National Science Foundation (NSF)

NSF 24-597: U.S. National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program

Slots: We have one slot available out of two total.

An eligible IHE may participate in only two (2) proposals per NRT competition as lead or collaborative non-lead. All Track 1 and/or Track 2 NRT proposals will be counted toward this total limit of two proposals per institution.

Participation includes serving as a lead institution or a non-lead institution (i.e., as part of a separately submitted collaborative proposal or as a sub-recipient) on any proposal. Organizations participating only as evaluators on projects are excluded from this limitation. Planning proposals, described in Section II, Program Description, are also excluded from this limitation. Proposals that exceed the organizational eligibility limit will be returned without review regardless of whether the institution on such a proposal serves as lead or non-lead collaborative institution. Potential PIs are advised to contact their institutional office of research regarding processes used to select proposals for submission.

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: ~~Friday, September 13th, 2024, 5pm PT~~ Contact RII.

LOI: Not required.

External Deadline: November 14, 2024

Recurring Deadlines: September 8, 2025; September 8, Annually Thereafter

Award Information

Award Type: Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: 8 to 20

Anticipated Award Amount: $53,000,000

Who May Serve as PI: Track 1 and Track 2: The PI must be on the faculty of the submitting institution.

Link to Award: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/us-national-science-foundation-research/nsf24-597/solicitation

Process for Limited Submissions

PIs must submit their application as a Limited Submission through the Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) Application Portal: https://rii.usc.edu/oor-portal/. Use the template provided here: RII Limited Submission Applicant Template

Materials to submit include:

(1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
(2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Note: The portal requires information about the PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.

Purpose

The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program seeks proposals that explore ways for graduate students in research-based master’s and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas, through a comprehensive traineeship model that is innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs. Proposals are requested that address any interdisciplinary or convergent research theme of national priority, as described in section II.D below.

The NRT program addresses workforce development, emphasizing broad participation, and institutional capacity building needs in graduate education. The program encourages proposals that involve strategic collaborations with the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies, national laboratories, field stations, teaching and learning centers, informal science centers, and academic partners. NRT especially welcomes proposals that reflect collaborations between NRT proposals and existing NSF Eddie Bernice Johnson Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES) Initiative, Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP), NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM), and NSF STEM Ed Organizational Postdoctoral Fellowship program (STEM Ed OPRF) projects, provided the collaboration will strengthen both projects. Researchers at minority serving institutions and emerging research institutions are strongly encouraged to submit proposals. Collaborations between NRT proposals and existing NSF INCLUDES projects should strengthen both NRT and INCLUDES projects.

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.

NSF 24-594: Science and Technology Centers: Integrative Partnerships

Slots: A single organization may submit a maximum of three preliminary proposals as the lead institution. Full proposals are to be submitted only when invited by NSF. There is no limit on the number of proposals in which an organization participates as a partner institution. The STC program will not support more than one Center from any one lead institution in this competition.

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: ~~Friday, September 27th, 2024, 5pm PT~~ Contact RII; one slot still available.

Preliminary Proposal Deadline: November 20, 2024, 5pm

External Deadline: June 2, 2025, 5pm

Award Information

Award Type: Cooperative Agreement

Estimated Number of Awards: up to 5

Anticipated Award Amount: Up to $ 30,000,000 annually, subject to the appropriation of funds.

Who May Serve as PI: The PI must be a full-time faculty member at an institution of higher education and have an established record of leading research teams.

Past directors of STCs may participate in this open competition only if the proposed research and education topics or themes are substantially different from those they pursued with prior NSF Center support. The proposal must focus on a different research topic. New proposals that simply extend the methods and intent of a past STC to a slightly larger scope or a new geographic area will be returned without review.

The STC Program complements the Engineering Research Centers (ERCs), the Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs), Centers of Chemical Innovation (CCIs), National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes, and other NSF programs that support group research and education activities. Teams that aspire to develop center proposals in the future are encouraged to consider applying to the Growing Convergence Research program to crystallize their vision and develop team integration. STCs may involve any area of science and engineering that NSF supports. Participation in a Center does not preclude individuals from receiving NSF support for their individual research in complementary areas.

Link to Award: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/science-technology-centers-integrative/nsf24-594/solicitation

Process for Limited Submissions

Materials to submit include:

(1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
(2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Purpose

The Science and Technology Centers (STC): Integrative Partnerships program supports exceptionally innovative, complex research and education projects that require large-scale, long-term awards. STCs focus on creating new scientific paradigms, establishing entirely new scientific disciplines, and developing transformative technologies which have the potential for broad scientific or societal impact. STCs conduct world-class research through partnerships among institutions of higher education, national laboratories, industrial organizations, other public or private entities, and via international collaborations, as appropriate. They provide a means to undertake potentially groundbreaking investigations at the interfaces of disciplines and/or highly innovative approaches within disciplines. STCs may involve any area of science and engineering that NSF supports. STC investments support the NSF vision of creating and exploiting new concepts in science and engineering and providing global leadership in research and education.

Centers provide a rich environment for encouraging scientists, engineers, and educators to take risks in pursuing discoveries and new knowledge. STCs foster excellence in education by integrating education and research, and by creating connections between learning and inquiry so that discovery and creativity fully support the learning process.

NSF encourages input and participation in the STC program from the full spectrum of diverse talent that society has to offer which includes underrepresented and under-served communities. In addition, NSF expects STCs to both involve individuals who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in science, engineering and mathematics at all levels within the Center (faculty, staff, students, and postdoctoral researchers) as well as be a leader in broadening participation in STEM. Centers may use either proven or innovative mechanisms based on the relevant literature to address matters such as recruitment, retention, success, and career progression of all individuals in the Center.

Along with research, education and broadening participation, Centers must undertake activities that facilitate knowledge transfer, i.e., the exchange of scientific and technical information with the objective of disseminating and utilizing knowledge broadly in multiple sectors. Examples of knowledge transfer include technology transfer, providing key information to public policy-makers, or dissemination of knowledge from one field of science to another.

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.

NSF 22-622: NSF’s Eddie Bernice Johnson Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES) Initiative

Slots: An organization may serve as a lead organization on only one proposal per project type, not including conferences.

For Network Connectors, Design and Development Launch Pilots, and Conferences, full proposals must be submitted as a single submission from a lead organization, with other collaborating organizations included as subawardees.

Collaborative Change Consortia and Alliances may submit proposals in one of two ways:

a single submission from a lead organization, with other collaborating organizations included as subawardees, OR
separate submissions from a lead organization and two collaborating organizations, with any additional collaborating organizations included as subawardees.

See PAPPG Chapter II.D.3 for additional information on collaborative proposals.

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: ~~Friday, August 2nd, 2024, 5pm PT~~ Contact RII.

LOI: No longer required.

External Deadline:

Network Connectors: October 22, 2024

Design and Development Launch Pilots and Collaborative Change Consortia: October 22, 2024

Recurring Deadlines:

Alliances: Fourth Tuesday in October, Every Other Year Thereafter (2025)

Award Information

Award Type: Grant / Cooperative Agreement

Estimated Number of Awards: 10-15

Anticipated Award Amount: $5,500,000 for all project types in each competition year.

Anticipated funding amount, number of awards, and average award size and duration are contingent upon the availability of funds.

Who May Serve as PI: There are no restrictions or limits.

Link to Award: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/nsfs-eddie-bernice-johnson-inclusion-across-nation/nsf22-622/solicitation

Process for Limited Submissions

Materials to submit include:

(1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
(2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Purpose

In 2016, the National Science Foundation (NSF) unveiled a set of “Big Ideas,” 10 bold, long-term research and process ideas that identify areas for future investment at the frontiers of science and engineering (see https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/big_ideas/index.jsp). The Big Ideas represent unique opportunities to position our Nation at the cutting edge of global science and engineering leadership by bringing together diverse disciplinary perspectives to support convergence research. As such, when responding to this solicitation, even though proposals must be submitted to the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) / Division of Human Resource Development (HRD), once received, the proposals will be managed by a cross-disciplinary team of NSF Program Directors.

The INCLUDES Initiative is a comprehensive, national effort to enhance U.S. leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) discovery and innovation, focused on NSF’s commitment to ensuring accessibility and inclusivity in STEM fields, as communicated in the NSF Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2022 – 2026. The vision of the INCLUDES Initiative is to catalyze the STEM enterprise to work collaboratively for inclusive change, resulting in a STEM workforce that reflects the diversity of the Nation’s population. More specifically, the INCLUDES Initiative seeks to motivate and accelerate collaborative infrastructure building to advance equity and sustain systemic change to broaden participation in STEM fields at scale. Significant advancement in the inclusion of groups that have historically been excluded from or underserved in STEM will result in a new generation of STEM talent and leadership to secure the Nation’s future and long-term economic competitiveness.

With this solicitation, NSF offers support for five types of projects that connect and contribute to the National Network: (1) Design and Development Launch Pilots, (2) Collaborative Change Consortia, (3) Alliances, (4) Network Connectors, and (5) Conferences. The INCLUDES National Network is a multifaceted collaboration of agencies, organizations, and individuals working collectively to broaden participation in STEM. The INCLUDES National Network serves as a testbed for designing, implementing, studying, refining, and scaling collaborative change models and is composed of:

INCLUDES funded projects
Other NSF funded projects

Subcommittee on Federal Coordination in STEM Education (FC-STEM) agencies
Scholars engaged in broadening participation research and evaluation, and
Organizations that support the development of talent from all sectors of society to build an inclusive STEM workforce.

All INCLUDES funded projects must operationalize five design elements of collaborative infrastructure – (1) shared vision, (2) partnerships, (3) goals and metrics, (4) leadership and communication, and (5) expansion, sustainability, and scale – to create systemic change that will lead to the substantially broadened participation of individuals from historically excluded and underserved groups in STEM.

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.

NSF-23-506: Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships (ExpandAI)

Slots: An organization may submit one proposal per submission window.

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: ~~August 2, 2024, 5pm PT~~ Contact RII.

LOI: N/A

External Deadline: June 25, 2024 – October 18, 2024

Recurring Deadlines:

January 06, 2025 – March 10, 2025

March 11, 2025 – June 23, 2025

June 24, 2025 – October 17, 2025

Award Information

Award Type: Standard or Continuing Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: 15 to 25

Anticipated Award Amount: $10,000,000 to $17,000,000

Who May Serve as PI: The Principal Investigator must hold a full-time faculty appointment or be a senior administrator at an eligible Institution as defined in the ‘Eligible Institutions of Higher Education’ section.

In PARTNER proposals only, a co-PI must be identified to represent each partnering AI Institute. That co-PI must be verified by the Institute Director in the Institute Integration Plan as being among the senior personnel of the institute.

Link to Award: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/expanding-ai-innovation-through-capacity-building/nsf23-506/solicitation

Process for Limited Submissions

Materials to submit include:

(1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
(2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Note: The portal requires information about the PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#, Gender, and Ethnicity. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.

Purpose

The Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships (ExpandAI) program is a multi-year program that aims to significantly diversify participation in AI research, education, and workforce development through capacity development and partnerships within the National AI Research Institutes ecosystem.

PROGRAM TRACKS

This program solicitation offers two Tracks corresponding to stages of readiness for partnerships in AI Institutes. These are “ExpandAI Capacity Building Pilots” and “ExpandAI Partnerships” as described below.

Track 1: ExpandAI Capacity Building Pilots

Capacity Building Pilots (CAP) are planning and growth efforts focused on the establishment of AI activities at the funded MSI and the early exploration of future synergistic partnerships that have the potential to be part of prospective ExpandAI Partnerships. Successful pilots will result in establishing new AI research capacity, education/workforce development in AI, and/or AI infrastructure capacity at the proposing institution and, potentially, a basis for future AI partnerships. CAP activities should plan for engaging appropriate communities to test the feasibility of partnerships as well as developing plans for continuing capacity development. Plans should consider required research infrastructure, plans to leverage established groups in related research areas, and inclusion of faculty training and research experiences that emphasize the diversification of investigators.

Proposals must articulate a clear vision motivating the capacity building activities, with a focus on long-term benefits to the MSI such as enhanced faculty capacity for foundational and/or use-inspired AI research or new effective models for increased education and career pathways in AI. Proposals to this track must include a strong Institutional Need and Support Statement (see proposal preparation instructions) containing an assessment of the current AI research and instructional capacity and infrastructure, a demonstration of institutional need for capacity building in AI, and a statement of the commitment of institutional support for the proposed activities. Proposals that substantiate a strong case in this need and support statement are likely to be most compelling for the funding opportunity. Further guidance for this supporting document can be found in Proposal Preparation Instructions.

Successful proposals will feature a Capacity Building Plan that features clear and measurable outcomes/benefits of capacity building. Suitable activities for such a plan are:

establishment or significant enhancement of foundational or use-inspired AI research, marked by increased faculty research output;
design of academic pathways or innovative models for teaching and learning in AI, incorporating how students learn effectively in AI activities, and bringing AI disciplinary advances into the undergraduate and graduate experience;
establishment or significant expansion of AI career pathways for students resulting from new AI activities;
enhanced AI research infrastructure;
significant increase in the participation of investigators and students who have been traditionally underserved and underrepresented in AI; and
a plan for objective process evaluation in support of the proposed efforts.

Note that this list is representative of suitable activities and outcomes for this track. CAP activities need not be limited to this list, and proposals do not have to include every type of outcome represented in that list. Proposers are encouraged to select and integrate the activities most appropriate for their institutional context and their vision for capacity building toward partnerships.

Early partnership development between the proposing MSI and one or more AI Institutes is neither required nor encouraged in a CAP proposal.

Track 2: ExpandAI Partnerships

The ExpandAI Partnership (PARTNER) track is an opportunity for MSIs to scale up already-established AI research and/or education programs and to initiate/leverage new collaborations with AI Institutes. These partnerships will be multi-organization collaborations submitted by an MSI and will include a subaward to an AI Institute. PARTNER projects are centered around shared, complementary goals. Proposals will be submitted as single-organizational collaborative proposals. PARTNER proposals may only be submitted by a qualifying MSI as indicated in Eligible Institutions in this solicitation.

PARTNER proposals should scale up and make fully productive an appropriate existing capacity in AI research, education/workforce development, and/or infrastructure capacity. The proposing MSI in this track is not required to have previously been awarded a CAP project under this program. PARTNER proposals must constitute a significant new partnership that has the clear potential to build on the institution’s current AI capacity as well as leverage the intrinsic strengths and talents of the MSI for mutual benefit in collaborative AI activities.

MSIs applying for this track must demonstrate readiness to leverage external expertise and financial resources to focus on medium- and long-range plans to leverage this funding opportunity and new partnerships to develop AI capacity within the MSI, including but not limited to further development of the MSI’s envisioned methodological thrusts, use cases, educational and/or workforce development activities, and the potential for the MSI to expand and scale these efforts through formal, mutually beneficial partnerships. Proposals should include at least one (and if appropriate, more) established AI Institutes in developing a roadmap for collaborative work in some unifying theme or focus.

PARTNER proposals must feature a compelling Partnership Roadmap for collaborative work in some unifying theme or focus. Roadmaps are the beginning of a joint strategy between organizations for collaborative work. These roadmaps may also include community building activities (e.g., workshops) to further develop common interests, objectives, and goals for the growth of collaborative activities. Effective roadmaps are both depicted visually (e.g., conceptual diagram, logic model, table, etc.) and fully explained by a descriptive narrative. The roadmap should address all proposed projects involving research, education/workforce development, infrastructure, and any other types that are applicable to the collaboration. Roadmaps might address:

enhancement of existing projects by virtue of new collaboration;
initiation of new projects made possible by the collaboration;
community building activities (e.g., workshops) to further develop common interests, objectives, and further growth of the partnership;
potential and plans for scaling nascent programs;
an evaluation plan for measuring the growth and mutual benefit of activities in all projects.

Note that this list is representative of suitable features of a Partnership Roadmap. Proposers may adapt this list and depict the roadmap in the way that best suits the unique vision of the PARTNER proposal.

Proposals to this track must include a strong Institutional Need and Support Statement from the proposing MSI (see proposal preparation instructions) containing an assessment of the current AI research and instructional capacity and infrastructure, progress in AI capacity development and how that relates to the outlook for partnership development, and a demonstration of the commitment of institutional support for the proposed activities. In addition, each proposal to this track must include an Institute Integration Plan submitted by the collaborating institute demonstrating thoughtful and well-resourced commitment to coordination mechanisms that will bring together the various participants of the project. Further guidance for these supporting documents can be found in Proposal Preparation Instructions.

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.

NSF 24-586: NSF National Quantum Virtual Laboratory – Quantum Testbeds (NQVL)

Quantum Science and Technology Demonstrations (QSTD): II. Design & Implementation

Slots: Up to one (1) QSTD Design or Implementation proposal may be submitted per Lead Organization.

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: October 11, 2024, 5pm PT

LOI: Not required.

External Deadline: April 1, 2025 (Design Only)

Recurring Deadlines: April 7, 2026 (Design and Implementation); April 6, 2027 (Design and Implementation); April 4, 2028 (Implementation Only)

Award Information

Award Type: Cooperative Agreement

Estimated Number of Awards: 14

Anticipated Award Amount: $32,000,000

Who May Serve as PI: No restrictions or limits.

Link to Award: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/nsf-national-quantum-virtual-laboratory-quantum/nsf24-586/solicitation

Process for Limited Submissions

Materials to submit include:

(1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
(2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Purpose

The National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act¹ aims to ensure the continuing leadership of the United States (U.S.) in quantum information science and technology. In conformance with the NQI goals, an argument^{2, 3, 4, 5} was set forth for a renewed emphasis on identifying and fostering early adoption of quantum technologies to transform the field of Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE) and to accelerate broader impacts on society. A systematic approach to maturing quantum technology platforms by integrating end-users and potential customers from other fields of science and engineering and other sectors of the economy into cycles of research, development, and demonstration should lower the barriers for end-users to pioneer new applications. NSF support for use-inspired and translational research in QISE, combined with continued strong support of the underlying foundational research, is anticipated to accelerate development of a market for quantum technologies.

With this program solicitation, the Foundation is taking the next step in implementing the National Quantum Virtual Laboratory (NQVL) concept as an overarching shared infrastructure designed to facilitate the translation from basic science and engineering to the resultant technology, while at the same time emphasizing and advancing its scientific and technical value. The NQVL aims to develop and utilize use-inspired and application-oriented quantum technologies. In the process, NQVL researchers will explore quantum frontiers⁶, foster the development of QISE education and workforce development strategies, engage in outreach activities at all levels, and promote input and participation from the full spectrum of diverse talent in QISE, thereby lowering barriers at all entry points of the research enterprise. Engagement with all sectors of the United States (U.S.) QISE community will be necessary for this initiative to succeed, and, indeed, the project is designed to include participation from a full spectrum of organizations who have expertise to contribute. In particular, NSF recognizes that the involvement of industry partners is essential and will welcome these to be a part of the overall structure. Partnerships with other U.S. Federal agencies under the NQI umbrella are also encouraged.

While this solicitation lays out the vision for the entire NQVL program that includes Quantum Science and Technology Demonstration (QSTD) projects, support for enabling technologies through Transformative Advances in Quantum Systems (TAQS), as well as a central coordination hub, only proposals for Design- and Implementation-phase QSTDs are solicited at this time.

Submission of a QSTD:Design proposal is contingent upon the existence of a QSTD:Pilot project in the same topical area, and the positive recommendation from the Conceptual Design Review of the QSTD:Pilot project. The QSTD:Design project builds on progress made in the QSTD:Pilot phase.

Submission of a QSTD:Implementation proposal is contingent upon the existence of a QSTD:Design project in the same topical area, and the positive recommendation from the Preliminary Design Review of the QSTD:Design project. The QSTD:Implementation project builds on progress made in the QSTD:Design phase.

It is required that prospective PIs contact the NQVL Program Officer(s) as soon as possible, but not later than two weeks before submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation, to ascertain that the focus and budget of their proposal is appropriate for this solicitation.

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.

NSF-24-583: Advanced Computing Systems & Services: Adapting to the Rapid Evolution of Science and Engineering Research 2.0

Slots: 1

An organization may submit only one proposal per each competition specified in this solicitation but may be a subawardee on other proposals responding to this solicitation. The restriction to no more than one submitted proposal as lead institution is to help ensure that there is appropriate institutional commitment necessary for responsible oversight, by the potential recipient institution, of a national resource.

Collaborative projects may only be submitted as a single proposal in which a single award is being requested (PAPPG Chapter II.E.3.a). The involvement of partner organizations should be supported through subawards administered by the submitting organization.

These eligibility constraints will be strictly enforced in order to treat everyone fairly and consistently. In the event that an organization exceeds this limit, the proposal received within the limit will be accepted based on the earliest date and time of proposal submission (i.e., the first proposal received will be accepted and the remainder will be returned without review). No exceptions will be made.

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: ~~Friday, July 26th, 2024, 5pm PT~~ Contact RII.

LOI: Not required.

External Deadline: Category I Submissions: October 29, 2024; Category II Submissions: June 24, 2025

Award Information

Award Type: Cooperative Agreement

Estimated Number of Awards: 1 to 3

Anticipated Award Amount: $60,000,000

Who May Serve as PI: No restrictions or limits

Link to Award: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/advanced-computing-systems-services-adapting-rapid/nsf24-583/solicitation

Process for Limited Submissions

Materials to submit include:

(1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
(2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Purpose

The intent of this solicitation is to request proposals from organizations willing to serve as Resource Providers (RPs) within the NSF ACSS program to provide advanced CI capabilities and/or services in production operation to support the full range of computational- and data-intensive research across all of S&E.

To increase the Nation’s capacity for transformative S&E discoveries, NSF is interested in continuing to diversify and evolve its portfolio to take advantage of new technologies and services that include capabilities addressing emerging computational- and data-intensive S&E research topics, workflows, and communities, while expanding opportunities for participation by a broader range of potential RPs.

This competition emphasizes the provisioning of an ecosystem of advanced computational resources and services that is responsive to the dramatic increase in the number and nature of applications using NSF-funded resources. Proposals are requested for advanced computing systems and services that will acquire and deploy capabilities and services, including composable services, to address the increase in demand for computation, data analytics and AI resources in the S&E research community, as well as explore novel paradigms for enabling transformative S&E discoveries.

An important aspect of the current solicitation is that funded projects must provide CI capabilities and/or services that demonstrate high degrees of stability and usability during the period of production operations available to the broad S&E community. NSF strongly urges the community to consider expanding the range of possibilities in enabling S&E communities to leverage the power of computation for transformative research, and to think broadly about the nature and composition of the CI ecosystem including next-generation energy use and operational practices for reducing carbon output of research computing. Other considerations may include, but are not limited to, ease of access to proposed resources by new S&E communities; new capabilities that will open up new methods and paradigms for S&E discoveries; federated approaches with opportunities for leveraging the increasing availability and capabilities at the network edge; and composable services provisioning virtualized computing infrastructure and commercial cloud services.

The current solicitation is intended to complement previous NSF investments in advanced computational infrastructure through provisioning resources in two categories as described below.

Category I – Capacity Resources

Resources proposed in this category are intended to be operational deployments of production computational resources that will provide maximum capacity and throughput to support the broad range of computation, data analytics and AI needs in S&E research. The deployments are expected to adhere to a vision of an advanced computing ecosystem as a federated set of resources and services that are heterogeneous in architecture, resource type, and usage mode to collectively meet the Nation’s foundational needs for world-leading computing capabilities.

The proposed resource must be clearly motivated by the current and future demand for simulation, data analysis, and AI use cases for the broad disciplinary and geographically diverse S&E research communities.

Proposers are encouraged to explore novel models for future dynamic national cyberinfrastructure federation including in compute resources, software, data, technical expertise, stakeholders, on-demand allocations, and resource provisioning mechanisms. The latter mechanisms can govern regional and/or campus supported resources, and/or commercial cloud services, enabling comprehensive and effective science-based response to a potential future national and/or international urgent need; or be available to fuel AI research and developments enabling advances towards safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of artificial intelligence, as elements opening opportunities for the next breakthroughs in science, engineering, and technology. Competitive proposals in Category I must address the following themes in the Project Description (to be discussed in a specific subsection as described in Section V.A. Proposal Preparation Instructions, if noted):

A clear plan for provisioning a resource that addresses the current and future demand for computational, data analytics, and AI use cases in the broad S&E computational research community;
A description of how the resource will support S&E research communities that require a national-scale, on-demand, compute, data-analytics and AI resource with a flexible and accessible software environment
A comprehensive set of system-level performance and reliability metrics, including minimization of carbon output and energy usage, that will be used by NSF for acceptance of the resource or service (to be discussed in the S&E Application Performance and Resource Reliability and Usability sections);
A detailed risk-mitigated deployment plan to ensure that the proposed resource will be in production operations and available for allocation to the open S&E research community no later than 12 months from the time of award (to be discussed in the Project Management and Risk Mitigation section);
A clear concept of operations for the project duration with a clear set of operational performance monitoring and science impact metrics to ensure the resource will be an asset for the nation’s S&E research community, as informed by the ACCESS Program’s Integration Roadmaps for new resource providers (to be discussed in the Concept of Operations section);
A persuasive articulation as to how the resource will support less traditional and/or underrepresented computational S&E communities if appropriate and how models of engagement with campus-supported CI will be explored (to be discussed in the Broader Impacts section).

Relevant parameters contributing to the comprehensive technical description of the proposed system may vary with the nature of the resource. However, organization of the proposal must closely adhere to the guidelines provided in section V.A. Proposal Preparation Instructions.

Category II – Innovative Prototypes/Testbeds

Resources proposed in this category will be initially deployed as a prototype/testbed supporting S&E research through delivery of novel forward-looking capabilities and services. Resources proposed in this category can represent the deployment of new technologies, system architectures, or usage modalities at scale, with plans for developing a national S&E user community that will benefit from the proposed capabilities. Proposed resources could encompass a broad range from enabling of advancements in traditional computing architectures to novel computing paradigms. The former could include novel processor architectures supporting artificial intelligence applications or integration of distributed systems leveraging edge devices; domain-specific architectures; reconfigurable and/or software defined systems; systems designed for streaming data and/or real-time processing, etc. The latter could apply aspects of neural and broader levels of non-neural biological organization architectures or implement collective properties of quantum states. Proposers are further encouraged to potentially explore novel facility scale electric power infrastructure, including models, leading to significant efficiencies in compute center and edge scale power utilization. Additionally, the solicitation incents efforts to explore and assess comprehensive and effective future options for science-based responses to a potential future national and/or international urgent need, as well as towards opportunities for future AI-enabled breakthroughs in science, engineering, and technology.

Proposers must clearly define the target classes of S&E applications that will be enabled, as well as a clear plan for ensuring the widespread adoptions by these classes of applications on the proposed capabilities and/or services. While the resources in this category may initially include prototypes/experimental testbeds, proposers are expected to present a clear near-term plan for transitioning to high-availability production services broadly available and allocatable to the S&E community through open peer-reviewed processes during the final 24 months of the project award period. It is also expected that the initially deployed prototype/testbed will include active engagements with S&E researchers, and these engagements will be reviewed by NSF in its evaluation of the system. Clear science impact metrics for measuring the performance of the proposed system are required.

Competitive proposals in Category II must address the following themes in the Project Description (to be discussed in a specific subsection as described in Section V.A. Proposal Preparation Instructions, if noted):

A clear plan for provisioning innovative computational and data analysis capabilities or services that will enable new methods and paradigms in support of transformational S&E discoveries;
A compelling description of how the proposed capabilities or services will address future demand for computation and data analytics capabilities in S&E research;
A persuasive set of S&E use cases, including quantitative analysis through benchmarks, that clearly motivate how the resource will expand the range of S&E applications that can be currently tackled using existing ACSS resources;
A clearly defined set of target S&E application classes that will be enabled, as well as a clear plan for ensuring the widespread adoption by these classes of applications on the proposed capabilities and/or services;
A comprehensive set of system-level performance and reliability metrics that will be used by NSF for acceptance of the resource or service (to be discussed in the S&E Application Performance and Resource Reliability and Usability sections);
A detailed risk-mitigated deployment plan to ensure that the proposed resource will evolve to high-availability production services broadly available for allocation to the open S&E research community in the final 24 months of the award period (to be discussed in the Project Management and Risk Mitigation section);
A clear concept of operations for the project duration, with a detailed set of engagement activities with the S&E research community, to optimize the use of the resource, facilitate application and user transition during the initially-deployed prototype/testbed system phase, and ensure that the resource evolves to a high-availability production utility for a national community of S&E users (see the ACCESS Program’s Integration Roadmaps for new resource providers) (to be discussed in the Concept of Operations section);

For Both Categories

Proposals are encouraged to emphasize broader impacts and broadening participation engagements for a proposed resource and its operation. Such activities may include (but are not limited to):

providing access to scientific disciplines and communities traditionally underserved by CI resources and services through, for example, science gateways such as those enabled by the “Center of Excellence to Extend Access”, “Expand the Community”, and “Exemplify Good Practices for CI Through Science Gateways” (SGX3), and/or
taking into consideration the full lifecycle environmental impact of the proposed resource or services in either category, including its acquisition, usage, and eventual disposal. [Note: this solicitation is not meant to fund core research on sustainability in computing. Proposers interested in proposing such research may refer to NSF 22-060 DCL: “Design for Sustainability in Computing and submission to Computer and Information Science and Engineering: Core Programs”]

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.

« Previous Page