The African Sahel is one of the most vulnerable regions on Earth. Although it is comprised of highly diverse eco-geographical and social landscapes, the increasing ecological and social vulnerability is clearly the common denominator of the entire zone, translating into an urgent call for action. In this sense, the adoption of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative (GGW) in 2007 is a step in the right direction. Originally conceived as a reforestation project, it has evolved into a series of multi-sectorial actions, taking into account both the social and ecological dimensions of the system and the diversity of the mosaic landscapes it crosses. The GGW has received a considerable amount of attention in the international arena as a potential game-changer for improving livelihoods and resilience in the Sahel. However, the success of the GGW will depend on its capacity to intelligently gather, generate, integrate, and use knowledge derived from a wide range of disciplines, taking into account the nature and complexity of socio-ecological systems. In this context, FUTURE-SAHEL is particularly timely. Through our multi-sectorial, interdisciplinary partnership composed of leading international academic partners and GGW natural resource decision makers, the research proposal described herein is specifically designed to investigate on-the-ground, pragmatic resource management solutions (gather and generate), provide a conceptual framework to aid the decision making process within the GGW project (integrate), and with the Senegalese National Green Wall Agency as a partner, translate research into direct action (use). Beyond these solution-oriented goals, the possibilities herein for advancing our fundamental understanding of Sahelian social-ecological system structure and function are absolutely boundless at different temporal (we will explore the past, present and future) and spatial scales (ranging from small-scale, kilometer-size “windows” of observation along the GGW path to the full trajectory of Senegal, the focal scale for FUTURE-SAHEL). The research program consists of four individual, yet highly interdependent work packages (WP). In WP 1, a comprehensive database will compile and spatialize data from numerous external sources, research (from WP2, WP3, WP4 and beyond), and GGW actions with the aim to capture the richness and diversity of evolving social ecological systems operating across the GGW. It will further our understanding of the complex relationships among biophysical, social and ecological parameters. WP2 aims to maximize tree biodiversity for GGW reforestation, placing the preferences of local populations, highly dependent on this diversity to fulfill daily needs, at centre stage. This will also produce essential knowledge as to mechanisms of tree species adaptation to climate stress. WP3 contributes to unlocking the socio-economic potential of a model species for dryland reforestation, Balanites aegyptiaca, a drought-resistant, highly useful tree species. To reach this goal, fundamental scientific knowledge of its reproductive biology and genetic determinants of fruit quality traits is needed. Herein, we plan to fill the gap. Finally, WP4 will explore Sahelian landscapes of the past (reforestation history using a practical resilience principles-based lens), the present (mapping of current ecosystems services (ES) along the GGW path using data from WP1, 2 and 3), and the future (though multi-stakeholder, participatory approaches, i.e. resilience assessments and scenarios workshops) to operationalize resilience theory and devise a conceptual framework for GGW decision-making processes. Finally, FUTURE-SAHEL will set a precedent for other GGW countries and more broadly for large-scale development initiatives as an example of a functional research-development interface, highly promoted at the highest political level, but rarely found in practice, to solve eco-societal issues of this caliber.