Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences

The National Science Foundation Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences is a civilian research funding entity that supports scientific research and education in atmospheric, geospace, and allied sciences. This division operates as part of the broader National Science Foundation, focusing specifically on advancing knowledge about Earth's atmosphere, near-Earth space environment, and the interactions between them. It provides financial support primarily through competitive project grants to academic institutions, research organizations, and scientific collaborations across the United States, fostering both fundamental research and the development of observational infrastructure.

NSF's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences awarded numerous project grants in 2025, predominantly supporting academic research focused on atmospheric science, space weather, and climate studies. The division's funding prioritizes three key research areas: understanding and predicting space weather phenomena (including geomagnetic storms, ionospheric disturbances, and solar-terrestrial interactions), advancing atmospheric science (particularly related to air quality, precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events), and developing climate modeling capabilities (with emphasis on machine learning integration and innovative measurement techniques). These grants typically range from $100,000 to $700,000 and support multi-year research projects at universities and research institutions, often incorporating educational components that train graduate students and postdoctoral researchers while developing the future scientific workforce.

The division also demonstrates strong commitment to research infrastructure development through awards supporting instrumentation networks, data collection frameworks, and collaborative research platforms. Notable examples include the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HAMSCI) Personal Space Weather Station Network and the Mid-Latitude All-Sky-Imaging Network for Geophysical Observation (MANGO), which enable distributed data collection across large geographic areas. Conference and workshop grants represent another significant funding category, supporting scientific gatherings on specialized topics ranging from machine learning applications in climate science to investigations of specific atmospheric and space weather phenomena. These infrastructure and collaboration investments reflect the division's strategic approach to building research capacity while fostering international scientific cooperation and public engagement in atmospheric and geospace sciences.