The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.
The Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) aims to foster the development of cyberinfrastructure for the Earth Sciences (Geoinformatics) through its grant program. This program encompasses three main tracks: Catalytic, Facility, and Sustainability. These tracks are designed to support the full lifecycle of geoinformatics resources, from initial pilot projects (Catalytic) through to broad implementation across communities (Facility), and finally to ensuring these resources can be sustained over the long term (Sustainability). The Catalytic Track focuses on supporting pilot projects that serve Earth Science research. The Facility Track is geared toward the implementation and operation of a cyberinfrastructure resource that is critical to one or more Earth Science communities in addressing their research questions. Lastly, the Sustainability Track aims at developing and implementing sustainable funding models to preserve valuable data and software products for Earth Science research.