NSF's 10 Big Ideas, highlighted in Director Cordova’s March Congressional Testimony, (1) push the existing boundaries of knowledge; (2) pinpoint new opportunities to seize; and (3) close gaps enabling these and more big ideas to move us beyond the minimum requirements needed to keep pace with other competitive nations. In the FY 2019 Budget Request.NSF would commit $180 million to six research-focused Big Ideas and $102.5 million to four process-focused Ideas. See the NSF News release for more details.

Long-time program director Leonard Johnson recently retired from the Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) after 44 years of public service. Acting Division Director Lina Patino appropriately recognizes his legacy at NSF and in the scientific community during Public Service Recognition Week.

In her work with 24 program directors with over 100 cumulative years of experience managing NSF's merit-review process, NSF Science Assistant Mia Thomas has picked up tips to help ensure a successful EAR proposal. See the 25 tips she will use throughout her career here!

Alexis Ault from Utah State University helps fifth- and sixth- graders create STEM identities as part of her Faculty Early Career Development 'CAREER' award education plan. Local students from the Promontory School of Expeditionary Learning work in the field and lab to identify, sample and observe mirrored faults from the Wasatch damage zone. Check out the rest of NSF Science Assistant Heidi Jensen's story here.

The oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowships (GRF) recognize and support outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. In 2018, NSF will award 2,000 GRFs to high-potential, early career scientists and engineers, including seventy geoscientists offered support from EAR. EAR-supported fellows are expected to become knowledge experts in the geosciences.

1. EAR is committed to establishing, maintaining, validating, describing and distributing high-quality data sets. Please see NSF’s 2018 updated Data and Sample Policy when preparing Data Management Plans for proposal submissions to EAR programs. The updated data policy includes minor clarifications and an updated appendix of data resources.
2. Beginning on April 30, 2018, proposers are able to prepare and submit full non-collaborative proposals in Research.gov. The initial release will run in parallel with existing FastLane proposal preparation and submission capabilities, so proposers can choose to prepare and submit full, research non-collaborative proposals in Research.gov or in FastLane.

Approaching Proposal Deadlines:
6/4 and 6/11: 18-546- Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP): TCU Enterprise Advancement Centers (TEA Centers) AND Partnerships in Geoscience Education (PAGE)
6/14: 18-550- Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase I (SBIR)
6/20: 17-516- Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers Program (IUCRC)
7/2: Accelerating Discovery: Educating the Future STEM Workforce (AD)
7/3: 18-558- EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program Track-1: (RII Track-1)
7/20: 17-537- Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)
Full list of upcoming NSF proposal due dates

NSF's Spring 2018 Grants Conference will be held June 4-5, 2018, in Detroit, MI. Key officials representing each NSF program directorate, administrative office, Office of the General Counsel and Office of the Inspector General will participate in the two-day conference. The conference offers insight into a wide range of important and timely issues at NSF including: the state of current funding; the proposal and award process; and current and recently updated policies and procedures.

Join the Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System (CSDMS) for Geoprocesses, geohazards - CSDMS 2018 held May 22-24 in Boulder, CO. This year's meeting is co-sponsored by the Sediment Experimentalist Network (SEN) and Polar RCN. On site registration or complimentary remote participation are available.

The EarthCube 2018 All Hands Meeting: Platform for Integration will be held June 6-8 in Washington, DC. This year's meeting focuses on the many successes achieved by the EarthCube Community. Highlights will feature a demonstration of the pilot registry work (Project 418), technology integration, how EarthCube defines its own success, and ways to enhance engagement in the scientific community and with external partners.

The deadline to apply for fall and winter positions in this year's National Park Service (NPS) Geoscientists-in-the-Parks (GIP) Program is June 15. The GIP program works with partners to match college students and recent graduates age 18-35 years old with short-term, paid, internships with NPS. Participants selected for the GIP program have a unique opportunity to contribute to the conservation of America's national parks in positions that last from three months to one year.

The 2018 Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Workshop will be held June 12-14 in Albuquerque, NM. This workshop will highlight exciting scientific advances using current facilities, and explore future frontier facilities, activities and techniques. In part, the future of IRIS includes the expansion of the facilities to support interdisciplinary research activities among the solid Earth, hydrosphere, cryosphere, atmosphere and other surface processes, and to create a more diverse geoscience community.

The annual American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Forum will be held June 21-22 in Washington, DC for people interested in public policy issues facing the science, engineering and higher education communities. At this forum, individuals can learn about the future of science and technology policy, and meet the people who shape it.

The 11th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering: Integrating Science, Engineering & Policy will be held June 25-29 in Los Angeles, CA. The National Conference on Earthquake Engineering is hosted every four years by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI). Late registration fees begin on June 1st.