Petrology and Geochemistry | 22 560

Opportunity Information: Apply for 22 560

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Petrology and Geochemistry Program (Funding Opportunity Number 22-560) is a discretionary grant opportunity that funds basic research aimed at understanding how Earth formed and evolved. The program is centered on core questions about the planet's origin and development, including Earth accretion, early differentiation into major reservoirs (such as core, mantle, and crust), and the ways Earth has been reshaped over time through igneous and metamorphic activity. In practice, this means supporting studies that explain how rocks and minerals form, change, and record conditions deep within Earth, especially under high-temperature environments that drive melting, crystallization, metamorphism, and associated chemical transformations.

Scientifically, proposals commonly focus on the petrology and high-temperature geochemistry of igneous and metamorphic rocks and minerals, including work that uses mantle samples and other deep Earth materials to infer processes operating below the crust. The scope also explicitly includes mineral physics, which connects mineral properties to the pressures and temperatures found inside Earth, and can bridge field observations with laboratory and modeling constraints. The program also welcomes research areas that connect to economic geology and volcanology, recognizing that understanding magma generation, fluid-rock interaction, and ore-forming processes is tightly linked to petrologic and geochemical fundamentals, as is understanding volcanic systems and hazards from a process-based perspective.

Beyond traditional field and lab studies, the program invites proposals that develop or significantly advance research capabilities for the broader community. This includes the creation and refinement of analytical tools (for example, methods that improve chemical or isotopic measurements), theoretical and computational models (including simulations that represent magmatic, metamorphic, or geochemical transport and reaction processes), and experimental techniques relevant to igneous and metamorphic petrology, high-temperature geochemistry, and geochronology. In other words, projects can be oriented either toward answering specific Earth science questions or toward building methods and approaches that enable many future studies across these communities.

The opportunity also emphasizes Broader Impacts, supporting a wide range of activities tied to the public and community value of the research enterprise. Examples highlighted in the announcement include infrastructure enhancement, partnerships with industry, and evidence-based practices that recruit and specifically retain individuals who historically have not been included in the geosciences. This signals that proposals are expected to pair strong intellectual merit with concrete, well-justified plans for community benefit, workforce development, access, and inclusion, or other societal contributions aligned with NSF expectations.

Administratively, this is an NSF grant program in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category, associated with CFDA number 47.050. Proposals are accepted at any time rather than being tied to a single annual deadline, and NSF anticipates making around 60 awards. The listing shows an award ceiling of 0, which typically indicates that a fixed maximum is not specified in the public synopsis and that budgets are evaluated based on project scope and program norms. Eligibility is listed as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility text, so applicants generally need to consult the detailed program guidance and NSF policies to confirm organizational and investigator eligibility before submitting.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Petrology and Geochemistry" 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 Jan 26, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Proposals accepted anytime. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 60 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 22 560

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