Opportunity Information: Apply for 09 545
Apply for 09 545
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Engineering Research Centers" 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 Apr 5, 2011 and posted on May 11, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Archived, replaced by 11 537. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $13,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Organization Limit Proposals may only be submitted by the following Only U.S. universities with undergraduate, masters, and doctoral engineering programs with the breadth and depth appropriate to support the vision may submit proposals as the lead university. Proposals must be submitted by the lead university. Separately submitted collaborative proposals are not acceptable and will be returned without review. Other Organizational Requirements ERC Proposals must meet all of the following organizational requirements or they will be returned without review /liliCommitments for lead and partner university cost sharing and industrial/government agency financial support must be included in the invited full proposal but not in the preliminary proposal. /liliThe number of domestic partner universities is limited to the lead university plus up to four domestic partner universities. The lead or one of the domestic partner universities must be a university that serves students predominantly underrepresented in engineering and science in the U.S. (i.e. women, African Americans, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and persons with disabilities). /liliAt least one but no more than three foreign universities are required to be partners in research and education and post award their support must be provided by foreign governments or other non NSF sources. /liliThe ERC must partner with middle and high schools in pre college education. /liliThe ERC must partner with local level organizations devoted to stimulating entrepreneurship and innovation and must include a plan for the support of start up firms to carry out translational research through the ERCs research program. These firms should not be identified in the proposal stages. PI Limit The Center Director must be a tenured faculty member in an engineering department at the lead university or may hold a joint appointment in an engineering department at the lead university. The Directors doctoral degree must be in engineering or an associated field of science if the latter, she/he must have substantial career experience in engineering and a joint appointment in an engineering department at the lead university.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Centers (ERC) solicitation (NSF Publication 09-545) funded Generation Three (Gen 3) ERCs through a cooperative agreement mechanism. The core purpose of the program was to reshape how engineering research and engineering education work together by tightly linking scientific discovery to real technological innovation, with an emphasis on transformational, systems-oriented research that can ultimately lead to commercialization and measurable societal and economic impact. In practical terms, NSF wanted centers that do not stop at producing papers or incremental efficiency gains, but instead build an integrated pipeline that moves ideas from fundamental research into engineered systems, prototypes, and market-relevant outcomes, while also training engineers to lead innovation in a globally competitive environment where research talent and R and D capacity are distributed across countries.
A defining theme of Gen 3 ERCs is the deliberate creation of a "culture of discovery and innovation" inside the center. These ERCs were expected to operate as large, structured partnerships rather than isolated academic labs. NSF emphasized a symbiotic model that brings together university researchers, students, small innovative firms, large industry or practitioner partners, and local entrepreneurship and innovation organizations. The aim was to accelerate translation of research results into usable technology by embedding industry and user perspectives in the research agenda, while simultaneously ensuring the academic work remains transformational and foundational enough to create new capabilities and new engineered systems, not just near-term product tweaks.
The solicitation laid out several program goals that every Gen 3 ERC was expected to address. First, each center needed to advance discovery and explicitly build bridges from science-based findings to technological innovation, ultimately realizing transforming engineered systems. Second, global engagement was mandatory: centers had to partner with foreign universities and create distinctive research and learning collaborations that prepare U.S. engineering graduates to lead in a global innovation economy. Third, workforce development and team composition were central, with a strong expectation for diverse, high-talent teams of faculty and students and for training graduates (domestic and international) who can operate effectively in cross-border research, design, and production settings. Fourth, Gen 3 ERCs were required to run transformative engineering education programs that include partnerships with pre-college institutions, both to attract students into engineering and to develop engineers who can create and exploit knowledge for innovation. Fifth, the center model required deep partnerships with industry and other technology users, local entrepreneurship organizations, and small firms engaged in the center's research program, specifically to speed the path from results to innovation; the solicitation also called for a plan to support start-up firms carrying out translational research through the ERC, even though the specific start-ups did not need to be named during proposal submission.
Funding for this opportunity was planned at an estimated total of $13,000,000 with an expected four awards, and it required cost sharing or matching. The funding instrument was a cooperative agreement, signaling that NSF anticipated substantial involvement in oversight and coordination compared with a typical research grant. The activity category was science and technology and other research and development, under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants). Key dates reflected a staged competition process: a required letter of intent was due May 15, 2009; a required preliminary proposal was due July 15, 2009; and full proposals were due January 12, 2010, but only for teams invited to submit a full proposal after preliminary review. The opportunity is now archived and was replaced by a later solicitation (11-537), with an archive date of April 5, 2011.
Eligibility and organizational structure requirements were strict and center-oriented. Only U.S. universities with undergraduate, masters, and doctoral engineering programs, and with enough breadth and depth to support the proposed vision, could submit as the lead institution, and proposals had to be submitted by the lead university as a single integrated submission. Separately submitted collaborative proposals were not allowed and would be returned without review. The domestic university partnership structure was capped: the total number of domestic institutions could not exceed the lead plus up to four domestic partner universities. In addition, the partnership had to include a university that predominantly serves students underrepresented in engineering and science in the U.S. (including women, African Americans, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and persons with disabilities), and that institution could be either the lead or one of the domestic partners. International participation was also required, with at least one and no more than three foreign university partners, but with an important constraint that after award their support had to come from foreign governments or other non-NSF sources rather than NSF funds. Beyond universities, the ERC was required to partner with middle and high schools to support the pre-college education pipeline, and it also had to partner with local organizations focused on entrepreneurship and innovation, paired with a plan to support start-up firms through translational research activities.
The solicitation also specified leadership qualifications for the principal investigator role, framed as the Center Director. The Center Director had to be a tenured faculty member in an engineering department at the lead university (or hold a joint appointment that includes an engineering department at the lead). The Director's doctoral degree needed to be in engineering or, if in a closely associated science field, the individual had to have substantial engineering career experience and a joint appointment in an engineering department at the lead institution. Cost-sharing commitments from the lead and partner universities, as well as financial support commitments from industry or government agency partners, were required components of the invited full proposal, but they were not required at the preliminary proposal stage.
Overall, this ERC opportunity was designed for large-scale, highly coordinated center proposals that combine ambitious, systems-level engineering research with a clear innovation and commercialization pathway, global academic collaboration, structured industry engagement, and a continuous education pipeline that reaches from middle school through graduate training. It reflects NSF's intent to strengthen U.S. competitiveness by building centers that can routinely convert deep research into engineered technologies and prepare engineers to innovate in an internationally networked R and D landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this NSF opportunity?
This is the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Centers (ERC) solicitation for Generation Three (Gen 3) ERCs under NSF Publication 09-545, funded using a cooperative agreement mechanism.
What was the core purpose of the Gen 3 ERC program?
The program aimed to reshape how engineering research and engineering education work together by tightly linking scientific discovery to real technological innovation. Gen 3 ERCs were expected to pursue transformational, systems-oriented research that could progress beyond publications into engineered systems, prototypes, commercialization pathways, and measurable societal and economic impact.
How is a Gen 3 ERC different from a typical academic research project?
Gen 3 ERCs were designed to operate as large, structured partnerships rather than isolated labs. NSF emphasized an integrated pipeline that moves ideas from fundamental research into engineered systems and market-relevant outcomes, with industry and user perspectives embedded in the center's agenda.
What does NSF mean by creating a "culture of discovery and innovation"?
It refers to a deliberate center-wide environment where discovery and innovation reinforce each other: foundational research is pursued alongside translation into usable technology, enabled by coordinated partnerships among universities, industry, small firms, and entrepreneurship organizations.
What major program goals did every Gen 3 ERC have to address?
Based on the solicitation description, Gen 3 ERCs were expected to: (1) advance discovery and build explicit bridges to technological innovation leading to transforming engineered systems; (2) include mandatory global engagement through partnerships with foreign universities; (3) prioritize workforce development through diverse, high-talent teams and training for global innovation settings; (4) run transformative engineering education programs including pre-college partnerships; and (5) establish deep partnerships with industry, technology users, entrepreneurship organizations, and small firms, including a plan to support start-ups through translational research.
Was global engagement required?
Yes. Centers were required to partner with foreign universities and create distinctive research and learning collaborations intended to prepare U.S. engineering graduates to lead in a global innovation economy.
How many foreign university partners were allowed?
At least one and no more than three foreign university partners were required/allowed as part of the center partnership.
Could NSF funds be used to support foreign university partners after an award?
No. After award, support for foreign university partners had to come from foreign governments or other non-NSF sources rather than NSF funds.
Who was eligible to serve as the lead institution?
Only U.S. universities with undergraduate, masters, and doctoral engineering programs, and with sufficient breadth and depth to support the proposed center vision, could submit as the lead institution.
Were separately submitted collaborative proposals allowed?
No. Proposals had to be submitted by the lead university as a single integrated submission. Separately submitted collaborative proposals were not allowed and would be returned without review.
How many domestic university partners could be included?
The domestic partnership was capped at the lead institution plus up to four domestic partner universities (for a maximum of five domestic institutions total).
Was participation by an underrepresented-serving institution required?
Yes. The partnership had to include a university that predominantly serves students underrepresented in engineering and science in the U.S. (including women, African Americans, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and persons with disabilities). That institution could be the lead or one of the domestic partners.
Were pre-college partnerships required?
Yes. The ERC was required to partner with middle and high schools to support the pre-college education pipeline as part of its transformative engineering education efforts.
Were partnerships with entrepreneurship organizations required?
Yes. The center was required to partner with local organizations focused on entrepreneurship and innovation.
Did the solicitation require involvement of small firms and start-ups?
Yes. NSF emphasized participation by small innovative firms and required a plan to support start-up firms carrying out translational research through the ERC. The specific start-ups did not need to be named at proposal submission.
What role did industry and other technology users play in the center model?
Industry and practitioner/technology user partners were expected to be deeply integrated to speed translation of research results into usable technology, ensuring the research agenda reflects real user and market perspectives while still remaining transformational and foundational.
What type of funding mechanism was used?
The funding instrument was a cooperative agreement, indicating NSF anticipated substantial involvement in oversight and coordination compared with a typical research grant.
How much funding was planned and how many awards were expected?
The planned estimated total funding was $13,000,000, with an expected four awards.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The opportunity required cost sharing or matching.
When were cost-sharing and partner financial commitments required to be documented?
Cost-sharing commitments from the lead and partner universities, as well as financial support commitments from industry or government agency partners, were required components of the invited full proposal. They were not required at the preliminary proposal stage.
What were the key submission stages and deadlines?
The competition was staged: a required letter of intent was due May 15, 2009; a required preliminary proposal was due July 15, 2009; and full proposals were due January 12, 2010, but only for teams invited to submit a full proposal after preliminary review.
Could an applicant submit a full proposal without being invited?
No. Full proposals were due only for teams invited to submit a full proposal after preliminary review.
What CFDA program is associated with this solicitation?
The activity category was science and technology and other research and development, under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants).
Is this opportunity still open?
No. The opportunity is archived. It was replaced by a later solicitation (11-537), and the archive date is listed as April 5, 2011.
Who was required to lead the center as Principal Investigator/Center Director?
The Center Director (PI) had to be a tenured faculty member in an engineering department at the lead university (or hold a joint appointment that includes an engineering department at the lead).
What were the doctoral degree requirements for the Center Director?
The Director's doctoral degree had to be in engineering, or if it was in a closely associated science field, the individual had to have substantial engineering career experience and a joint appointment in an engineering department at the lead institution.
What kind of outcomes was NSF looking for from Gen 3 ERCs?
NSF expected outcomes beyond papers or incremental improvements, including transforming engineered systems, prototypes, technology translation, commercialization pathways, and measurable societal and economic impact.
What was the education expectation for Gen 3 ERCs?
Centers were expected to run transformative engineering education programs spanning from pre-college partnerships (middle and high schools) through graduate training, with an emphasis on producing engineers who can create and exploit knowledge for innovation in a globally competitive environment.
Why did NSF emphasize systems-oriented and transformational research?
The solicitation emphasized building new capabilities and new engineered systems rather than near-term product tweaks, with research structured to connect foundational discoveries to integrated technological innovation and eventual commercialization.
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