Division of Earth Sciences research grabbed two spots among NSF’s Top 10 most read stories on nsf.gov in 2017:
1. NSF awards $36.6 million in new food-energy-water system grants - NSF and USDA partner to fund the Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems (INFEWS) program.
2. NSF awards $5.3 million in 59 grants to study effects of recent hurricanes - Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria devastated parts of the United States and Puerto Rico in 2017.

CALL FOR COMMENTS! We Would Like to Hear from You!
The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Advisory Committee for Geosciences (AC GEO) is updating its 2014 report, Dynamic Earth: GEO Imperatives & Frontiers 2015-2020 to incorporate recent developments and to explore future directions for the many disciplines supported by NSF’s Directorate for Geosciences (GEO).

With your input, AC GEO will develop an updated report that provides a clear picture of the exciting areas on the leading edge of the geosciences, captures the importance of curiosity-driven research to better understand our planet and its many interconnected systems, and explains the importance of the geosciences to our society and economy.

We welcome your perspective and suggestions on the content and organizational structure of our upcoming report. Input can be sent to geovision@nsf.gov no later than Thursday, February 8, 2018. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this request.

Carol Frost returned to the University of Wyoming after 3 years as division director. Ms. Una Alford has been promoted to program analyst in the Office of Integrated Activities at NSF after supporting the division as a program specialist.
Holly Barnard, faculty at the University of Colorado – Boulder, has joined the Hydrologic Sciences Program. Kevin Johnson, researcher at the University of Hawaii, has joined the Instrumentation and Facilities Program.
Lina Patino is acting division director and Stephen Harlan is acting section head for the Disciplinary Programs Section.
A farewell message from Carol Frost and more information can be found here.

New Proposal Submission Policies
Effective January 29, 2018, use the new Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide, accompanied by a new Grants.gov application guide. Examples of revisions include the use of the standard Collaborators and Other Affiliations (COA) Template and a two-page increase in page limitation for Budget Justifications. View a recorded webinar for the research community explaining the changes!

Solicitation Updates and Dear Colleague Letter
Approaching Proposal Deadlines:
1/29-2/5: EAR/IF Major Research Instrumentation
1/30, 2/6, 2/13: OISE International Research Experiences for Students
2/1: OISE Partners For Innovation
2/6: OISE National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT)
2/8: EAR/IF: Laboratory Technician Support (LTS)
2/12: Last day EarthScope proposals accepted
Full list of upcoming NSF due dates
New Solicitations:
1. Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI)
2. NSF Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES)

This year's Alan Alda Communicating Science Flame Challenge topic is "What is Climate?". The last day for scientists to enter The Flame Challenge is March 2, 2018.

GSA NE 2018: Critical Zone Processes, Function, and Resiliency: Challenges & Opportunities. Early registration ends on February 13, 2018.