Opportunities for Promoting Understanding through Synthesis | 22 591

Opportunity Information: Apply for 22 591

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is offering a discretionary grant opportunity called Opportunities for Promoting Understanding through Synthesis (OPUS), Funding Opportunity Number 22-591, within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category (CFDA 47.074). This program is designed primarily for individual researchers, most often at later-career stages, who have built a substantial record of contributions and insights within a particular research area over an extended period of time. Rather than focusing on generating entirely new lines of experimental or field research, OPUS is meant to support a careful return to a investigators prior body of work so they can integrate, interpret, and synthesize it into a cohesive and lasting contribution that benefits the broader scientific community.

The central purpose of OPUS is to enable the creation of a "unique, integrated product or products" that distill a researchers accumulated findings into something especially useful both now and in the future. In practical terms, this often means developing synthesis outputs that bring together multiple studies, datasets, concepts, or perspectives into a clearer, more unified understanding of a topic. The program emphasizes value to the community, so the end products are expected to be broadly accessible and influential, helping other scientists, students, and practitioners build on the knowledge that has already been generated. The opportunity is housed within NSF's Division of Environmental Biology, and proposals are explicitly encouraged across all four of its clusters: Ecosystem Science, Evolutionary Processes, Population and Community Ecology, and Systematics and Biodiversity Science.

In terms of funding and scale, OPUS awards may be made up to an award ceiling of $350,000, and NSF anticipates making about 15 awards under this opportunity. Proposals are accepted at any time, meaning there is no single annual deadline listed; applicants can submit when their synthesis plan is ready. Eligibility is broadly described as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," indicating that the formal eligibility details may extend beyond a simple category listing and should be verified in the full solicitation text. Overall, the OPUS program is aimed at leveraging the long-term intellectual investments of established researchers by supporting high-impact synthesis work that consolidates important research legacies into enduring resources for the environmental biology community.

• 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 Apr 21, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Proposals accepted anytime. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $350,000.00 in funding.
• 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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