2025 NSFC Major Research Plan: Research on Deep Driving Mechanisms of Earth Habitability

2025 NSFC Major Research Plan: Research on Deep Driving Mechanisms of Earth Habitability
2025年度国家自然科学基金委员会 地球宜居性的深部驱动机制 重大研究计划项目

February 4, 2025

The Official Announcement in Chinese

Sponsor:
National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)

About:
The major research program “Deep Driving Mechanisms of Earth's Habitability” aims at the important role of the Earth’s internal layers (core, mantle and crust) in controlling the Earth's habitability. It focuses on major scientific issues such as cross-layer dynamic processes and energy and material cycles linked by deep volatiles. Through multidisciplinary, cross-field and cross-scale comprehensive research in earth science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, information science, materials science, etc., it provides basic theoretical and technical support for solving the mystery of the deep engine of Earth's habitability.

This research program will focus on the following three core scientific questions:

1. Distribution of deep volatiles and properties of the Earth’s interior: Integrating geochemical data, geophysical observations, extreme condition simulations, and material microstructure studies, this research examines the behavior and distribution of deep Earth volatiles and their impact on Earth's internal properties. It aims to identify the composition, structure, and origin of major interfaces and heterogeneous bodies in the deep Earth.
2. The circulation of deep volatiles and geodynamic processes: Study the role and circulation mechanism of volatiles in the processes of "top-down" (such as plate subduction) and "bottom-up" (such as mantle upwelling and mantle plume activity) in the Earth's interior, clarify the composition of supervolcano magma reservoirs and the migration and enrichment patterns of volatiles; limit the capacity of water-rich fluids, hydrous melts and supercritical fluids to carry volatiles and the existence forms of volatiles in different fluids; constrain the circulation efficiency and control factors of volatiles in different geodynamic processes.
3. The deep-shallow connection mechanism and habitability of the Earth: Through big data analysis, AI computation, forward simulation, and Earth system modeling, this study investigates the role of the deep chemical engine in events like large-scale oxidation, icehouse and hyper-thermal climates, supervolcanoes, mass extinctions, and hydrogen and helium enrichment. It aims to uncover how deep Earth processes affect Earth's habitability and develop a theoretical framework for deep-to-shallow interactions across different evolutionary stages.

Please refer to the official announcement for more details.

Funding Amount and Duration:

1. Incubation Project (培育项目): About 12 incubation projects will be funded, the direct cost will be about 800,000 RMB/project, and the funding period will be three years. The research period is from January 1st, 2026, to December 31st, 2028.
2. Key Supporting Project (重点支持项目): About 12 key supporting projects will be funded, the direct cost is about 3,000,000 RMB/project, the funding period is four years, and the duration shall be from January 1st, 2026, to December 31st, 2029.

Funding Areas:
Please refer to the official announcement for the full details of the funding areas.

1. Incubation Project:

1. The chemical properties, composition and origin of volatiles in the deep Earth
2. The influence of volatiles on the composition and physical properties of the deep Earth
3. Deep Earth Processes and Hydrogen-Helium Enrichment
4. Detection/tracing technology of deep volatile distribution/circulation
5. Reactivity of volatiles under ultra-deep conditions
6. The deep-shallow connection mechanism of the earth
7. The evolution of major habitable elements on the Earth’s surface and their deep driving mechanisms

2. Key Supporting Project:

1. Distribution and physicochemical effects of volatiles in the deep Earth
2. The influence of volatiles on the composition, structure and interface properties of materials deep inside the Earth
3. The circulation process of volatiles in the deep subduction zone
4. Release and effects of deep volatiles
5. New chemical reaction mechanism deep in the Earth
6. Major biological events and deep earth processes during key geological history periods
7. The Earth’s deep-shallow correlation mechanism and the evolution of habitability
8. Construction and application of earth system model coupled with solid earth module
9. Construction and application of Earth system models coupled with isotope geochemical records
10. Application of intelligent tools in exploring the evolution of Earth’s habitability

Requirements:

• Applicant should have experience in undertaking basic research projects;
• Applicant must be a senior professional title holder;
• Please select “Major Research Plan (重大研究计划)” for the program type, “Incubation Project (培育计划)” or “Key Supporting Project (重点支持计划)” for the subcategory description, and “Deep Driving Mechanisms of Earth’s Habitability (地球宜居性的深部驱动机制)” for the note description. Please select “T04” for the acceptance code and no more than five application codes according to the specific research content of the application;
• Incubation Project and Key Supporting Project should have no more than two partner institutions.
• Implement the relevant requirements of the limitation on the number of applications as specified in the 2025 NSFC Official Program Guide. Please check the program guide for more eligibility requirements.

Important Dates: