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NSF FIRE-MODEL Proposal Briefing (2026 Cycle)

Status

This file is a working program briefing assembled from collected information and source links. It is useful for organizing proposal work, but it is not a substitute for the official solicitation text. Final proposal decisions should be checked against the authoritative NSF materials.

Program overview

The working summary describes FIRE as a multi-agency initiative intended to advance interdisciplinary wildfire science and improve understanding, prediction, and management of wildfire systems.

2026 proposal window

  • Full proposal submission window: April 1 to April 7, 2026
  • Deadline time: 5:00 PM local time of the submitting organization

The collected briefing describes the 2026 call as the second major cycle following the initial 2025 solicitation.

Research tracks

The working summary identifies three tracks:

  • FIRE-MODEL: next-generation coupled fire models
  • FIRE-WUI: wildland-urban interface resilience and risk
  • FIRE-NET: collaborative research networks and community science

For this repository, the relevant track is FIRE-MODEL.

FIRE-MODEL focus

The briefing describes FIRE-MODEL as a track centered on new computational and theoretical frameworks for predicting wildfire behavior across scales.

Research goals noted in the briefing

Predictive fire modeling systems may integrate:

  • fire physics
  • vegetation and fuel dynamics
  • atmospheric processes
  • climate interactions
  • infrastructure and built environments
  • social systems and decision processes

The briefing emphasizes linking multiple spatial and temporal scales, from ignition to regional fire dynamics.

Example modeling capabilities

The collected notes say proposals may include development of:

  • AI-enabled fire prediction models
  • satellite data assimilation systems
  • multi-scale fire spread simulations
  • uncertainty quantification frameworks
  • decision-support forecasting tools

Scope of modeled processes

The collected notes identify possible modeled processes such as:

  • ignition dynamics
  • fire spread
  • plume and atmosphere coupling
  • fuel consumption and vegetation change
  • landscape transformation
  • wildland-urban interface interactions
  • evacuation and infrastructure risk

Program philosophy and framing

The briefing emphasizes convergence science and interdisciplinary integration, with fields such as:

  • ecology
  • atmospheric science
  • engineering
  • computer science
  • data science
  • social science

The working interpretation is that strong projects should combine theoretical innovation, computational modeling, and real-world application.

Priority research themes from the briefing

  • Earth observation and data systems
  • Computational fire modeling
  • Cross-scale fire dynamics
  • WUI risk
  • Community engagement

These themes are summarized from collected notes and should be checked against official NSF wording.

Typical award structure in the collected briefing

  • Approximate total project funding: $240,000 to $1,000,000+
  • Typical duration: 2 to 5 years
  • Team pattern: interdisciplinary and often multi-institutional

These ranges should be verified directly in the solicitation materials before using them in planning documents.

Required proposal components

The collected briefing states that submissions must follow the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and include:

  1. Project Summary
  2. Project Description
  3. Intellectual Merit
  4. Broader Impacts
  5. Data Management Plan
  6. Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan (if applicable)
  7. Budget and Budget Justification
  8. Biographical Sketches

See funder/review_criteria/fire_model_requirements_checklist.md for a working checklist version.

FIRE program leadership named in the briefing

Program directors listed in the collected notes:

  • Harsha Chelliah
  • Yih-Fang Huang
  • John Kolassa
  • Kendra McLauchlan
  • Lina Patino
  • Wen-Wen Tung
  • David Wilmouth

The briefing associates these directors with multiple NSF directorates including GEO, ENG, BIO, CISE, MPS, and SBE.

Competitive proposal framing from the collected notes

The briefing argues that competitive FIRE-MODEL proposals often combine:

  • conceptual innovation
  • computational implementation
  • empirical validation

Strategic framing

The working notes suggest strong proposals articulate:

  • a clear conceptual advance
  • a computational framework implementing the theory
  • a pathway for validation using observational data

Three-layer structure

  1. Theory: a new conceptual model of wildfire dynamics
  2. Computational framework: simulation, machine learning, or hybrid modeling implementation
  3. Validation: testing with observational datasets and real fire events

Repository relevance

This briefing anchors the repository's current focus on the 2026 FIRE-MODEL cycle. It should be used alongside:

  • funder/review_criteria/fire_model_requirements_checklist.md
  • background_context/program_briefings/fire_model_2026_background.md

Working rule

Use this file to organize proposal work quickly, but verify any final compliance, formatting, dates, and submission decisions against the official NSF materials.