Who doesn’t love Earth science research “above the fold” on Valentine’s Day—especially a project prompted by a drone? Funded by an NSF Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) RAPID award, University of Oregon seismologist Amanda Thomas tracks the slope of Rattlesnake Ridge as it creeps downhill in order to improve mudslide prediction. The story, "Scientists study Washington’s Rattlesnake Ridge for clues to prevent landslide disasters" was featured in The Seattle Times. Send us your news!

The Earth sciences community is abuzz about changes to the Earth's magnetic field, which points our compass needles North and protects our atmosphere from harmful radiation. EAR-supported Univ. of Rochester researchers John Tarduno and Vincent Hare have helped start a conservation about the anomaly. Their article in The Conversation is well on its way to a million reads!

Congress reaches two-year budget deal; President delivers FY 2019 budget request to Congress. The President's FY 2019 budget request, delivered to Congress, includes the President's plan for spending additional funds resulting from Congress' bipartisan agreement that increases non-defense discretionary spending by $63 and $68 B in FY 2018 and FY 2019, respectively. The FY 2019 Budget Request for NSF is $7.472 B, the same as the FY 2017 Current Plan.

NSF Releases Strategic Plan: Building the Future: Investing in Discovery and Innovation - NSF Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2018 – 2022. NSF’s new strategic plan lays out a vision for ensuring the nation remains a global leader in research and innovation, and illustrates opportunities ahead with examples from some of NSF’s “10 Big Ideas” for future investment.

According to the new Science and Engineering Indicators 2018 report, the United States is the global leader in science and technology; however, the U.S. global share of S&T activities is declining as other nations, especially China, continue to rise, according the NSF press release. The Indicators digest draws attention to important trends and data resources available in the report, including workforce; global marketplace; knowledge transfer, public attitudes and more.

NSF Special Announcements
1. Earlier this month, NSF issued Important Notice No. 144: Important Notice to Presidents of Universities and Colleges And Heads of Other National Science Foundation Grantee Organizations and a corresponding press statement.
2. The National Science Foundation's Award Terms and Conditions have been revised. The new terms and conditions will apply to all new NSF awards and funding amendments to existing NSF awards made on or after March 1, 2018.

Solicitation Updates
Approaching Proposal Deadlines:
3/1: Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) Excellence in Research (EiR)
3/6: EH&R Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program)
3/13: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track 4: EPSCoR Research Fellows
3/28: EH&R DUE NSF Scholarships in STEM
Full list of upcoming NSF due dates

New Solicitations:
1. Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI)
2. NSF Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES)

NSF's Advisory committee for Environmental Research and Education (AC ERE) released Sustainable Urban Systems: Articulating a Long-Term Convergence Research Agenda along with this press release. The document serves as a guide for the direction research on cities might take today and in the future.

Join the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) for three days of policy, technology and advocacy in Washington, DC. The 2018 Coastal Summit: Working Together: Science & Policy for Resilient Coasts will be held March 20-22 at the ASAE Conference Center in Washington, DC.

The NSF funded Fieldwork Inspiring Expanded Leadership and Diversity (FIELD) Project seeks to examine issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in geoscience field activity. PIs from nine different institutes will conduct a three-day short course Oct. 3-7. Participant's airline travel, onsite meals, and lodging included. Apply online here before the March 1 deadline.

The 2018 Systems Thinking Symposium: Thinkwater to Think: X will be held March 21 in Washington, DC. The symposium focuses on the application of systems thinking to a wide array of critical challenges facing national and statewide policy makers and water professionals. There is no cost to attend in-person or remotely but space is limited.

The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) have begun planning for the 2018 SACNAS: The National Diversity in STEM Conference, being held Oct. 11-13 in San Antonio, TX. Propose a session through April 11, or nominate a keynote speaker.