Opportunity Information: Apply for 16 533
Apply for 16 533
- The NSF in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cybersecurity Innovation for Cyberinfrastructure" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.070,.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 21, 2016 and posted on Jan 21, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 19, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 9 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity titled "Cybersecurity Innovation for Cyberinfrastructure" (Funding Opportunity Number 16-533) focuses on strengthening the security and trustworthiness of the cyberinfrastructure that underpins modern, data-driven scientific research. The program is motivated by the reality that researchers increasingly depend on complex, interconnected systems to collect, move, store, and analyze data, and that weaknesses anywhere in this chain can compromise research results, disrupt operations, or expose sensitive information. In practical terms, NSF is signaling that cybersecurity is no longer a side concern for research computing and instrumentation, but a core requirement across the full scientific workflow.
The opportunity highlights the breadth of technology that now forms the research ecosystem. This includes local and remote scientific instruments, wireless sensors, specialized equipment, software applications, operating systems, database servers, high-performance computing environments, large-scale storage, and the high-speed networks that connect them. Because these components are distributed across institutions and often span geographic and administrative boundaries, they create a cybersecurity environment that is different from typical enterprise IT. The overall ecosystem is both highly interconnected and operationally diverse, which can make consistent security controls harder to implement and easier to bypass, whether through accident, misconfiguration, or deliberate attack.
A key concern emphasized in the description is the vulnerability of NSF-funded scientific instruments, sensors, and other specialized research equipment. These assets can be uniquely attractive targets because they are high-visibility, valuable, and sometimes operate with specialized software stacks or legacy components that are not designed with modern security expectations. The program notes that harm can come not only from overt malicious activity but also from unintentional errors. Even without a major breach, compromised or untrustworthy software, or a loss of integrity in the data stream from an instrument, can lead to corrupted, skewed, or incomplete datasets. For scientific research, that can translate directly into invalid conclusions, wasted funding and time, and damage to the credibility of results.
The opportunity also calls out privacy and confidentiality risks tied to data-driven research, particularly in fields such as medicine and the social sciences where projects may require access to private or sensitive information. In these contexts, exposure of research data can cause financial and reputational harm and may trigger broader legal or compliance consequences depending on the type of data involved. NSF frames this as part of the cybersecurity problem space for cyberinfrastructure: protecting not just systems and uptime, but also the confidentiality and integrity of the data that research depends on.
In response to these challenges, NSF indicates a growing emphasis on the development and deployment of both hardware and software technologies, as well as practical techniques, that can protect research cyberinfrastructure across every stage of the scientific workflow. This framing implies interest in solutions that go beyond isolated tools and instead improve security end-to-end: from instrument and sensor data collection, to data transmission, to storage and computation, to sharing and long-term stewardship. The program’s use of the words "development and deployment" suggests that proposals may be expected to demonstrate real-world applicability and potential for adoption in operational research environments, not just theoretical advances.
From an administrative perspective, this is a discretionary NSF grant program in the category of science and technology and other research and development, with CFDA numbers 47.070. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is generally open to a wide range of applicant types, subject to any additional limits that may be specified in the full solicitation. The posted and creation dates are January 21, 2016, and the closing date for submissions was April 19, 2016. The award ceiling is listed at $1,000,000, and NSF anticipated making about 9 awards under this opportunity, indicating a competitive program aimed at a relatively small number of higher-impact projects.
Overall, the grant opportunity is best understood as NSF’s effort to push cybersecurity innovation tailored specifically to the research cyberinfrastructure world, where the stakes include not just data loss or service disruption, but also the integrity of scientific results and the protection of sensitive research data. It recognizes that modern science relies on a sprawling, interconnected digital ecosystem and that securing that ecosystem requires targeted R and D that accounts for the unique realities of scientific instruments, collaborative workflows, and high-performance data environments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this NSF grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Cybersecurity Innovation for Cyberinfrastructure.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 16-533.
What is the main purpose of this program?
The program focuses on strengthening the security and trustworthiness of cyberinfrastructure that supports modern, data-driven scientific research. The goal is to reduce the risk that weaknesses in interconnected research systems could compromise results, disrupt operations, or expose sensitive information.
Why is NSF emphasizing cybersecurity for research cyberinfrastructure?
NSF is highlighting that researchers increasingly rely on complex, interconnected systems for collecting, moving, storing, and analyzing data. If any part of that chain is weak, it can affect the entire scientific workflow. The program frames cybersecurity as a core requirement for research computing and instrumentation rather than an optional add-on.
What kinds of systems and technologies are included under "cyberinfrastructure" in this opportunity?
The opportunity describes a broad research ecosystem that includes local and remote scientific instruments, wireless sensors, specialized equipment, software applications, operating systems, database servers, high-performance computing environments, large-scale storage systems, and the high-speed networks connecting these components.
How is research cyberinfrastructure different from typical enterprise IT environments?
The opportunity notes that research cyberinfrastructure is often distributed across institutions and can span geographic and administrative boundaries. This creates a cybersecurity environment that is highly interconnected and operationally diverse, making consistent security controls harder to implement and easier to bypass through misconfiguration, accidents, or deliberate attacks.
What specific risks to scientific research does this program highlight?
The program emphasizes that compromised systems can lead to disrupted operations and exposed sensitive information, but it also stresses impacts that are especially serious for science: loss of integrity in software or data streams can produce corrupted, skewed, or incomplete datasets, which can lead to invalid conclusions, wasted funding and time, and damage to the credibility of results.
Why are scientific instruments, sensors, and specialized research equipment a key concern?
The opportunity highlights these assets as uniquely attractive targets because they are high-visibility and valuable, and they may rely on specialized software stacks or legacy components not designed to meet modern security expectations. Risks include both malicious activity and unintentional errors.
Does the program address issues beyond preventing major breaches?
Yes. The description makes clear that harm can occur even without a major breach. For example, untrustworthy or compromised software and data integrity problems can undermine the reliability of research outputs.
What does the opportunity say about privacy and confidentiality?
It calls out privacy and confidentiality risks tied to data-driven research, especially in fields like medicine and the social sciences where projects may use private or sensitive information. Exposure of research data can cause financial and reputational harm and may lead to legal or compliance consequences depending on the data type.
What kinds of solutions is NSF looking to support?
NSF indicates an emphasis on the development and deployment of hardware and software technologies, as well as practical techniques, to protect research cyberinfrastructure across all stages of the scientific workflow.
What does "end-to-end" protection mean in the context of this opportunity?
Based on the description, NSF is interested in security improvements that cover the full workflow: from instrument and sensor data collection, to data transmission, to storage and computation, to sharing and long-term stewardship, rather than isolated point solutions.
Does the opportunity suggest that proposals need real-world applicability?
Yes. The use of "development and deployment" suggests interest in solutions that can work in operational research environments and have potential for adoption, not only theoretical advances.
What type of grant program is this?
This is described as a discretionary NSF grant program in the category of science and technology and other research and development.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 47.070.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is generally open to a wide range of applicant types, subject to any additional limits that may be specified in the full solicitation.
What are the key dates mentioned for this opportunity?
The posted and creation dates are January 21, 2016. The closing date for submissions was April 19, 2016.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is listed as $1,000,000.
How many awards did NSF expect to make under this opportunity?
NSF anticipated making about 9 awards under this opportunity.
How competitive does this program appear to be?
Based on the information provided, it appears competitive: NSF expected a relatively small number of awards (about 9), with awards potentially as large as $1,000,000, suggesting an emphasis on higher-impact projects.
What is the broader goal of the program in the research community?
The opportunity is framed as an effort to push cybersecurity innovation tailored to the research cyberinfrastructure world, where protecting systems also means protecting the integrity of scientific results and safeguarding sensitive research data across collaborative, high-performance, and instrument-driven environments.
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