Opportunity Information: Apply for 13 560
Apply for 13 560
- 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 26, 2013 and posted on Apr 26, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 12, 2014 Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. proposers local time) May 30, 2013 Preliminary Proposal Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. proposers local time) July 30, 2013 Full Proposal Deadline(s) February 12, 2014. (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).
- See Solicitation for further details.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Centers (ERC) opportunity, listed as NSF 13-560, supports the creation of Generation Three (Gen 3) Engineering Research Centers designed to tightly connect cutting-edge engineering research with education and real-world technology innovation. The central purpose is to build a sustained culture at participating universities where fundamental discovery is intentionally linked to applied development, proof-of-concept demonstrations, and system-level test beds, so that new technologies can move more reliably toward adoption and use. A major emphasis is preparing graduates who can thrive as creative innovators in U.S. industry and entrepreneurship, especially in a global environment where research funding, engineering expertise, and competition are widely distributed across countries. The program frames U.S. competitiveness as requiring more than incremental efficiency and quality improvements; instead, it calls for transformational research combined with deliberate innovation pathways.
Each proposed ERC is expected to be organized around a clear "engineered systems vision" that describes an ambitious, system-oriented technological future the center aims to enable. Proposers must lay out a strategic plan that identifies the major barriers preventing that vision from being realized and then defines an integrated research program to overcome those barriers. The solicitation highlights that the research portfolio should span both fundamental and applied work, with an intentional structure that feeds results into enabling technologies, proof-of-concept efforts, and systems technology test beds. In other words, the center is not just a collection of separate research projects; it is meant to function as a coordinated enterprise where knowledge and prototypes build toward a cohesive systems goal.
Education is treated as a core pillar equal in importance to research. ERCs must include both a university-level education program and a pre-college (K-12) program. At the university level, the mission is to prepare students for effective industry practice and to strengthen their ability to lead creatively and innovatively throughout their careers. At the pre-college level, the expectation is long-term partnerships with K-12 institutions, including efforts that expose teachers to engineering and help them bring engineering concepts and experiences back into their classrooms, with the long-range aim of increasing student interest in engineering careers. The program also stresses that ERC-generated research and know-how should flow back into university curricula, enriching engineering education beyond the students directly funded by the center.
Another defining feature of Gen 3 ERCs is the required innovation ecosystem that surrounds and supports the research-and-education culture. NSF is looking for centers that build a practical, two-way relationship among academic researchers, industry and practitioner members, and partner organizations focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. The point is to increase the likelihood that center outputs become technologies, methods, or systems that are actually adopted, strengthening U.S. competitive advantage. The solicitation also emphasizes that ERC teams should be intentionally multidisciplinary and include diverse perspectives across disciplines and demographics (including gender, race, ethnicity, and others), with the broader goal of creating pathways to engineering career success for diverse groups of students from middle school through engineering degrees.
The solicitation offers two proposal tracks. The first is Open Topic ERCs, where the proposing team can define the engineered systems vision and the research program without restrictions on the research subject matter. The second is Nanosystems ERCs (NERCs), where teams still define their own systems vision, but the research program must include a substantial component of nanoscale fundamental research. In both tracks, the expectation remains that the center will integrate research, education, and innovation in a coherent structure driven by the systems vision and strategic plan.
From an administrative and funding standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary NSF program using a cooperative agreement mechanism, meaning NSF anticipates an active partnership role rather than a hands-off grant. The solicitation anticipated around four awards, with an estimated total program funding level of $13,000,000. Cost sharing or matching is required. The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants). Key timeline elements included a required Letter of Intent due May 30, 2013, a required preliminary proposal due July 30, 2013, and a full proposal deadline of February 12, 2014, with the opportunity later archived on March 12, 2014. Eligibility is described broadly in the listing but ultimately depends on the detailed rules in the full NSF solicitation (NSF Publication 13-560), which is where applicant types, partnership expectations, and submission requirements are fully spelled out.
FAQs: NSF Engineering Research Centers (ERC) Program (NSF 13-560)
What is the NSF Engineering Research Centers (ERC) opportunity (NSF 13-560)?
NSF 13-560 is a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers (ERC) funding opportunity to create Generation Three (Gen 3) ERCs. These centers are designed to tightly connect leading-edge engineering research with education and real-world technology innovation so new technologies can move more reliably toward adoption and use.
What is the main purpose of a Gen 3 ERC?
The central purpose is to build a sustained culture at participating universities where fundamental discovery is intentionally linked to applied development, proof-of-concept demonstrations, and system-level test beds, with the goal of improving the likelihood that resulting technologies are adopted and used.
How does the program define the kind of research it wants to support?
The solicitation calls for transformational research combined with deliberate innovation pathways. It emphasizes that U.S. competitiveness requires more than incremental improvements in efficiency and quality, and instead needs coordinated research-to-innovation structures that enable impactful technology outcomes.
What is an "engineered systems vision" and why is it required?
Each proposed ERC is expected to be organized around a clear engineered systems vision: an ambitious, system-oriented technological future the center aims to enable. The systems vision anchors the center's strategic plan, research portfolio, and integration of research, education, and innovation activities.
What must be included in the ERC strategic plan?
Proposers must identify the major barriers preventing the engineered systems vision from being realized and define an integrated research program to overcome those barriers. The plan should show how fundamental and applied research feed into enabling technologies, proof-of-concept efforts, and systems technology test beds.
Is an ERC proposal expected to be a set of independent research projects?
No. The program emphasizes that an ERC is not just a collection of separate projects. It is intended to function as a coordinated enterprise where knowledge, prototypes, and demonstrations build toward a cohesive systems goal guided by the center's vision and strategy.
How should the ERC research portfolio be structured?
The solicitation highlights a portfolio spanning both fundamental and applied work, intentionally structured so results flow into enabling technologies, proof-of-concept demonstrations, and system-level test beds.
How important is education within the ERC model?
Education is a core pillar equal in importance to research. ERCs must include both a university-level education program and a pre-college (K-12) program as part of the center's integrated structure.
What is expected of the university-level education program?
At the university level, the education mission is to prepare students for effective industry practice and strengthen their ability to lead creatively and innovatively throughout their careers. The program also stresses that ERC research and know-how should flow back into university curricula, enriching engineering education beyond the students directly funded by the center.
What is expected of the pre-college (K-12) education program?
ERCs are expected to build long-term partnerships with K-12 institutions. This includes efforts that expose teachers to engineering and help them bring engineering concepts and experiences back into classrooms, with the long-range aim of increasing student interest in engineering careers.
What does the solicitation mean by an ERC "innovation ecosystem"?
A defining Gen 3 feature is a required innovation ecosystem that surrounds and supports the research-and-education culture. NSF is looking for centers that build a practical, two-way relationship among academic researchers, industry and practitioner members, and partner organizations focused on entrepreneurship and innovation.
What is the goal of involving industry, practitioners, and entrepreneurship partners?
The goal is to increase the likelihood that ERC outputs become technologies, methods, or systems that are actually adopted, strengthening U.S. competitive advantage.
What does the program expect regarding multidisciplinary teams?
The solicitation emphasizes that ERC teams should be intentionally multidisciplinary, bringing together diverse perspectives across disciplines to support a system-level research and technology agenda.
What does the solicitation say about diversity and inclusion?
The program stresses inclusion of diverse perspectives across demographics (including gender, race, ethnicity, and others). It connects this emphasis to broader goals of creating pathways to engineering career success for diverse groups of students from middle school through engineering degrees.
What proposal tracks are available under NSF 13-560?
The solicitation offers two tracks: Open Topic ERCs and Nanosystems ERCs (NERCs).
What are Open Topic ERCs?
Under the Open Topic track, the proposing team defines the engineered systems vision and the research program without restrictions on the research subject matter, while still meeting the ERC expectations for integrated research, education, and innovation.
What are Nanosystems ERCs (NERCs)?
Under the NERC track, teams still define their own engineered systems vision, but the research program must include a substantial component of nanoscale fundamental research. The center must still integrate research, education, and innovation in a coherent structure driven by the systems vision and strategic plan.
What kind of funding mechanism does NSF use for this program?
The opportunity is described as a discretionary NSF program using a cooperative agreement mechanism, meaning NSF anticipates an active partnership role rather than a hands-off grant.
How many awards were anticipated and what was the estimated total funding level?
The solicitation anticipated around four awards, with an estimated total program funding level of $13,000,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The opportunity listing states that cost sharing or matching is required.
What is the CFDA number and activity category for this opportunity?
The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants).
What were the key due dates listed for this opportunity?
The listing included a required Letter of Intent due May 30, 2013, a required preliminary proposal due July 30, 2013, and a full proposal deadline of February 12, 2014. The opportunity was later archived on March 12, 2014.
Are the Letter of Intent and preliminary proposal required steps?
Yes. The listing explicitly describes both the Letter of Intent and the preliminary proposal as required, in addition to the full proposal submission.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described broadly in the listing, but the opportunity notes that eligibility ultimately depends on the detailed rules in the full NSF solicitation (NSF Publication 13-560), which is where applicant types, partnership expectations, and submission requirements are fully spelled out.
Where are the detailed requirements and submission rules defined?
The detailed rules, including applicant types, partnership expectations, and submission requirements, are stated to be fully specified in the full NSF solicitation document: NSF Publication 13-560.
What outcomes does the program want for students and graduates?
A major emphasis is preparing graduates who can thrive as creative innovators in U.S. industry and entrepreneurship, particularly in a global environment where research funding, engineering expertise, and competition are distributed across many countries.
How should an ERC impact the broader university beyond the funded participants?
The solicitation stresses that ERC-generated research and know-how should flow back into university curricula, enriching engineering education beyond the students directly funded by the center and contributing to a sustained innovation-oriented culture at participating universities.
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