The following was shared by Lewis-Burke Associates LLC on October 27, 2020.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a new solicitation titled “Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR): Institutes for Data-Intensive Research in Science and Engineering.” As one of NSF’s Big Ideas, unveiled in 2016, HDR is a national-scale activity to enable new modes of data-driven discovery that allows fundamental questions to be asked and answered at the frontiers of science and engineering. This solicitation will support a range of HDR Institutes for “data-intensive research in science and engineering that can accelerate discovery and innovation in a broad array of research domains.”
HDR Institutes will build on previous NSF HDR investments that include: Institutes for Data Intensive Research in Science and Engineering (I-DIRSE); HDR: Transdisciplinary Research in Principles of Data Science Phase I (HDR TRIPODS Phase I); and HDR Data Science Corps (DSC). This new Institute solicitation also builds on the Institute conceptualization phase from FY 2019 through HDR I-DIRSE-Ideas Labs and HDR I-DIRSE-Frameworks. These competitions supported a range of two-year awards, which focused on “building communities, defining research priorities, pursuing initial interdisciplinary fundamental research advances, and/or developing interdisciplinary prototypes of systems/cyberinfrastructure solutions.”
The new HDR Institutes will lead innovation by harnessing diverse data sources and developing and applying new methodologies, technologies, and infrastructure for data management and analysis. NSF anticipates up to a total of $70 million in funding to be available for four to seven five-year awards with a minimum total budget of $10 million per project. Proposals are encouraged to address science and engineering questions that: “(1) are at a "tipping point" where a timely investment in data-intensive approaches has the maximum potential for a transformative effect; (2) have needs that can benefit from interdisciplinary investments in data analytics infrastructure; and (3) represent investment priorities for NSF during, and beyond, the lifetime of the HDR Big Idea.”
HDR Institutes must have the following attributes, which include:
- “A vision for transformative outcomes in science and engineering through data-intensive research;
- convergence among domain scientists, data scientists, and cyberinfrastructure experts to form novel frameworks, synergies, and concepts to implement the vision and to frame data-analytic challenges in new ways;
- coordination and Management that crosses institutional boundaries in new ways, such as virtual or distributed organizations; leverages existing research infrastructure and resources; and remains adaptive to new challenges and participation throughout the lifecycle of the Institute;
- a collaboration strategy for how the Institute will be an effective member of the broader HDR ecosystem;
- a plan for transforming communities of practice in how data-intensive approaches can advance science and engineering beyond the participants of the proposed Institute; and
- a common means of openly sharing outcomes.”
Outcomes expected for the HDR Institutes include identification of frontier science and engineering problems and the related data-science barriers or tipping points, in addition to the development of new approaches and innovative applications of data to foster scientific breakthroughs. NSF encourages teams that involve researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds, including computer and computational scientists, mathematicians, statisticians, and information scientists around data science approaches.
Due Dates: Full proposals are due January 21, 2021 by 5:00 PM local time to the submitter.
Award Information: NSF anticipates up to a total of $70 million in funding to be available for four to seven five-year awards. Award size is contingent upon the scope, scale, and complexity of the proposed project, with a minimum total budget of $10 million.
Eligibility: Institutions of higher education and non-profit, non-academic organizations are all eligible to submit proposals. While there is no limit on the number of proposals that may be submitted per institution, no organization will be awarded more than one institute. Individuals may only participate as PI, co-PI, and/or other Senior Personnel on one Institute proposal. The PI or Co-PI for the HDR: Coordination Hub program is not eligible to serve as a PI or Co-PI on any Institute award.
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