Grand Challenges in Integrative Geospace Sciences: Advancing National Space Weather Expertise and Research toward Societal Resilience | 21 577

Opportunity Information: Apply for 21 577

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunity titled "Grand Challenges in Integrative Geospace Sciences: Advancing National Space Weather Expertise and Research toward Societal Resilience" (also referred to as the ANSWERS solicitation; Funding Opportunity Number 21-577) is a discretionary research grant program focused on major, high-impact problems in solar and space physics and space weather. It is designed to support ambitious, collaborative efforts that can push the field beyond incremental progress by encouraging teams to tackle problems that require coordination across observations, theory, modeling, experimentation, computation, and education. In practical terms, NSF is looking for projects that treat space weather as a connected, end-to-end system rather than as isolated subtopics, with the broader aim of improving understanding and prediction of hazards that can affect modern technology and infrastructure.

A central theme of the solicitation is integrative geospace science: developing deep, transformative understanding of the coupled Sun-Earth system and how energy and matter flow from the Sun through interplanetary space and into Earths magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper atmosphere, ultimately driving effects that can be felt at ground level (summarized in the call as impacts "from Sun to mud"). This framing emphasizes that societally relevant space weather outcomes do not come from a single region of space or a single physical process, but from interactions across multiple regions and scales, including solar drivers and terrestrial responses. The program is therefore oriented toward holistic, system-level progress that can strengthen national capabilities to anticipate and manage space weather risks.

The ANSWERS solicitation explicitly goes beyond the traditional boundaries of NSF AGSs Geospace Section programs. Rather than fitting neatly into one long-standing program area, it spans and integrates priorities that historically have been handled separately within Aeronomy (AER), Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions (CEDAR), Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM), Magnetospheric Physics (MAG), Solar Terrestrial Research (STR), and Solar, Heliospheric, and Interplanetary Environment (SHINE). By doing so, it is meant to incentivize proposals that cut across these communities and methods, for example by combining multi-instrument observations with new theory, data-assimilative or physics-based models, advanced computation, and experimental or campaign-style approaches, all tied together by a coherent plan to address a grand challenge in space weather science.

A notable requirement in the opportunity description is the emphasis on team science and workforce development alongside research outcomes. NSF signals that educational and forward-looking training components are not an afterthought, but part of the strategy to expand national expertise in space weather and related STEM areas. The intent is to build capacity in the community while also producing research advances, ultimately improving societys resilience to space weather hazards that can impact satellites, communications, navigation, power systems, aviation, and other technology-dependent sectors.

From a funding standpoint, this is a grant mechanism under CFDA 47.050 within the broad category of science and technology research and development. The opportunity listed an award ceiling of $2,500,000 per award and anticipated making around six awards. The solicitation was created on April 13, 2021, with an original closing date of August 23, 2021. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full solicitation, indicating that prospective applicants would need to consult the official program text for specific institutional and partnership requirements.

Overall, ANSWERS is positioned as an NSF effort to catalyze large, interdisciplinary teams to solve difficult, high-consequence questions in the integrated Sun-Earth system, while simultaneously strengthening education and the space weather workforce. The expected payoff is both scientific (better understanding of coupled geospace processes) and societal (improved resilience through stronger national space weather expertise and, ultimately, better ability to anticipate and mitigate impacts).

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Grand Challenges in Integrative Geospace Sciences: Advancing National Space Weather Expertise and Research toward Societal Resilience" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.050.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 13, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 23, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 21 577

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