The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), advances the state of ecological knowledge by supporting cross-disciplinary research that uses existing data to address major fundamental issues in ecology and allied fields, and their application to management and policy.

Activites such as working groups, distributed graduate seminars, and postdoctoral and sabbatical fellows are selected through open calls for proposals. The organization has hosted more than 3,500 scientists from over 50 countries, and supported more than 430 collaborative projects in ecology and related fields.  NCEAS scientists develop new techniques in informatics, and apply general knowledge of ecological systems to specific issues such as the loss of biotic diversity, global change, and sustainability of marine ecosystems. NCEAS is among the top 1 % of 38,000 institutions evaluated for scientific impact in environmental research. Research findings and data are made widely available. NCEAS was established in 1995 at the University of California, Santa Barbara with funding from the National Science Foundation, the State of California, the University of California, and numerous other donors.