The following funding opportunity was shared by the National Science Foundation.
The NSF Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI) umbrella program seeks to enable funding opportunities that are flexible and responsive to the evolving and emerging needs in cyberinfrastructure (CI). This solicitation expands the CSSI program by adding a new project class: Transition to Sustainability. The program continues to emphasize integrated CI services, quantitative metrics with targets for delivery and usage of these services, and community creation. This competition may be of interest to mathematics and statistics researchers who are developing software tools and infrastructure, especially if they are working in teams and the tools address the demonstrated needs of a community of researchers. Learn more about this and other opportunities.
The CSSI umbrella program anticipates three classes of awards:
- Elements: These awards target small groups that will create and deploy robust services for which there is a demonstrated need, and that will advance one or more significant areas of science and engineering.
- Framework Implementations: These awards target larger, interdisciplinary teams organized around the development and application of services aimed at solving common research problems faced by NSF researchers in one or more areas of science and engineering, and resulting in a sustainable community framework providing CI services to a diverse community or communities.
- Transition to Sustainability: These awards target groups who would like to execute a well-defined sustainability plan for existing CI with demonstrated impact in one or more areas of science and engineering supported by NSF. The sustainability plan should enable new avenues of support for the long-term sustained impact of the CI.
Prospective Principal Investigators (PIs) should be aware that this is a multi-directorate activity and that they are encouraged to submit proposals with broad, interdisciplinary interests. Further, not all divisions are participating at the same level, and division-specific priorities differ. Prospective PIs should also refer to the directorate/division-specific descriptions contained in Section II of this solicitation.
Finally, it is strongly recommended that prospective PIs contact program officer(s) from the list of Cognizant Program Officers in the division(s) that typically support the scientists and engineers who would make use of the proposed work, to gain insight into the priorities for the relevant areas of science and engineering to which their proposals should be responsive. As part of contacting Cognizant Program Officers, prospective PIs are also encouraged to ascertain that the focus and budget of their proposed work are appropriate for this solicitation.
Award Information
Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant
Estimated Number of Awards: 35
The number of awards of each type will be determined by separate review processes and will be based on quality of proposals, availability of funds, and responsiveness to priorities of the participating directorates/divisions.
Up to 20 Elements awards, up to 10 Framework Implementations awards, and up to 5 Transition to Sustainability awards are anticipated, subject to the availability of funds and quality of proposals received.
Anticipated Funding Amount: $34,000,000
Estimated program budget, number of awards, and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.
Up to $10,000,000 is expected to be available for Elements awards, up to $20,000,000 is expected to be available for Framework Implementations awards, and up to $4,000,000 is expected to be available for the Transition to Sustainability awards, all subject to the availability of funds.
Eligibility Information
Who May Submit Proposals:
Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
- Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.
- Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities.
- NSF-sponsored federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) may apply, provided that they are not including costs for which federal funds have already been awarded or are expected to be awarded.
Who May Serve as PI: There are no restrictions or limits.
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: There are no restrictions or limits.
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1
An individual may participate as PI, co-PI, or other Senior Personnel on at most one proposal across the Elements, Framework Implementations, and Transition to Sustainability classes for this solicitation. Thus, if an individual participates on an Elements proposal, the individual may not participate on a Framework Implementations or Transition to Sustainability proposal, and vice-versa. Note that any individual whose biographical sketch is provided as part of the proposal will be considered as Senior Personnel in the proposed activity, with or without financial support from the project.
In the event that any individual exceeds this limit, any proposal submitted to this solicitation with this individual listed as PI, co-PI, or Senior Personnel after the first proposal is received at NSF will be returned without review. No exceptions will be made. For this purpose, a multi-organization collaborative project is treated as one proposal that is considered submitted when the last component proposal is submitted.
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
Letters of Intent: Not required
Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required
Full Proposals: Full Proposals submitted via Research.gov: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) guidelines apply. The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website.
Full Proposals submitted via Grants.gov: NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website.)
B. Budgetary Information
Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.
Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable
Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable
C. Due Dates
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time): December 08, 2021
Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the revised NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 22-1), which is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after October 4, 2021.