global scale of the environmental problems being addressed, as well as the global nature of current and future observing systems, makes international cooperation logical and necessary. A more comprehensive understanding of these natural phenomena through research and application of new computational techniques will create numerous opportunities to predict hazards and mitigate impacts from processes as varied as weather extremes, geologic hazards, and space weather threats. FY 2001 activities related to natural hazards will total $56.26 million, including $11.90 million for the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP).

A third more specific area of emphasis will be upon studies of the molecular biology in the oceans. New and surprisingly dominant organisms and ecosystem components with profound influences on ecological and biogeochemical processes in the sea have recently been discovered. This effort will identify representative organisms for critical groups in ocean systems, make comparisons within functional groups to evaluate the role of genetic diversity in complex system interactions, and, having documented the complete genomes of key microorganisms, use the organisms as biosensors to understand the complexity of environment-function interactions. FY 2001 activities will total $4.35 million.

Finally an increased emphasis will be placed on the support of research activities studying long-term changes in ocean systems using sustained time-series observations. Gaining an adequate temporal perspective of the ocean's complex environmental dynamics will enable researchers to make progress in addressing many of the pressing questions in Ocean Sciences research. The interactions among the biological processes and the chemical, physical and geological phenomena that shape and change our oceans occur on timescales from milliseconds to decades and longer, and require revolutionary new research and observation strategies if they are to be understood. This activity will build upon existing programs to support sustained long-term research efforts to tackle wide-ranging interdisciplinary research problems in the ocean sciences. FY 2001 activities will total $20.15 million.

In FY 2001, GEO will continue efforts to address Foundation-wide concerns about grant sizes by increasing the average size and duration of the awards and providing more support for researchers. In accord with the Foundation's FY 2001 Performance Plan, GEO will continue to provide increased attention to the percentage of competitive research grants going to new investigators. These efforts will contribute to increasing the efficiency of the Foundation's merit review process and achieve greater cost-effectiveness for both NSF and the university community.

GEO-supported centers include Science and Technology Centers (STCs) and Long Term Ecological Research sites.

(Millions of Dollars)

• Center for Clouds, Chemistry, and Climate (University of California at San Diego), whose objectives include improving the understanding of the roles of clouds and chemistry in climate change.

• Southern California Earthquake Center (University of Southern California), which has emerged as a focal point for earthquake research in southern California. It has fostered unprecedented cooperation among the major southern California universities, federal, state and local agencies, and private corporations.

• Center for High Pressure Research (State University of New York at Stony Brook), which brings together multidisciplinary teams from universities, national laboratories, and industry to study the effect of pressure on the properties of natural and synthetic materials. The Center is the U.S. focus of fundamental research on processes in Earth's deep interior, through controlled experimentation under simulated natural conditions.

The research agendas of the three STCs require a center environment to address the multidisciplinary and highly complex scientific objectives. Approximately 250 scientists and students use the three centers each year, with additional participants in workshops, conferences and special projects, such as visits of pre-college students and field projects. Although all three GEO-supported STCs have been highly successful, in accord with plans at the inception of the program, FY 2001 will be the last year of support for these centers.

Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites support projects requiring long periods of study; the sustained nature of the studies allows scientifically sound evaluations of major environmental phenomena. The LTERs represent many disciplines that enhance our understanding of general ecological phenomena which occur over long temporal and broad spatial scales, provide information for the identification and solution of environmental problems, and enable interdisciplinary collaborative activities.

People

GEO places a high priority on programs to develop a diverse, internationally competitive workforce of scientists and well-prepared citizens. This emphasis helps to ensure that the next generation of scientists is adequately prepared for a future in which the borders between scientific disciplines are increasingly blurred, and that is increasingly dependent on technology and on the sharing and analyzing of information utilizing currently-emerging technologies. This emphasis on education and training also aids in the development of a scientifically and technologically literate populace.

(Millions of Dollars)

• $1.10 million directed to support the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) program, which reflects an emphasis on multidisciplinary training in all areas of NSF-supported research.

• Continued support for Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (SOARS), which brings ethnically diverse students from groups underrepresented in the atmospheric sciences into careers in atmospheric and related sciences. Students participate in scientific research with a mentor from NCAR or the University Consortium for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and are supported at their home institution during the academic year. The goal is to graduate these students with Masters of Science (MS) degrees. It is expected that a significant number will continue on to Ph.D. programs in atmospheric sciences and ultimately to careers in the field.

• Continued support for a collaborative program to enhance geoscience education at the undergraduate level by developing digital libraries.

• New in FY 2001, $3.0 million will be utilized to initiate a Network for Diversity and Education in the Geosciences. This network, consisting of major geoscience research and education institutions, will conduct geoscience education research; develop products that reflect best educational practices; serve as an interface between the geoscience research community and the education community by making the results of scientific investment accessible; and make high-quality geoscience education materials widely available to interested constituencies.

Tools

The GEO Activity supports user facilities necessary for the conduct of research in the geosciences. These include large national user facilities such as the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the U.S. academic fleet, and smaller facilities in atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciences. NSF support provides for ongoing operations and maintenance, including upgrades to existing facilities as well as regularly scheduled repair.

(Millions of Dollars)

• A total of $75.75 million for the operation and maintenance of observational and computer facilities at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). NCAR is a world center for atmospheric research which makes facilities including supercomputers, instrumented research aircraft and ground-based portable observing systems available to university, NCAR, and other scientists. In FY 2001 NCAR will focus on: research on Earth's natural cycles, including climate system modeling and the operation of the computation facilities for the Climate Simulation Laboratory; projects within the U.S. Weather Research Program (USWRP) and the National Space Weather Program (NSWP), which aim to achieve a better understanding and improved predictive capability of costly and disruptive storms on Earth and in space; and continued development of observational and computational capabilities. In addition, the primary building housing NCAR will continue to undergo a $12.0 million refurbishment. Begun in FY 1999, FY 2001 support for the refurbishment will be at a level of up to $4.0 million.

• $18.13 million to maintain support for: multi-user atmospheric facilities including observatories in Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, Greenland, and Peru; aircraft and radar facilities at universities; and facilities for disseminating atmospheric data to university research and education programs. These facilities, which are critical to studies of the atmosphere and Earth's nearby space environment (geospace), will acquire additional radar parts and undergo minor upgrades in FY 2001.

• $30.10 million to support infrastructure associated with the Ocean Drilling Program including operation of the JOIDES Resolution. Studies to be undertaken in FY 2001 include documenting the history of volcanic plumes in the western Pacific, examining the formation of mineral deposits near west Pacific island arcs, studies of seismicity of the northwest Pacific, and examination of gas hydrate formation along the Oregon margin.

• $53.60 million for the continued operation of the academic research fleet. Approximately 325 projects with about 2,500 scientists and students will use the fleet's 28 ships. The projects range from individual investigator studies of coastal waters to integrated multi-investigator studies of global ocean processes. NSF-funded researchers are the primary users of the ships, accounting for about 75 percent of their total use. NSF ship operation funds support the costs associated with the use of the fleet by these researchers.

• $12.80 million to continue support for the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS). IRIS facilities provide rapid analysis of earthquakes, aid in monitoring nuclear proliferation, and permit imaging of the internal physical structure of Earth. In FY 2001, an increment of $200,000 for IRIS will enhance the Data Management System which makes available data on seismic events to researchers world-wide.

• Other Geosciences Facilities support will total $6.1 million including facilities to support the use of the Global Positioning System for scientific research, and multi-user analytical facilities such as accelerator-based mass spectrometers and synchrotron beamlines.

In addition, planning and development activities for a possible new observational facility is underway and will continue in FY 2001. The facility being planned is a portable modular phased-array incoherent scatter radar that can be assembled at a given site, disassembled, and relocated. The radar would be used extensively by the upper atmospheric research community to investigate processes associated with space weather.

Administration and Management

Administration and Management provides for administrative activities necessary to enable NSF to achieve its strategic goals. This includes the cost of Intergovernmental Personnel Act appointments, contractors performing administrative functions and, in FY 2001, travel by staff in the program offices.

BUDGET PRESENTATION

NSF has previously organized its budget presentation around four key program functions - Research Project Support, Research Facilities, Education and Training, and Administration and Management. In order to link the FY 2001 Budget Request to the NSF Strategic Plan, we have organized the FY 2001 Budget Request around the strategic outcome goals of Ideas, People and Tools, as well as the Administration and Management activities necessary to achieve these goals.

The table below provides an FY 2001 crosswalk for Geosciences between funding for the strategic goals and the key program functions.

(Millions of Dollars)

Number of People Involved in GEO Activities

1 Statistics for award size and duration are for Research Grants only.