What s Happening at NSF. Bill Easterling NSF Assistant Director for Geosciences (GEO) March 2018

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1 What s Happening at NSF Bill Easterling NSF Assistant Director for Geosciences (GEO) March 2018

2 Who is Bill Easterling?

3 My Vision for GEO GEO is a powerfl engine that drives the pace and direction of fndamental scientific discoveries that enrich the base of sable knowledge society reqires to cope with some of the most pressing challenges of or time. Example: Innovations in Food-Energy-Water Systems. GEO is a condit of new knowledge, and, jst as importantly, improves the commnication of that knowledge to edcate stdents at all levels, to inform policy, and to increase pblic nderstanding of how the planet works, how people interact with earth systems and why that nderstanding is crcial for the betterment of society. GEO contines to transform a collective workforce and stdent body into a racially, ethnically, and gender-diverse set of disciplines wherein minorities and other nderrepresented grops thrive professionally and personally in their lives.

4 Zero tolerance for sexal harassment at NSF The National Science Fondation (NSF) does not tolerate sexal harassment, or any kind of harassment, within the agency, at grantee organizations, field sites, or anywhere NSFfnded science and edcation are condcted. Important Notice No. 144, Feb. 08, 2018.

5 The Dawn of the Era of NSF s Ten Big Ideas Started with psh from National Science Board Internal discssions among and between NSF directorates Beginning in FY18

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7 NSF Big Ideas: Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) Dramatic changes in Arctic have wide-ranging and global implications. NSF investments will spport: Development of robst, integrated pan-arctic observational network. Research to foster comprehensive nderstanding and modeling of natral and hman activities. Partnering with state and local governments, indigenos peoples and international organizations Image credits: NASA

8 Growing Convergent Research at NSF Grand challenges will not be solved by one discipline alone. Convergence blends scientific disciplines in a coordinated, reciprocal way and fosters robst collaborations needed for sccessfl inqiry. Going beyond forcing old models to play together

9 Innovations at the Nexs of Food, Energy, and Water Systems (INFEWS) Premise: Feeding and energizing a world of 10 billion people ndergoing global environmental changes will challenge resorce systems. Goal: Advance nderstanding of the FEW system and grow the scientific workforce. USDA is a partner in this ongoing investment area. FY 2017 awards focsed on: System Modeling. Visalization and Decision spport for Cyber-Hman-Physical Systems. Research to Enable Innovative Soltions.

10 Mid-Scale Infrastrctre Gap between major research instrmentation (MRI) and Major Research Eqipment and Facilities Constrction (MREFC) reslts in missed opportnities. New agile process for fnding experimental research capabilities in the mid-scale range. Recent Dear Colleage Letter. MRI Mid-scale MREFC < $4M $4-$70M >$70M

11 GEO Updates Office of Polar Programs Earth Sciences Ocean Sciences Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences

12 Fiscal Year 2019 GEO Bdget Reqest

13 Two Early Initiatives 1. Reexamine GEO s crrent research plan, Dynamic Earth 2. Lanch a new research initiative on Coastlines and People (CoPe)

14 DYNAMIC EARTH - Report Refresh Captre emerging areas on the leading edge of the geosciences. Emphasize impacts of the GEO-spported research on or society and economy. Crrent report available on-line Send yor inpt to geovision@nsf.gov

15 Coastlines and People (CoPe) Urban flooding Trans-ocean sbdction zones Sea-level rise Severe storm srge Major cities Coastal hydrogeology Tsnamis triggered by earthqakes

16 Developments in the Ocean Sciences 1. NRC Decadal Srvey: Sea Change 2. Regional Class Research Vessels (RCRVs)

17 Decadal Srvey of Ocean Sciences (Released Janary 23, 2015; NSF Reply May 11, 2015) Eight science theme priorities (next slide). Led to rebalancing of internal bdget within OCE. Decrease infrastrctre to no more than 40-50% of the total annal program bdget. Increase science From Report:

18 Sea Change: 8 Science Priorities OOI is critical to addressing these science priorities: Rates, mechanisms, impacts, etc.sea level rise. Coastal, estarine ecosystems and linkages. Ocean biogeochemistry & physics and climate. Biodiversity & resilience of ecosystems, & changes. Marine food webs in the coming centry. Formation and evoltion of ocean basins. Geohazards (earthqakes, tsnamis, landslides, volcanoes). Sbseafloor biosphere; biogeochemical cycles & life.

19 RCRV Modernization of US Academic Research Fleet top priority for NSF and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Will yield (among others): Fndamental research in the US coastal zone and continental shelf. Spports all eight science themes in Sea Change report. New technologies not on older vessels In Janary 2018, NSF issed a solicitation (NSF18-534) for operator selection for RCRV #2 and #3 proposal deadline of April 19, 2018.

20 OCE Division Director Recritment Nationwide search for OCE Division Director. Responsibilities inclde: Leadership and management of Division programs. Assisting GEO AD in carrying ot Division-wide responsibilities sch as bdget preparation, oversight and management, recritment of scientific staff, and leadership and gidance to administrative and spport staff. Representing OCE in a variety of NSF-wide and interagency activities related to research and edcation, and in interactions with the commnity. Closing Date 02/27/2018

21 Thank yo!

22 BACKGROUND SLIDES

23 NSF by the Nmbers A Nation that creates and exploits new concepts in science and engineering and provides global leadership in research and edcation. - NSF s Strategic Plan for : Investing in Science, Engineering, and Edcation for the Nation s Ftre

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26 NSF Natral Disaster Response nsf.gov/natraldisasters/ Nearly 60 awards made totaling $5.3 million in response to recent hrricanes. RAPID: Effects of Hrricane Harvey's extraordinary rain event on sedimentation at tidal inlets of Galveston Bay, TX. Risk & Resilience Investment Area Prediction of and Resilience Against Extreme Events (PREEVENTS) PI: W. Sager, U of Hoston, OCE

27 Little Bear Montain Fire that Killed 19 Granite Montain Hotshots

28 Navigating the New Arctic awards Initial focs areas inclde: New observing systems, coastal erosion, transportation, food secrity and commnity resilience Three Research Coordination Networks awards University of Colorado Penn State University of Alaska-Anchorage Three Workshop awards University of Nebraska Carnegie Mellon University of New Hampshire

29 Harnessing the Data Revoltion for 21 st Centry Science and Engineering Fndamental research in data science and engineering all Directorates Accelerating data-intensive research Preparing a 21st-centry data-capable workforce. GEO Example: Predict severe storm tracks with real-time data assimilation into tned, validated models

30 Broadening Participation NSF s Inclsion across the Nation of Commnities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES), is a mlti-stage, mlti-year initiative.

31 Lighter Side of Geim s Genis Only scientist to win a Nobel and an Ignobel Award Ignobel Award makes yo lagh and then makes yo think 2015 prize to Keele University psychologists for confirming the widely held belief that swearing relieves pain. Also from Friday Night Experiments: powerfl magnets to levitate a live frog Reftes notion that metallic composition of living tisse too small for magnets to overcome gravity!

32 The Long, Strange Trip to Graphene Keynote talk to Materials Science Workshop at Penn State Andre Geim University of Manchester Physicist Friday Night Experiments: lab works on crazy things that probably won t pan ot at all, bt if they do, it wold be really srprising. Story of graphene the thinnest, strongest, most condctive material in existence. Nobel Prize The power of taking a risk to prse pre criosity!