Schmidt Sciences – Virtual Institute for the Carbon Cycle (VICC): Addressing Knowledge gaps in Carbon Cycle Science – Expressions of Intent

Seeking brief Expressions of Intent (EOIs) for research projects that address knowledge gaps in carbon cycle science, yield categorical reductions in the uncertainty associated with the major components of the global carbon cycle, and improve the accuracy of their future projections. Projects could propose to achieve this through novel observations and measurements, or modeling approaches, or data assimilation improvements, or any combination thereof. Select EOIs will be invited to submit full proposals.  Submissions must be grounded in one or more of the following scientific themes:

Theme 1. Anthropogenic emissions and their fate in time and space, in order to make major improvements in the accuracy of the global carbon budget.

Theme 2. Carbon cycle behavior on policy-relevant timescales in order to enable attribution and robust distinction between the response of the carbon cycle to natural and anthropogenic drivers.

Theme 3. The future of the land and ocean carbon stocks and fluxes in a changing climate on decadal to centennial timescales, including evaluating the potential for surprises and abrupt change.

Team Composition: We expect project teams to prioritize representation across disciplines, geographies, and backgrounds, and to provide opportunities for early career scientists.

Budget: The typical award for a Schmidt Sciences Virtual Institute project is USD 10M over 5 years.

EOI structure: submissions should provide a maximum 3-page proposal with the following information:  project narrative;  research plan;  a description of preliminary team composition, and potential external institutional partnerships;  preliminary budget;  a brief statement indicating if, and how, generative AI was used in developing the proposal.

Read the full Request for EOI here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PS3Gv2UH6THdt4A55ALRBUovVWUqy3MD1Ie1WK2mjNQ/edit?tab=t.0

More information, FAQ and Webinar recording, here:

https://airtable.com/appT3ucfUTeIvOdbR/pagvqfh4ZwkzCKsMT/form