ASPIRE Working Groups
Immersive, in-community work takes geoscientists committed to co-production and the inclusion of local knowledge to design a project of benefit to both parties. It is a long-term investment with intertwined goals.
The ASPIRE Working Groups (AWGs) seek to support these deep partnerships, creating opportunities to understand both aspects of how individuals (community members, geoscientists) contribute to these partnerships and how the collective is sustained. AWGs bring geoscience and place-based communities together to co-discover and test solutions to local, environmental issues.
Request for Proposals Opportunity
An opportunity for early-career academics and community(ities) to co-produce original geoscience research in the natural and physical sciences in the U.S. and its territories.
Sumida Watercress Farm
Eligibility
Geoscientist (earth, ocean, atmospheric, marine and polar sciences) with a full-time academic appointment and Principal Investigator status at a US University and who a) Is currently working in-community in partnership with individuals and/or community organization(s) and b) Is or is in partnership with a Boundary Spanner – “an individual who simultaneously engages with and/or is a member of the mainstream scientific community, and is committed to working with, in and for their partner community” (as defined by Hatch et al. 2023) and c) Communities and community organizations included in these partnerships.
Successful proposals:
a) address an environmental research question that is critical to a community (e.g., impacts their health and well-being, livelihood, culture)
b) embody an understanding of the currencies involved in research with communities
c) expand and deepen current community-based efforts
Proposal Principal Investigators agree to:
1) manage the award, including finances
2) meet with the AWG Program Team: a) virtually at the start to discuss proposal and respond to questions and comments b) in-person at ASPIRE convenings, e.g., relaying perceived community benefit from the AWG
3) submit brief, bi-annual progress reports to ASPIRE
Two funding cycles per year
Winter call: Proposals will be accepted beginning mid-January. Review of proposals will occur promptly in order to facilitate the start of the ASPIRE Working Groups by June of the current year.
Summer call: Proposals will be accepted beginning mid-June. Review of proposals will occur promptly in order to facilitate the start of the ASPIRE Working Groups by January of the following year.
It is expected that ASPIRE Working Group projects will be completed within two years. All proposals should be submitted through the proposal portal below.
Participant Benefits
Award up to $40,000 funding project activities for 2 years
Travel to all-ASPIRE convenings for select AWG applicants
Travel to writing workshops for AWG manuscripts
Networking opportunities with other AWG Boundary Spanners
Submit Proposal
Pre-Application Webinar Resources & Contact
Prospective applicants may view the pre-application slide deck and Q&A from the recent AWG pre-application webinar below.
Contact: Jane Dolliver, Program Coordinator, ASPIRE Working Groups, aspirewg@uw.edu
FAQ
Q: Does the prospective Principal Investigator (PI) need to be appointed in a geoscience department?
A: No, but the research needs to be geoscience research – in areas defined by the Directorate for Geosciences at NSF (Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, Earth Sciences, Ocean Sciences, Polar Sciences).
Q: Does the prospective PI need to have a PhD?
A: No, but they must have Principal Investigator status (ability to accept the award) as themselves – they cannot be a “co-PI “ or “key personnel” under another PI.
Q: Are mid-career scientists eligible as the PI?
A: Maybe, if there is justification as to why they are the PI and how the early career scientist(s) on the team are mentored.
Q: Can the PI also be the Boundary Spanner?
A: Yes, but they could also be separate people.
Q: If the PI does not get funded under the summer ASPIRE Working Group (AWG) Request for Proposals (RFP), can they revise and resubmit under the winter AWG RFP?
A: Yes, please pay attention to, and address, proposal feedback.
Q: Can the work be international?
A: No. Work must occur in the United States, including U.S. Territories and Possessions: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Q: Are education projects eligible under this RFP?
A: No. Projects funded through this RFP must focus on a geoscience research question in the natural or physical sciences.
Q: Can the work be based in the U.S. but the site be international?
A: No, research sites must also be in the United States and U.S. Territories and Possessions (see above).
Q: Do prospective PIs need to include funds to evaluate the proposed AWG?
A: No, ASPIRE general funds will evaluate the success of projects.
Q: Are proposals restricted from using terms in Executive Order 13985?
A: No.
Q: Should the proposal also include original and transformative science objectives?
A: Yes, this is the “science goal and associated objectives” required as part of RFP section 1C.
Q: What is a reasonable start date for AWG projects funded under the summer RFP?
A: We anticipate that subawardees will receive funds by, but no earlier than February 1, 2027.
Q: What is a reasonable start date for AWG projects funded under the winter RFP?
A: We expect funds to be received by subawardees in June, 2027.
Q: Do letters of commitment from the community partner need to be submitted with the proposal (or can they come later)?
A: Yes, letters of commitment need to be submitted with the proposal.
Q: Can you provide an example of a community goal?
A: The community goal is what the community wishes to get from the project (e.g., a method and sampling frequency to assess perceived water quality changes in an urban river).
Q: Can communities be transient (e.g., unhoused individuals, migrant workers) or must they be place-based?
A: We envisioned the work to be place-based but would consider other community types – please reach out: aspirewg@uw.edu.
Q: Do PIs need to work with a specific, named group or can they build a coalition from multiple groups?
A: Either approach is fine. Please provide justification in the proposal and/or letter(s) of commitment as to why the group or coalition represents the relevant community or communities.
Q: What indirect cost rate should prospective PIs use? Could this be considered “off-campus” research?
A: Ask the research office at your institution – this is institution-specific.
Q: Are institutional documents/signatures required for AWG submission?
A: No, at the initial stage, ASPIRE does not require signature by institution officials; however, all PIs should make sure that they are compliant with their institutional norms.
Q: Per the example budget, can prospective PIs submit a proposal without “Senior Personnel” (PI) time?
A: Yes, be sure to show that your time is committed to the project within the proposal.
Q: Are there resources available to prospective PIs that could be included in the project narrative and not part of the budget?
A: Yes, resources for publication costs as part of ASPIRE writing workshops, resources for travel to attend the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meeting.
Q: Is the $30,000 USD proposal maximum direct costs or direct costs + indirect costs?
A: Direct + indirect (i.e., “institutional overhead” or “facilities and administration”) costs.
Q: Are indirect costs incurred on the community budget?
A: No, the community budget is limited to NSF’s definition of Participant Support Costs and per NSF rules, indirect costs cannot be charged on these funds.
Q: Is the AWG RFP still open even though the Cultural Transformation in the Geoscience Community NSF Program funding ASPIRE is archived and no longer distributing new awards?
A: Yes, the ASPIRE project is current and the AWG RFP is open.
Q: Can prospective PIs reach out to the AWG-ASPIRE leads for pre-submission assistance?
A: Yes, we expect there to be communication ahead of a proposal submission and a back-and-forth process. Reach out anytime at aspirewg@uw.edu.
Q: How many awards will be granted?
A: We expect 2-3 for the AWG summer 2026 call.
Q: Who will compose the award selection committee?
A: The selection committee will be composed of ASPIRE PIs, community members, and their representatives.
