GeoPRISMS Program

Grants to USA IHEs, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, and federally-funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) for research activities to enhance the understanding of complex geological processes that affect the evolution of continental margins.

GeoPRISMS is a community-driven Program that is designed to enhance understanding of the complex processes governing global continental margin evolution. Mechanical, chemical, biological and fluid processes act in concert to drive the initiation, evolution and eventual destruction of continental margins, as well as the accumulation of resources in these regions. GeoPRISMS expands the dimensions of the preceding MARGINS program in several fundamental ways: (1) integration of scientific emphases to define two main initiatives (SCD and RIE); (2) explicit inclusion of surface processes and their feedbacks in the evolution of continental margins; (3) consideration of ancient and exhumed margins to understand parts of the system that are not accessible at active margins; (4) implementation of science objectives through a combination of primary sites and thematic based investigations; (5) further integration through overarching scientific themes that cross-cut tectonic categories; (6) expanded emphasis on issues with direct societal impact; and (7) a vertically-integrated education and outreach program supporting development from K-12 to early career scientists. GeoPRISMS emphasizes multidisciplinary research and studies that cross the shoreline, recognizing that the shoreline is where much of continental evolution takes place, and is also where the dynamics of the solid Earth have the largest impact on human populations.

This phase of GeoPRISMS is focused on facilitating the integration of previously acquired data, the synthesis of results within and across disciplines, and dissemination through collaboration, education, and legacy products. This will be accomplished via awards that support one or more of the following types of activities. These activity types may be submitted individually or combined as part of one project:

- Type 1: Integrative research projects that bring together multiple disciplines and datasets to address a specific research problem or knowledge gap within the scope of GeoPRISMS or MARGINS science.
- Type 2: Conferences and short courses that enable synthesis and integration of multidisciplinary datasets and models. These should not just bring together existing collaborative teams, but seek to educate a broader community of researchers.
- Type 3: Legacy products such as curricular resources, mobile and/or web applications, books, or other products that promote dissemination and use of GeoPRISMS data and models. Type 3 proposals could involve the creation, exploration, or implementation of tools, resources, and models that show particular promise for increasing the engagement of a range of stakeholders, including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, decision-makers, or the public.
- Postdoctoral Scholar Program: The GeoPRISMS Postdoctoral program is aimed at providing opportunities for early-career scientists to solidify research skills, build a track record, and establish peer relationships. NSF's GeoPRISMS Program provides support for postdoctoral researchers to conduct up to two years of multi-disciplinary research at institutions of higher education in the United States. The intention is to encourage individuals, typically within five years after award of their Ph.D., to diversify their expertise relative to that used in their thesis research.

For more information on the activity types, see the Program Solicitation: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2019/nsf19581/nsf19581.pdf#page=4

For details on the scientific objectives and priority areas, see the Program Solicitation: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2019/nsf19581/nsf19581.pdf#page=5