Opportunity Information: Apply for PD 14 1464
Apply for PD 14 1464
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Engineering and Systems Design" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041 Engineering Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 4, 2015 and posted on Oct 21, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 15, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- 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) Engineering and Systems Design (ESD) program (Funding Opportunity Number PD 14-1464) funds fundamental research that creates and validates new methods and practices in design and systems engineering for specific real-world settings. The core idea is that strong theoretical foundations in design and systems engineering should be translated into rigorous, usable methods that work in a clearly defined global context. In this program, a "global context" is not just a technical domain like energy systems, consumer products, additive manufacturing, or cyber-physical systems; it also includes the economic, socio-political, environmental, and technological conditions that shape how design and systems engineering actually plays out in practice. Projects are expected to explain what assumptions they rely on, why those assumptions are reasonable for the chosen context, and where the method is likely to break down or stop being effective.
A major emphasis of ESD is careful characterization of design and systems engineering methods, whether they are newly proposed or refinements of existing approaches. That characterization can be theoretical, empirical, or both, but it must be rigorous and aimed at answering practical questions: Under what conditions does the method improve outcomes? What tradeoffs does it introduce? What evidence shows it is more effective or efficient than alternatives? The program is not looking for simple applications of existing tools to a new domain; using a known method in a different area without advancing the underlying methodology is considered out of scope. Instead, the contribution needs to push knowledge forward by adapting methods to a new context in a substantive way or by producing a well-supported understanding of when and why a method works in that context.
ESD highlights several topic areas as especially relevant. One is "Design for X," where "X" can be a domain (for example, design for energy systems or design for additive manufacturing) or a particular concern (such as resilience, sustainability, usability, or manufacturability). For Design for X research, the program expects proposers to define the boundaries of applicability, spell out assumptions, and avoid treating a single concern in isolation when the real design problem is multi-objective. In other words, a sustainability-focused method, for example, should be framed in a way that recognizes interactions with other concerns like cost, performance, safety, equity, or regulatory constraints, rather than optimizing one dimension while ignoring the rest.
Another area of interest is the use of novel information and communication technologies that enable or reshape design and systems engineering. As collaboration platforms, modeling environments, visualization tools, and computational infrastructure evolve, ESD encourages research that adapts design methods to take advantage of those capabilities. Examples mentioned include immersive visualization and human-computer interaction, social networking and internet-enabled collaboration, modeling frameworks and languages, data mining and analytics, and high-performance or cloud computing. Importantly, the program is not just interested in building or deploying new tech; it expects evidence-based claims showing how the technology changes design performance, decision quality, collaboration effectiveness, speed, or other measurable outcomes.
ESD also supports research on novel modeling formalisms and algorithms that improve how designers and systems engineers represent, analyze, and reason about complex systems. This can include new ways to represent and manipulate form, function, and behavior, as well as algorithms for analysis, simulation, optimization, reasoning, prediction, and uncertainty quantification and propagation. Here again, the expectation is that improvements are not merely asserted but demonstrated through theory and/or empirical evaluation, showing why the formalism or algorithm meaningfully advances design capability in the targeted context.
A further emphasis is on integrated frameworks that combine multiple capabilities into a cohesive approach, since major advances often come from linking pieces that are usually treated separately. ESD is interested in frameworks that might connect, for example, preference and belief elicitation, concept generation, gradual refinement of specifications, multi-level modeling across abstractions, uncertainty characterization, optimization, high-performance computing, and visualization. The value proposition for an integrated framework needs to be backed by clear evidence or argumentation demonstrating that integration produces better design outcomes than improving individual components in isolation.
The opportunity is offered as a discretionary NSF grant under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants), with no cost sharing or matching requirement. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning proposals can come from a broad range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full solicitation. The program notes a boundary with NSF's Systems Science (SYS) program: research that focuses on generic, domain-independent theoretical foundations of design and systems engineering should be routed to SYS, while ESD is explicitly oriented toward methods grounded in and validated for particular domains and global contexts.
Administrative details in the announcement indicate it was posted October 21, 2014, created March 4, 2015, and included full proposal submission windows of February 1 to February 17, 2015 and September 1 to September 15, 2015 (due by 5 p.m. local time). The listed current closing date at the time was September 15, 2015, and the opportunity was later archived on March 19, 2020. Contact notes in the announcement point applicants to NSF/Grants.gov support for access or linking issues, and the program description link is referenced as "NSF Program Description PD 14-1464."
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NSF Engineering and Systems Design (ESD) program?
The NSF Engineering and Systems Design (ESD) program (Program Description PD 14-1464) funds fundamental research that creates and validates new methods and practices in design and systems engineering for specific real-world settings.
What is the main goal of ESD-funded research?
The main goal is to translate strong theoretical foundations in design and systems engineering into rigorous, usable methods that work in a clearly defined global context, and to validate those methods so they are credible and practical in that context.
What does ESD mean by a "global context"?
In ESD, a global context includes more than a technical domain. It also includes the economic, socio-political, environmental, and technological conditions that shape how design and systems engineering works in practice.
Why does ESD require proposals to state assumptions and limitations?
Projects are expected to explain what assumptions the method relies on, why those assumptions are reasonable for the chosen context, and where the method is likely to break down or stop being effective. This helps clarify when the method should or should not be used.
What kinds of research contributions are considered in scope for ESD?
ESD is looking for research that advances design and systems engineering methodology by creating new methods or substantially refining/adapting existing methods to a specific, well-defined context, with rigorous characterization and validation.
What is considered out of scope for ESD?
Simple application of existing tools to a new domain, without advancing the underlying method, is considered out of scope. Using a known method in a different area must include a substantive methodological contribution or a well-supported understanding of when and why the method works in that new context.
What does ESD mean by "characterization" of a method?
Characterization refers to rigorously explaining and evaluating a design or systems engineering method (new or refined). It can be theoretical, empirical, or both, and it should answer practical questions such as: under what conditions does the method improve outcomes, what tradeoffs it introduces, and what evidence shows it is more effective or efficient than alternatives.
What types of evidence does ESD expect to support claims about a method?
ESD expects rigorous theoretical and/or empirical evidence. Claims should be evidence-based and address measurable improvements such as design outcomes, efficiency, decision quality, collaboration effectiveness, speed, or other relevant performance indicators in the targeted context.
What topic areas does ESD highlight as especially relevant?
The program highlights several areas, including Design for X (where X is a domain or concern), design and systems engineering enabled by novel information and communication technologies, novel modeling formalisms and algorithms, and integrated frameworks that combine multiple capabilities into a cohesive approach.
What is "Design for X" in the ESD program?
"Design for X" refers to design methods tailored to a particular domain (for example, energy systems or additive manufacturing) or a specific concern (such as resilience, sustainability, usability, or manufacturability). ESD expects proposers to define applicability boundaries and assumptions for the chosen X and context.
How should a proposal handle multi-objective design problems in Design for X?
ESD expects proposers to avoid treating a single concern in isolation when real design problems are multi-objective. For example, a sustainability-focused method should recognize interactions with other concerns like cost, performance, safety, equity, or regulatory constraints, rather than optimizing one dimension while ignoring the rest.
What is ESD interested in regarding new information and communication technologies?
ESD encourages research that adapts design and systems engineering methods to take advantage of evolving collaboration platforms, modeling environments, visualization tools, and computational infrastructure, and that provides evidence-based explanations of how these technologies change design and systems engineering performance.
What technology examples are mentioned in the opportunity description?
Examples include immersive visualization and human-computer interaction, social networking and internet-enabled collaboration, modeling frameworks and languages, data mining and analytics, and high-performance or cloud computing.
Does ESD fund projects that only build or deploy new technology tools?
The program is not focused on building or deploying new technology by itself. It expects evidence-based claims showing how the technology changes design outcomes or process metrics (for example, decision quality, collaboration effectiveness, or speed) within the specified context.
What kinds of modeling and algorithm research does ESD support?
ESD supports research on novel modeling formalisms and algorithms that improve how designers and systems engineers represent, analyze, and reason about complex systems. This can include new representations of form, function, and behavior, and algorithms for analysis, simulation, optimization, reasoning, prediction, and uncertainty quantification and propagation.
What is required to show that a new formalism or algorithm is an advance?
Improvements should not just be asserted. They should be demonstrated through theory and/or empirical evaluation, showing why the formalism or algorithm meaningfully advances design capability in the targeted context.
What does ESD mean by "integrated frameworks"?
Integrated frameworks combine multiple capabilities into a cohesive approach, based on the idea that major advances often come from linking pieces that are usually treated separately.
What are examples of capabilities that an integrated framework might connect?
Examples listed include preference and belief elicitation, concept generation, gradual refinement of specifications, multi-level modeling across abstractions, uncertainty characterization, optimization, high-performance computing, and visualization.
How should a proposal justify the value of integration in an integrated framework?
The value proposition should be backed by clear evidence or argumentation demonstrating that integration produces better design outcomes than improving individual components in isolation.
What is the funding mechanism and CFDA number for this opportunity?
This opportunity is offered as a discretionary NSF grant under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants).
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning proposals can come from a broad range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full solicitation.
How does ESD differ from NSF's Systems Science (SYS) program?
The program notes a boundary: research that focuses on generic, domain-independent theoretical foundations of design and systems engineering should be routed to the Systems Science (SYS) program. ESD is oriented toward methods grounded in and validated for particular domains and global contexts.
When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
The announcement indicates it was posted October 21, 2014, created March 4, 2015, and listed a current closing date of September 15, 2015 (due by 5 p.m. local time).
What were the full proposal submission windows?
The listed full proposal submission windows were February 1 to February 17, 2015 and September 1 to September 15, 2015, with proposals due by 5 p.m. local time.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
The opportunity was later archived on March 19, 2020, and the listed closing date in the announcement was September 15, 2015.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number and program description reference?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PD 14-1464, and the program description link is referenced as "NSF Program Description PD 14-1464."
Where should applicants go for submission portal access or linking issues?
The contact notes point applicants to NSF/Grants.gov support for access or linking issues.
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