New Mathematical and Statistical Tools for Understanding Complex Systems in the Environment (MSPA-CSE)

Introduction

The National Science Foundation announces a competition focusing on new mathematical and statistical ideas and tools for understanding and modeling complex systems in the environment. New instrumentation, data handling, and methodological capabilities have expanded the horizons of what scientists can study and understand about the biotic and abiotic components of the environment. These advances create the demand for collaborative teams that go beyond current disciplinary research and educational frameworks. This new competition is aimed at developing the mathematical and statistical tools and approaches essential for the creative advancement of research in the science of complex systems. Research into complex systems is needed to understand how to integrate spatial and temporal scales of organization, drawing from different disciplines and facilitating the synergy that results from partnerships between mathematical scientists and other scientists. The synthesis of knowledge about the environment depends on the development of robust theoretical and empirical understanding of complex systems, including the capacity for self-organization, resilience, and adaptation. Integrated models of complex systems in the environment require the integration of measurements, initial assumptions, uncertainty of events, and model performance. Understanding complex human and natural systems requires the development of sophisticated interdisciplinary models - conceptual, mathematical, statistical, and computational - that can represent the nonlinearities encountered in these systems and provide a deeper understanding of the resulting behavior.

Proposals should address questions involving the fundamentals of complex systems at the interface between the mathematical sciences and the sciences related to the biotic and abiotic environment. We seek proposals that offer new mathematical and statistical approaches to the study of complex systems that are characteristic of those encountered in environmental science areas. Of particular interest are proposals that offer the possibility of new insights into the dynamical consequences of nonlinearity and high dimensionality. The most competitive proposals are likely to involve an investigator or teams of investigators with strengths in both the mathematical sciences and the applications areas. Proposals for incremental improvements of ongoing efforts will not be competitive in this competition. Proposals submitted to this competition must include an explanation, not to exceed one page, of how the project will lead to new mathematical or statistical approaches to, or insights about, the fundamentals of complex systems that exhibit some of the challenging aspects of complexity relevant to systems in the environment. It should also explain how the project shows promise of significant breakthroughs and represents substantial intellectual differences from ongoing work. This should be included within the Project Description. The Project Description should not exceed fifteen pages in length.

Some of the scientific issues in these applications that may be addressed by new mathematical or statistical tools are discussed in a recent report that provides an overview of complex systems in the environment. It may be accessed at:

http://www.nsf.gov/geo/ere/ereweb/acere_synthesis_rpt.cfm

Proposals submitted to this competition should identify the program solicitation number NSF 04-538 in the program announcement/solicitation block on the proposal cover sheet. The NSF organizational unit to which proposals should be directed must be either DMS-Applied Mathematics or DMS-Statistics and the title of the project should have the form: MSPA-CSE: proposal title

1. Eligibility Information:

• Organizational Limit: None
• PI Eligibility Limit: No individual above the rank of post-doctoral researcher, or equivalent, may be part of more than one proposal submitted in response to this category of this solicitation.
• Limit on Number of Proposals: No individual above the rank of post-doctoral researcher, or equivalent, may be part of more than one proposal submitted in response to this category of this solicitation.
• Scientific Eligibility: Proposals submitted to this competition must include an explanation, not to exceed one page, in the 15 page project description, stating why the submission meets these eligibility standards for new approaches, promise of significant breakthroughs, and substantial intellectual differences from ongoing work.

2. Cognizant Program Officers:

For additional information, individuals are encouraged to contact these resource persons associated with the participating NSF units:

• Xuming He, Program Director, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Division of Mathematical Sciences, telephone: 703-292-4876, e-mail: xhe@nsf.gov
• Stephen Meacham, Program Director, Directorate for Geosciences, telephone: 703-292-8527, e-mail: smeacham@nsf.gov
• James Morris, Program Director, Directorate for Biological Sciences, telephone: 703-292-8481, e-mail: jmorris@nsf.gov
• Carolyn Ruppel, Program Director, Directorate for Geosciences, telephone: 703-292-8581, e-mail: cruppel@nsf.gov
• Thomas Russell, Program Director, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Division of Mathematical Sciences, telephone: 703-292-4863, e-mail: trussell@nsf.gov
• Samuel Scheiner, Program Director, Directorate for Biological Sciences, telephone: 703-292-8481, e-mail: sscheine@nsf.gov
• Nicholas Clesceri, Program Director, Directorate for Engineering, telephone: 703-292-7940, e-mail: nclescer@nsf.gov
• Cheryl Eavey, Program Director, Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences, telephone: 703-292-7269, e-mail: ceavey@nsf.gov
• William Wiseman, Program Director, Office of Polar Programs, telephone: 703-292-4750, e-mail: wwiseman@nsf.gov

3. Full Proposal Deadline:

• April 7, 2004 for FY 2004
• November 15, 2004 for FY 2005

4. Award Information:

• Anticipated Type of Award: Standard or Continuing Grant
• Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 10 awards, of up to 4 years duration and up to $800,000 per award.
• Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $3.78 million in FY 2004, subject to availability of funds.