Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Research Initiation Initiative | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Research Initiation Initiative is a National Science Foundation (NSF) discretionary grant opportunity designed to help newly hired academic researchers quickly establish themselves as independent investigators in CISE-related fields. The central idea is to provide early, focused funding right after a researcher lands their first primary academic position following the PhD, so they can begin building an independent research program, generate early results, and lay the groundwork for longer-term NSF and other federal research support.

The program is specifically targeted at untenured faculty members or research scientists (or equivalent) who are in the earliest stage of their independent careers. NSF expects the funding to be used primarily within the first two years of the PI's initial academic appointment after the PhD, and applicants must be no more than five years past completion of the PhD. A key restriction is that the applicant must not have previously received any federal grants or contracts as a Principal Investigator (PI) after the PhD, regardless of the award size, including awards from the NSF CAREER program or any other federal program (with some limited exceptions referenced in the full solicitation). At the same time, prior participation in federally funded projects in non-PI roles does not disqualify someone: serving as a co-PI, senior personnel, postdoctoral fellow, or other fellow is explicitly stated as not counting against eligibility. Funding from non-federal sources also does not count against the restriction, meaning grants, contracts, or gifts from private companies or foundations, as well as state, local, or tribal governments or universities, do not affect eligibility.

Only accredited US universities and colleges with a US campus may submit proposals, and they must submit on behalf of their faculty members. The program limits each proposal to a single principal investigator: co-principal investigators and senior personnel are not permitted under this initiative, reinforcing the goal of demonstrating the applicants independent leadership rather than a multi-PI team structure. The opportunity is categorized under CFDA 47.070 (Computer and Information Science and Engineering), and it falls under the broader funding activity category of science and technology and other research and development.

From a budget and scale standpoint, NSF anticipated making about 40 awards, with an estimated total program funding level of $7,000,000. The maximum award size (award ceiling) is $175,000, and there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. In terms of how NSF expects the funds to be used, the solicitation emphasizes supporting people, especially student researchers. The program is intended to enable the PI to support one or more graduate students for up to two years, helping the new investigator build a small research group and produce early publications and results. For faculty at undergraduate-serving institutions and two-year institutions, the funds may instead support undergraduate researchers, and applicants from these institutions may also apply with the Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) designation, which requires including an RUI Impact Statement. Beyond student support, the solicitation notes that proposals from all institutions may include support for postdoctoral scholars as well as costs for travel and research equipment, giving early-career investigators flexibility to cover the practical needs of launching a research agenda (for example, attending key conferences, visiting collaborators, purchasing specialized hardware, or acquiring equipment needed for experiments).

Administratively, the opportunity was posted May 26, 2015, with a closing date of September 30, 2015. The announcement is associated with NSF Publication 15-569 and Funding Opportunity Number 15-569. Although the opportunity has since been archived (archive date listed as October 26, 2018), the description provides a clear picture of NSFs intent: to remove the early funding barrier that often slows down new faculty, while ensuring the award goes to researchers who have not yet had the chance to lead a federally funded project as PI. For access issues related to the full announcement, the listed support contact is NSF grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

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