ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Advisory Committee for the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) provides guidance and input in broad areas such as (a) how GEO's mission, programs, and goals can best serve the scientific community, (b) how GEO can promote quality education at all levels in the geosciences as well as increase diversity of the geosciences workforce, and (c) setting priorites in terms of critical investment areass in geosciences research.

AC/GEO meets twice a year. Members represent a cross-section of geosciences with representatives from many different subdisciplines within the field; a cross section of institutions spanning academia and the public and private sectors, broad geographic representation; and balanced representation of women and underrepresented minorities.

See Advisory information for a complete list of the members and meeting minutes.

  INTERDISCIPLINARY AND FOCUSSED RESEARCH PROGRAMS
In addition to research programs in the atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciences, the Directorate supports a number of crosscutting and interdisciplinary programs:

•  Global Change Research
•  Biocomplexity in the Environment
•  Programs to support Geosciences Education
•  Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences

  INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Because the nature of geosciences research is global, GEO supports international collaborations and partnerships. In addition to research, many organizations supported by GEO help facilitate the open exchange of data, assist in the movement of scientific equipment across borders, and provide a fora for the exchange of ideas as well as a means for international planning and cost-sharing. More information is available for International Activities.

  INITIATIVES (PLANNING ACTIVITIES)
To determine how to best advance scientific knowledge, the Directorate for Geosciences engages in a long-range planning process to evaluate opportunities and needs for geoscience research, infrastructure, and education.

•  GEO 2000: a planning effort to develop a comprehensive view of the sciences for planet Earth and the scope of programs and activities that GEO should address during the period 2001 to 2010.

•  GEO Facilities Plan: a planning effort for both the development of new and innovative facility capabilities, and the maintenance and enhancement of existing systems from FY 2004 through FY 2008.

•  Forum on Emerging Opportunities: The NSF and Geosciences Directorate are interested in hearing from the research community especially regarding ideas on emerging opportunities for significant advances in disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields of exploration, innovative modes of supporting research, and new approaches to education and training.

  GEO BUDGET

Budget Requests:

•   FY 2004 Budget Request for Geoscience Activities (Adobe Acrobat File)
•   FY 2003 Budget Request for Geoscience Activities (MS-Word document)
•  FY 2002 Budget Request for Geoscience Activities
•  FY 2001 Budget Request for Geoscience Activities
•  FY 2000 Budget Request for Geoscience Activities
•  FY 1999 Budget Request for Geoscience Activities
•  Funding History for the Geosciences at NSF: FY 1985-FY 2002 (request)

FY 2002 GEOSciences Budget Request:

The Geosciences (GEO) Activity supports research in the atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciences. Basic research in the geosciences advances our scientific knowledge of the Earth and advances 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. The FY 2002 Request of $558.54 million, a 0.6 percent decrease from FY 2001, will support the operation and enhancement of national user facilities as well as fundamental research across the geosciences, including emphases on the U.S. Weather Research Program and National Space Weather Program; the U.S. Global Change Research Program; the Biocomplexity in the Environment priority area, and research on the key physical, chemical and geologic cycles within the Earth System.

  INCREASING AWARD SIZE AND DURATION IN GEO

As stated in the National Science Foundation's Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Strategic Plan for Fiscal Year 2001- 2006, one of the implementation strategies for operating a credible, efficient merit review system is to "reduce the burden on proposers and reviewers while maintaining the quality of decision processes, by increasing award size and duration."...MORE...