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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - NSF Data Infrastructure Building Blocks (DIBBs) Program (NSF 16-530)

What is the NSF Data Infrastructure Building Blocks (DIBBs) program?

DIBBs is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity focused on strengthening the data-centered cyberinfrastructure that modern research depends on. The program supports shared, reusable data capabilities (building blocks) that help researchers manage, access, share, and reuse data to speed up discovery and innovation.

How does DIBBs fit within NSF's broader cyberinfrastructure efforts?

DIBBs sits within NSF's Cyberinfrastructure Framework for 21st Century Science and Engineering (CIF21). CIF21 emphasizes an integrated, scalable, and sustainable national ecosystem of tools, services, and shared resources for data-intensive research. DIBBs contributes by funding practical, reusable building blocks that can strengthen and extend what research communities already use.

What kinds of outcomes is DIBBs intended to produce?

DIBBs is intended to move research communities beyond one-off, local data solutions and toward robust, shared, data-centric services and resources that can be adopted and extended across projects, institutions, and scientific domains. The expectation is that funded work will support scientific discoveries, broaden collaboration, and enable innovations.

What does NSF mean by "data-centered cyberinfrastructure" in this solicitation?

In this context, data-centered cyberinfrastructure refers to tools, services, and shared resources that support the full lifecycle of research data, including managing, accessing, sharing, and reusing data. Examples mentioned include data platforms, workflows, repositories, middleware, and interoperability layers.

What does DIBBs emphasize about reuse and community adoption?

A central emphasis of DIBBs is that projects should create reusable building blocks rather than isolated solutions. Projects are expected to be community-oriented, with clear potential for adoption and extension across multiple projects, institutions, and domains, rather than serving only a narrow or purely local use case.

Are DIBBs projects expected to integrate with existing infrastructure?

Yes. NSF indicates that successful DIBBs projects should build upon, integrate with, and contribute back to existing community cyberinfrastructure. The program is designed to strengthen what the community already uses while also serving as a practical testbed as national-scale standards and practices around access, interoperability, policy, and long-term sustainability continue to evolve.

What is the main goal of DIBBs-funded work?

The core aim is to fund robust, shared, data-centric capabilities that make interdisciplinary and collaborative research easier, especially where growing volumes and varieties of data are driving new questions and breakthroughs.

Who should be involved in a competitive DIBBs project team?

The solicitation highlights strong partnerships between cyberinfrastructure experts (such as people who build data platforms, workflows, repositories, middleware, or interoperability layers) and domain researchers who generate and analyze the data. NSF signals that successful projects will tightly connect technical development with real research needs.

How does the solicitation define "community" and "domain" (or "discipline")?

In the solicitation, a "community" means a group of researchers working on linked scientific questions. A "domain" or "discipline" refers to the specific field of expertise or application area. Proposals should be framed around challenges that matter to a broad community.

What are the two categories of science data pilot awards under DIBBs?

The solicitation defines two categories: (1) Early Implementations and (2) Pilot Demonstrations. Each category targets different stages of community maturity and different types of cyberinfrastructure challenges.

What are "Early Implementations" awards?

Early Implementations are larger-scale evaluations that build on existing cyberinfrastructure capabilities from established research communities or recognized community data collections. These projects extend capabilities to additional communities and domains, involve broad community engagement, and demonstrate how approaches can be scaled, generalized, and adopted more widely.

What are "Pilot Demonstrations" awards?

Pilot Demonstrations focus on advanced cyberinfrastructure challenges in emerging research communities. They build on recognized community data collections and disciplinary interests, but are oriented toward tackling specific frontier challenges that are blocking progress in science and engineering research. These serve as demonstrations of new approaches that can mature into shared infrastructure.

Is DIBBs limited to a single NSF directorate or discipline?

No. DIBBs is described as a multi-directorate NSF activity, spanning multiple scientific and engineering areas. The opportunity encourages proposals with broad interdisciplinary relevance.

How should applicants align their proposal with NSF priorities?

Prospective principal investigators are encouraged to review core program descriptions, Dear Colleague Letters, and directorate or division initiatives to align proposals with NSF priorities.

Should applicants contact an NSF program officer before submitting?

Yes. NSF strongly recommends contacting the cognizant program officer most closely aligned with the primary disciplinary impact of the proposal to confirm that both the scientific focus and the proposed budget are appropriate for DIBBs.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this DIBBs solicitation?

The Funding Opportunity Number listed is 16-530.

What type of funding opportunity is DIBBs?

It is described as an NSF discretionary grant opportunity.

What is the funding category for this opportunity?

The opportunity is in the "Science and Technology and other Research and Development" category.

Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA numbers listed span multiple NSF programs: 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, and 47.079.

When was this funding opportunity posted and created?

The posted date and the creation date are both listed as January 6, 2016.

What is the application closing date?

The application closing date listed is April 4, 2016.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) for this opportunity?

The award ceiling is listed as $4,000,000.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is noted as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility text of the solicitation. Applicants should consult the complete solicitation for the detailed eligibility requirements.

What kinds of projects is DIBBs trying to avoid funding?

Based on the stated goals, DIBBs is aimed at avoiding one-off, isolated, purely local data solutions that do not connect to broader community needs or contribute to shared cyberinfrastructure. Proposals are expected to show clear community relevance and potential for broader adoption and reuse.

What is the role of standards, interoperability, and sustainability in DIBBs?

DIBBs positions funded projects as contributors to an evolving national ecosystem, including ongoing evolution of national-scale standards and practices around access, interoperability, policy, and long-term sustainability. Projects are expected to integrate with and strengthen existing ecosystems in ways that support these broader goals.

What is the practical value of a DIBBs-funded project to researchers?

The practical value is improved ability for researchers to manage, access, share, and reuse data through shared services and capabilities that support interdisciplinary and collaborative work and that can accelerate discovery and innovation.

What should a proposal be framed around to be responsive to DIBBs?

Proposals should be framed around data challenges that matter to a broad research community, with clear potential to stimulate data-driven discoveries and innovations, and with a plan to build upon, integrate with, and contribute back to existing community cyberinfrastructure.