Opportunity Information: Apply for 19 584
The National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity titled Opportunities for Promoting Understanding through Synthesis (OPUS) supports investigators in the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) who want to generate new scientific understanding by stepping back from ongoing or past work and producing a deeper, integrated synthesis. Rather than funding a typical project aimed primarily at collecting new data, OPUS is designed to help researchers connect ideas, results, and approaches in ways that reveal new insights about environmental biology systems and the questions that drive the field. The program is positioned as a way to strengthen scientific productivity and advance understanding through focused synthesis activities.
OPUS is organized into two tracks. The first is OPUS Mid-Career Synthesis, which is specifically aimed at mid-career scientists, defined here as investigators at the associate professor rank (or an equivalent level in other settings). This track emphasizes professional development through synthesis: it is meant to help mid-career researchers gain new capabilities that increase their long-term productivity, improve retention in the research workforce, and support a diverse community of scientists staying actively engaged in research over time. A key feature of this track is collaboration with a mentor. The mentoring relationship is framed as a practical mechanism for building new skills or perspectives that allow the investigator to synthesize their ongoing research program into a sharper or more comprehensive understanding of their study system and core research questions.
The second track is OPUS Core Research Synthesis. This option supports either an individual investigator or a group of investigators who want to revisit and synthesize a substantial body of prior work. The goal is to integrate findings across studies or years of effort to produce new understanding of the underlying system and the questions being studied. While it can serve later-career researchers who have accumulated an extensive research record, the announcement also notes that this track may be appropriate earlier in a career if the investigator is at a point where synthesis can produce a distinctive, integrated contribution that benefits the broader scientific community and helps shape the next stage of the investigator's research direction.
Across both tracks, OPUS is aligned with the scientific scope of NSF's Division of Environmental Biology and explicitly encourages proposals relevant to any of DEB's four clusters: Ecosystem Science, Evolutionary Processes, Population and Community Ecology, and Systematics and Biodiversity Science. In practice, this means proposals can cover a wide range of environmental biology topics, as long as the central purpose is synthesis that leads to expanded understanding and new insights, rather than simply extending prior work in a routine way.
From the opportunity details provided, the funding instrument is a discretionary grant from NSF, categorized under science and technology and other research and development, with CFDA number 47.074. The opportunity number is 19-584. The original posting date was May 31, 2019, with an original closing date of August 28, 2019, and NSF anticipated making about 15 awards. The listed award ceiling is shown as 0 in the source data, which typically indicates that the ceiling is not specified in that field rather than implying that no funds are available. Eligibility is marked as "Others," with the note that applicants should consult the specific eligibility clarification in the full announcement text.
Overall, OPUS is best understood as a mechanism for enabling researchers in environmental biology to consolidate, integrate, and reinterpret bodies of work to yield new conceptual or synthetic advances. It also serves a workforce goal in the mid-career track by explicitly supporting researcher development and retention, particularly to help maintain diversity among senior ranks in academia and related research settings.Apply for 19 584
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Opportunities for Promoting Understanding through Synthesis" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.074.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 31, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 28, 2019. (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 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NSF OPUS program?
Opportunities for Promoting Understanding through Synthesis (OPUS) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity in the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) that supports investigators who want to generate new scientific understanding by stepping back from ongoing or past work and producing a deeper, integrated synthesis.
What is the main purpose of OPUS funding?
The central purpose is to enable focused synthesis that connects ideas, results, and approaches in ways that reveal new insights about environmental biology systems and the questions that drive the field. It is positioned to strengthen scientific productivity and advance understanding through synthesis activities.
How is OPUS different from a typical research grant?
OPUS is not designed to primarily fund a standard project centered on collecting new data. Instead, it supports integrating and reinterpreting existing work to produce expanded understanding and new insights, rather than simply extending prior work in a routine way.
What are the two OPUS tracks?
OPUS is organized into two tracks: (1) OPUS Mid-Career Synthesis and (2) OPUS Core Research Synthesis.
Who is the OPUS Mid-Career Synthesis track for?
OPUS Mid-Career Synthesis is aimed at mid-career scientists, defined in the opportunity as investigators at the associate professor rank (or an equivalent level in other settings).
What is emphasized in the OPUS Mid-Career Synthesis track?
This track emphasizes professional development through synthesis. It is intended to help mid-career researchers gain new capabilities that increase long-term productivity, improve retention in the research workforce, and support a diverse community of scientists remaining actively engaged in research over time.
Is mentoring part of the OPUS Mid-Career Synthesis track?
Yes. A key feature of the Mid-Career Synthesis track is collaboration with a mentor. The mentoring relationship is described as a practical mechanism for building new skills or perspectives that help the investigator synthesize their ongoing research program into a sharper or more comprehensive understanding of their study system and core research questions.
What is the OPUS Core Research Synthesis track?
OPUS Core Research Synthesis supports an individual investigator or a group of investigators who want to revisit and synthesize a substantial body of prior work to integrate findings across studies or years of effort and produce new understanding of the underlying system and the questions being studied.
Can a team apply under OPUS Core Research Synthesis?
Yes. The Core Research Synthesis track can support either an individual investigator or a group of investigators working together on a synthesis effort.
Is OPUS Core Research Synthesis only for later-career researchers?
It can serve later-career researchers who have accumulated an extensive research record, but the opportunity also notes it may be appropriate earlier in a career if the investigator is at a point where synthesis can produce a distinctive, integrated contribution that benefits the broader scientific community and helps shape the next stage of the investigator's research direction.
What scientific areas does OPUS support?
OPUS aligns with the scientific scope of NSF's Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) and explicitly encourages proposals relevant to any of DEB's four clusters: Ecosystem Science, Evolutionary Processes, Population and Community Ecology, and Systematics and Biodiversity Science.
Does OPUS limit proposals to specific environmental biology topics?
The opportunity describes a wide scope across environmental biology as long as the central purpose is synthesis that leads to expanded understanding and new insights.
What kinds of outcomes is OPUS intended to produce?
OPUS is intended to yield new conceptual or synthetic advances by consolidating, integrating, and reinterpreting bodies of work. In the mid-career track specifically, it also supports workforce outcomes such as professional development, retention, and sustaining diversity among senior ranks in academia and related research settings.
What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?
The funding instrument is a discretionary grant from NSF.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 47.074.
What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number is 19-584.
When was this opportunity originally posted and when did it close?
The original posting date was May 31, 2019. The original closing date was August 28, 2019.
How many awards did NSF anticipate making?
NSF anticipated making about 15 awards.
Is there an award ceiling listed?
The source data shows an award ceiling of 0. This typically indicates the ceiling was not specified in that field rather than implying that no funds are available.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is marked as "Others," with a note that applicants should consult the specific eligibility clarification in the full announcement text.
What agency and division are associated with OPUS?
The opportunity is offered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and is associated with the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB).
What category is this grant listed under?
It is categorized under science and technology and other research and development.
What should an applicant focus on when framing an OPUS proposal?
Based on the description provided, applicants should focus on synthesis that integrates prior or ongoing work to generate new understanding, rather than proposing a routine continuation of prior studies centered on new data collection.
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