Next deadline for proposal submission: 12 January 2009

Overview

The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis was initiated in 1995 to promote synthesis, analysis, and multidisciplinary collaboration directed toward addressing important questions in ecology and allied disciplines. The Center seeks projects that address the development and testing of important ecological ideas and theories using existing data, cutting-edge analysis of ecological information, research on data access and use, use of sound science in policy and management decisions, and investigating sociological issues that pertain to the science of ecology.

NCEAS supports Working Groups, Postdoctoral Associates, Sabbatical Fellows and Distributed Graduate Seminars.

The Center provides comprehensive in-house computing capabilities, including support and training for resident and visiting scientists. As a result, NCEAS scientists become familiar with information management and develop a sense of its importance to their research. Training is enhanced because the Center is often viewed as a neutral party, dedicated to the general notion of data access rather than focusing on one type of data or approach.

It is critical that proposed activities take advantage of the Center’s unique resources. NCEAS provides:

Data Expectations — Because NCEAS emphasizes using existing information, we have a strong commitment to developing means to locate, access, analyze and make data broadly available and to imbuing scientists and other users with a sense of sharing information. To this end we require that resident scientists and working groups agree, prior to initiating their activities at the Center, to making derived data (data resulting from analyses from which the original data cannot be reconstituted) publicly available. Furthermore, we strongly encourage researchers to document their original data and make these publicly accessible as well. See the NCEAS Data and Information Policy Statement and Data Accessibility .

Proposal Deadlines Top of page

Upcoming proposal submission deadline: 12 January 2009
NCEAS solicits proposals twice a year – in January and July – for all activities. Proposals may be submitted at other times under unusual circumstances, after consultation with the Director. Decisions about proposals submitted in January will be announced in late March. Decisions about proposals submitted in July will be announced in late September.

Who Should Apply Top of page

Proposals may be submitted by individuals of any nationality who hold a position in an academic institution, free-standing research institution, scientific society, governmental or policy agency, non-governmental organization, or a consortium of such institutions. Proposals are welcome from first-time applicants and from scientists and social scientists from fields other than ecology. Proposals may involve activities with partial support from matching funds or one or more other institutions or agencies.

What We Do Not Fund Top of page

Expectations for NCEAS Scientists Top of page

Residency at NCEAS in Santa Barbara, California
Except in unusual circumstances, research will be conducted at the Center .

Intellectual Community
There are very few expectations for scientists at NCEAS beyond those associated with conducting scholarly research. However, we do expect resident scientists – Postdoctoral Associates and Sabbatical Fellows – to spend the vast majority of their time in residence at the Center and to interact with the other scientists while here. NCEAS is known for fostering interaction and collaboration, a characteristic that leads to the success of its visiting scientists. In return for NCEAS support, we expect that resident scientists will contribute their knowledge, interests and enthusiasm to the intellectual atmosphere.

Local Participation
We ask that UCSB scientists be allowed to participate in activities at the Center, where appropriate. Local scientists interested in a particular activity are asked to contact the leader to confirm that participation is welcome. We also ask that visiting scientists interact with NCEAS Postdoctoral Associates when interests and expertise converge.

Data Accessibility
The Center is committed to making the data and materials derived from NCEAS activities available to the broader scientific community. Please read the NCEAS Data and Information Policy for details on NCEAS' treatment of data sharing and intellectual property issues.

Proposals must include an estimate of the derived data products (data resulting from analyses from which the original data cannot be reconstituted) and a timetable for making derived data publicly available. Resident scientists and working groups must agree, before initiating NCEAS research activities, to make derived data publicly available. Four months after resident scientists arrive at NCEAS, or after the first meeting of a Working Group or Distributed Graduate Seminar, derived data products must be identified and the timetable for their release refined. The results will be tracked to ensure that derived data are made openly available. We strongly encourage researchers to document their original data and make it publicly accessible.

The NCEAS scientific computing staff will contact Working Group and Distributed Graduate Seminar leaders prior to the start of their first meeting and assist with the development of a realistic plan and timeline for the archiving of data and software products. NCEAS can provide some staff assistance with data management and analysis.

Acknowledgment of Funding Source/Suggested Formats