Overview:
The Research & Technical Awards Program of GEO-TREES funds projects associated with the GEO-TREES network of Biomass Reference Measurement (BRM) sites. The program is intended to provide opportunities for students and early-career researchers to use existing GEO-TREES sites to conduct research and expand research infrastructure in collaboration with the sites.
Projects Supported by the Program:
The Awards Program supports projects directly tied to any GEO-TREES site, including fieldwork, site data analysis, or the generation of complementary data that strengthens the GEO-TREES program. Projects can be field-oriented, herbarium- or laboratory-based, or analytical. Research projects can be basic or applied in nature and based in the social or natural sciences. Projects are typically expected to be completed within 3-12 months, but project may be extended to 24 months by application. Project extension/duration will not increase award amount. Successful proposals must use the GEO-TREES site data and the site data must be integral to the completion of the project. Applicants do not need to be associated with a site prior to applying, but applicants need the approval of the site Principal Investigator prior to submitting a proposal.
Eligibility:
Students, at any stage of their education, and early-career researchers who are working directly in any GEO-TREES site are eligible to apply. Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply. For those with a PhD, your degree must have been completed within the last five years. Priority will be given to researchers with less access to other institutional funds. Projects that include multiple sites, and that include a strong educational/capacity-building component are encouraged. Local community members are also encouraged to apply individually, or in collaboration with local researchers.
Budget Information:
Research projects up to $15,000 USD will be considered. Funding is restricted to expenses related to field research, laboratory research, and data analysis. Examples of eligible expenses include travel, stipend and living expenses during the project period, supplies, research assistance, and publication fees. Funding is NOT available for annual salary and/or fringe benefits of the applicant, indirect costs for institutional support, undergraduate or graduate study costs (e.g., tuition, textbooks, fees), non-project personnel, or travel to meetings or conferences.
Application Instructions:
Applicants must submit a single PDF with all information in the following order by 20 October 2025:
- A proposal with a 1000-word limit. Proposals that exceed 1000 words will be disqualified prior to review. The proposal should include:
- Title
- Introduction
- Description of the proposed research that specifically describes the relevance to one or more of the GEO-TREES sites
- Research objectives, including clearly stated questions and expected significance
- Research plan, including detailed methods
- Anticipated outcomes
- Broader significance of the project to GEO-TREES and the discipline
- How the proposal builds scientific capacity through education
- References (not included in the word limit)
- A list of project collaborators. For students and postdoctoral researchers, this must include an advisor.
- Proof that the applicant has approval and support from the site Principal Investigator(s) to work at the GEO-TREES site (through inclusion of email correspondence).
- A Curriculum Vitae (CV) (maximum 2 pages), including the applicant's contact information, educational background, current and previous fellowships and grants, and research interests.
- A detailed budget. The budget should include all costs related to carrying out the project. See the above Budget Information for expenses that can be included in the proposal. Include a budget justification for any unclear expenses.
- A project timeline. A timeline with the schedule for proposed research activities should be included.
Submission Instructions:
- Proposals must follow the Application Instructions.
- Submit the single PDF document to: geotrees@si.edu
- Please address questions on this call to: geotrees@si.edu
- All materials must be submitted by 20 October 2025. Late applications will be returned without review.
How will applications be evaluated?
Applications will be evaluated by a panel of scientists associated with the GEO-TREES program. Outside scholars may also be invited to join the review panel. Awards are made based on the proposal's merit, the applicant's ability to carry out the proposed work, the likelihood that the project can be carried out in the proposed time frame, the extent to which GEO-TREES site(s) are integral to the proposed work, and the broader significance of the project.
The full call for proposals is also available French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
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