E-mail Archive

Possible NSF ocean acidification opportunity

High level NSF science managers have hinted at national meetings that new
NSF-wide solicitations for proposals will be announced in 2010 pertaining to a
developing research agenda on climate and environmental change.   Ocean
Acidification is one of the topics that has been mentioned which will remain in
force for some years. All indications on this topic are that the agenda will be
broad, encompassing the chemistry of the oceans related to ocean acidification
and interactions with the biochemistry, metabolism, and ecology of life in the
sea today, and in the history of the Earth.  It will involve more than just the
ocean sciences parts of NSF (i.e., the Geosciences, Biological Sciences, and
Polar Program sections).  Also, it sounds like there will be ample
opportunities for developing integrative and interdisciplinary projects, as
well as workshops to build further community dialogue and collaborations.

OCB has been very active for a few years with the U.S. and international
community in building the support for ocean acidification research among both
scientists and our funding agencies.  Through individuals, OCB Steering
Committee, and the Ocean Acidification Sub-Committee, OCB continues on this
path, recently assisting with a NRC Study, the Copenhagen discussions, the
IMBER/SOLAS international working group, and the U.S. Interagency Working Group
on Ocean Acidification.  This email is to alert and encourage the academic
community to watch for and respond to this opportunity if and when it comes
this year.  It also encourages, where suitable, engagement with the ocean
acidification activities ongoing or developing in other agencies (e.g., NOAA)
and internationally.

The first of the NSF announcements for this climate/environmental change thrust
(on Water Sustainability)  has just hit the streets (January 13th).  We hope
that the one for Ocean Acidification will be very soon in coming.  When we hear
of an official release of an RFP from the NSF or other agencies, we will alert
the community further.

Scott Doney
Heather Benway
OCB Project Office

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