Earth Science Programs - Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science - page 135

• Astronomical Sciences Division supports research relevant to Earth and
planetary materials and planetary science. In particular, the Planetary
Astronomy Program supports theoretical and observational studies of the
detailed structure and composition of planetary surfaces, interiors,
atmospheres, and satellites; the nature of small bodies (asteroids and
comets); and the origin and development of the solar system.
• Biological Sciences Directorate supports research relevant to geobiology
and microorganisms in the environment. The Division of Environmental
Biology supports research on the origins, functions, relationships,
interactions, and evolutionary history of populations, species,
communities, and ecosystems. The program also supports a network of
long-term ecological research sites. The Division of Integrative Biology
and Neuroscience supports research aimed at understanding the living
organism (plant, animal, microbe) as a unit of biological organization.
Such research encompasses (1) the integration of molecular, subcellular,
cellular, and functional genomics approaches to understand the
development, functioning, and behavior of organisms; and (2) the form
and function of organisms in view of their evolution and environmental
interactions. The Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences supports
research related to understanding life processes at the molecular,
subcellular, and cellular levels, including microbial biology and
biomolecular materials. The Microbial Observatories Initiative focuses on
the discovery and characterization of as-yet-undescribed microorganisms
from diverse habitats. Research sponsored by the program includes
properties and mechanisms responsible for microbial growth, adaptation,
and survival in natural environments and microbial processes for
anaerobic and aerobic flow of energy and cycling of nutrients, including
aquatic, soil-rhizosphere, and sediment ecosystems. Finally, the
infrastructure for research in biology—including instrumentation,
research facilities, field stations, and computational biology—is supported
by the Division of Biological Infrastructure.
• Materials Research Division supports theoretical and experimental
research relevant to Earth and planetary materials, particularly in
condensed-matter physics and nanomaterials, solid-state chemistry and
polymers, and metals and ceramic materials.
• Ocean Sciences Division supports research and instrumentation
development relevant to geobiology, the Critical Zone, and EarthScope.
The Biological Oceanography Program supports research on the
relationships between marine organisms and their interactions with the
geochemical and physical environment, including molecular, cellular, and
biochemical studies, evolutionary ecology, and sometimes systematic
biology and paleoecology. The Chemical Oceanography Program
supports research into the chemical components, reaction mechanisms,
and geochemical pathways at the ocean-solid-Earth interface. The Marine
Geology and Geophysics (MG&G) Program