Geosciences Open Science Ecosystem

The National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent federal agency established by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, supports research and education in all scientific and engineering fields across the United States. The Geosciences Open Science Ecosystem (GEO OSE) program is administered by the NSF’s Directorate for Geosciences, specifically through the Division of Research, Innovation, Synergies, and Education. This solicitation, NSF 25-506, replaces NSF 23-534 and supports the advancement of open science practices in geoscience domains, including atmospheric, geospace, ocean, Earth, and polar sciences. The GEO OSE program promotes the integration of open, inclusive, and equitable scientific practices into geosciences research and education. It aims to foster community-driven adoption of open science principles such as the FAIR, CARE, and TRUST guidelines, and supports seamless workflows that connect data, software, physical collections, and computing resources. The program supports both planning and implementation efforts, with an emphasis on educational initiatives and cohort building to embed open science practices into geoscience workflows. There are two funding tracks. Track 1 supports smaller-scale projects with up to $500,000 over two years. These efforts may include roadmapping activities, educational initiatives, and mobilization campaigns. Track 2 funds larger-scale transformation initiatives with up to $1,000,000 over three years. These projects are expected to significantly advance open science adoption and must detail prior related efforts. Projects that solely focus on infrastructure creation or maintenance are not eligible under this program. Eligible applicants include accredited U.S.-based institutions of higher education, non-profit non-academic organizations, federally recognized Tribal Nations, and other federal agencies and FFRDCs, provided they comply with NSF eligibility policies. Proposals must be submitted through Research.gov or Grants.gov and comply with the applicable NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Full proposals are due by February 14, 2025, for Track 1 and November 14, 2025, for Track 2. No letters of intent or preliminary proposals are required. Proposal evaluation will be based on NSF’s standard criteria of intellectual merit and broader impacts, as well as solicitation-specific criteria focused on advancing geosciences and aligning with open science principles. Proposers are required to outline geoscience-specific impacts and how their project complements the existing open science ecosystem. Additional considerations include plans for community engagement and educational integration. Annual participation in PI meetings is required, and awardees must include associated travel in their budgets. For inquiries, applicants can contact program officers including Raleigh L. Martin, Andrew Zaffos, Scott M. White, Maria P. Womack, Emma Menio, and Marlon Pierce at geo-ose@nsf.gov or by phone at the numbers listed in the solicitation. Additional technical and submission guidance is available through NSF’s and Grants.gov’s helpdesks. This grant opportunity does not include cost-sharing requirements and prohibits voluntary committed cost sharing.