Organismal Response to Climate Change | 25 504

Organismal Response to Climate Change (ORCC) NSF Grant (Funding Opportunity 25-504) - FAQs

What is the NSF ORCC program?

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Organismal Response to Climate Change (ORCC) program supports research that explains, in a mechanistic and predictive way, how living organisms respond to rapidly changing climate conditions.

What problem is ORCC trying to address?

ORCC is motivated by the reality that climate change is already reshaping ecosystems across every biome and affecting nearly all forms of life, with cascading consequences for growth and reproduction, species ranges, community composition, agricultural productivity, and the frequency and severity of disease and pathogen outbreaks.

Why does NSF emphasize organismal responses to climate change?

NSF highlights that biological impacts of climate change are not only ecological concerns; they already influence the U.S. bioeconomy, global food security, and the ecosystem services people rely on.

What kinds of projects are a good fit for ORCC?

Good-fit projects go beyond describing climate-related patterns and instead connect observed responses to underlying biological mechanisms, then link those mechanisms to longer-term ecological and evolutionary outcomes across higher levels of organization (populations, species, communities) over space and time.

What does ORCC mean by "mechanistic and predictive" research?

Within ORCC, mechanistic and predictive research is work that explains how organismal-level processes (for example, physiology, development, behavior, and genomics) drive responses to climate conditions, and uses those explanations to improve predictions about outcomes for organisms and broader biological systems.

Is ORCC intended to fund descriptive studies of climate impacts?

ORCC is designed to move beyond studies that primarily describe patterns (such as shifts in distribution or phenology) without fully connecting those patterns to underlying biological mechanisms and to longer-term ecological and evolutionary outcomes.

What disciplines and scales does ORCC expect proposals to bridge?

ORCC expects genuinely cross-disciplinary, convergent proposals that bridge organismal-level mechanisms (inside organisms) with eco-evolutionary and ecological consequences at levels above the individual (populations, species, and communities) and across space and time.

What organismal mechanisms are relevant to ORCC?

The solicitation highlights organismal-level mechanisms such as physiology, development, behavior, and genomics as examples of mechanisms that can be integrated into climate response research.

What eco-evolutionary components does ORCC want to see?

ORCC seeks projects that explain how traits affect fitness, how selection acts in changing environments, and how adaptive or maladaptive responses spread or persist across generations.

What are some example research directions ORCC encourages?

Example directions include integrating physiology and genomics into the next generation of species distribution models; identifying the mechanistic bases of plastic responses to climate change; using functional genomics to understand the molecular and genetic architecture of climate responses; and studying how climate-driven changes in biological interactions affect organismal performance and survival.

Is the list of priority research directions exhaustive?

No. The solicitation provides example research directions and priority areas, while making clear that the list is not exhaustive.

What does ORCC mean by "plastic responses" to climate change?

In the context of this solicitation, plastic responses refer to how organisms adjust to climate change without genetic change.

How does ORCC relate to species distribution models?

One priority area is integrating physiology and genomics into the next generation of species distribution models, with the aim of improving predictive capacity.

Does ORCC support functional genomics approaches?

Yes. The solicitation encourages using functional genomics to understand the molecular and genetic architecture of climate responses.

Does ORCC support research on species interactions under climate change?

Yes. ORCC encourages work on biological interactions under climate change, including how altered temperature, moisture, or seasonality changes competition, predation, mutualisms, host-pathogen dynamics, and other interactions, and how these shifts feed back to influence organismal performance and survival.

What does ORCC mean by predicting "limits of resilience"?

ORCC emphasizes improving the ability to predict limits of resilience as organisms face novel and more extreme climatic conditions that may push them beyond tolerable thresholds.

What is a distinguishing requirement of the ORCC solicitation?

A distinguishing requirement is that proposals must genuinely bridge disciplines and scales: they should not only document responses, but also explain mechanisms, connect those mechanisms to eco-evolutionary consequences above the level of the individual, and describe how the foundational science will be translated into use-inspired outcomes.

What are "use-inspired outcomes" in ORCC?

NSF expects applicants to articulate a pathway from mechanistic discovery to practical relevance. Examples mentioned include better forecasting of vulnerability, improved management or conservation decisions, more robust predictions for agriculture, improved disease risk prediction, or other societally relevant applications tied to anticipating and managing climate impacts.

What kinds of proposals are considered a poor fit for ORCC?

Proposals are considered a poor fit if they do not integrate across disciplinary components, do not maintain a clear focus on organismal mechanisms, fail to connect mechanisms to broader eco-evolutionary implications, or do not lay out a plan for translating foundational science into use-inspired applications. NSF indicates such projects are expected to be submitted to other relevant NSF core or special programs.

If a project is not a good fit for ORCC, where might it be submitted instead?

The solicitation indicates that poor-fit proposals for ORCC are expected to be submitted to other relevant NSF core or special programs, with examples including IOS, OCE, or DEB.

Should applicants contact NSF if they are unsure about fit?

Yes. NSF advises prospective applicants to contact the appropriate program officer if there is uncertainty about fit.

Who is eligible to apply for ORCC?

Eligibility is limited to specific applicant types, including: (1) U.S.-based non-profit, non-academic organizations directly associated with education or research activities (such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies); (2) accredited U.S. institutions of higher education (two- or four-year institutions, including community colleges) applying on behalf of their faculty; and (3) federally recognized Tribal Nations (American Indian or Alaska Native tribes, bands, nations, pueblos, villages, or communities recognized under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act).

Are community colleges eligible under ORCC?

Yes. Accredited U.S. institutions of higher education, including community colleges, are listed as eligible applicants (applying on behalf of their faculty).

Are professional societies or museums eligible to apply?

Yes, if they are U.S.-based non-profit, non-academic organizations directly associated with education or research activities. The solicitation lists examples such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies.

Are federally recognized Tribal Nations eligible?

Yes. Federally recognized Tribal Nations (as recognized under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act) are included among eligible applicant types.

What if a proposal involves work at an international branch campus of a U.S. institution?

If a proposal involves funding to an international branch campus of a U.S. institution (including via subawards or consultants), the submission must clearly explain why the international location is beneficial and why the work cannot be performed at the U.S. campus.

What is the funding opportunity number for ORCC?

The funding opportunity number is 25-504.

How many awards does NSF anticipate making under ORCC?

NSF anticipates making about 20 awards.

What is the submission closing date listed for ORCC?

The original closing date listed for submission is 2025-01-23.

When was the opportunity record created?

The opportunity record indicates a creation date of 2024-10-23.

What is the award ceiling (maximum award amount) for ORCC?

The award ceiling is not specified in the provided source details.

How is ORCC categorized administratively?

Administratively, this is a discretionary NSF grant opportunity in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category, associated with CFDA numbers 47.050 and 47.074.

What are the CFDA numbers associated with ORCC?

The solicitation is associated with CFDA numbers 47.050 and 47.074.