Funding Opportunity:
National Science Foundation Microbial Observatories (MO) and Microbial
Interactions and Processes (MIP) program
NSF 03-571
For the full program announcement see:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf03571/nsf03571.htm
Proposal Deadline: July 23, 2003
The National Science Foundation Microbial Observatories (MO) and
Microbial Interactions and Processes (MIP) program will fund integrative
studies that explore novel microorganisms, their interactions in
consortia and communities, and aspects of their physiology, biochemistry
and genomics in relationship to the processes that they carry out in the
environment. The Microbial Observatories activity is a continuation of
MO competitions held since 1999 (for a list of prior awards, see
http://www.nsf.gov/bio/pubs/awards/mo1999.htm). The long-term goal of MO
is to develop a network of sites in different habitats to study and
understand microbial diversity over time and across environmental
gradients. Microbial Interactions and Processes (MIP) expands the range
of the MO competition to support microbial diversity research projects
that need not be site-based, and that are smaller and/or shorter in
duration than full-scale MO projects.
Examples of microbial diversity research that either MO or MIP proposals
might address include but are not limited to:
-Studies to determine the phylogenetic, physiological, metabolic and
genomic properties and mechanisms responsible for microbial growth,
adaptation and survival in natural environments;
-Studies of the mechanistic basis of interactions among microbes in
communities and biofilms, and of microbes with co-habitating
non-microbial species, including mechanisms for the exchange of genetic
material;
-Studies of the diversity of microbial processes for anaerobic and
aerobic flow of energy and cycling of nutrients, including aquatic,
soil/rhizosphere, and sediment ecosystems;
-Patterns of microbial distribution in time and space, and in response
to specific environmental gradients.
-Integrative studies of the diversity, physiology, biochemistry and
genomics of microorganisms and microbial communities and the processes
that they carry out in the environment.
The NSF expects to fund approximately 5-10 awards in each category,
depending on the quality of submissions and the availability of funds.
For MO projects, awards are expected to be for five years, and total
award size (all years, whether single institution or collaborative) is
expected to range between $500,000 and $1.5M. For MIP projects, awards
may range up to $500,000, for durations up to 4 years.
For the full program announcement see:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf03571/nsf03571.htm