Expeditions in Computing | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the NSF Expeditions in Computing program?

Expeditions in Computing is a National Science Foundation (NSF) program within the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) that supports large, ambitious, fundamentally new research efforts intended to shape the future of computing and information. The program is built around long-horizon, high-impact agendas that aim for transformative breakthroughs rather than incremental advances.

What kind of research does this opportunity support?

The opportunity is designed for bold, disruptive, and high-risk/high-reward research directions in computing and information. It emphasizes fundamentally new efforts with lasting impact, including agendas that can establish new research frontiers and influence computing research for years.

How is Expeditions different from a typical NSF research grant?

Expeditions is explicitly structured around scale and collaboration. Instead of narrow, single-investigator projects, it is meant for coordinated, team-based efforts that can tackle big, complex questions where progress depends on advances across multiple areas at once.

Does NSF require proposals to be collaborative or team-based?

Yes. A central feature of the program is encouraging investigators to form teams capable of pursuing large, complex agendas. NSF encourages organization within a department, across departments, or across institutions to combine complementary expertise.

Can teams span multiple departments or institutions?

Yes. NSF explicitly encourages researchers to organize across departments or across institutions, as well as within a single department, as long as the combined expertise supports a compelling, transformative agenda.

Why does the program emphasize coordinated progress across multiple subfields?

The program is based on the idea that deep, enduring outcomes in computing often require simultaneous advances in multiple areas. Expeditions is structured to make that kind of coordinated push feasible at a meaningful scale.

How much funding is available per award?

Awards can be funded at up to $2,000,000 per year for five years, implying a maximum total project size of about $10,000,000 over the award period.

Is there a minimum award size?

Yes. The listing indicates an award floor of $10,000,000, reinforcing that Expeditions projects are intended to be large-scale efforts rather than smaller grants.

How long is the award period?

The program is described as supporting awards for five years.

Approximately how many awards did NSF expect to make?

NSF anticipated making about four awards under the solicitation.

What was the estimated total program funding level?

The estimated total program funding level was about $30,000,000.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement is indicated in the provided description, which typically means proposers are not required to commit institutional funds as a condition of the award.

Which NSF directorate and unit administers this opportunity?

The opportunity is administered by NSF through the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE).

How is Expeditions positioned within NSF CISE programs?

Expeditions is described as a flagship component of the CISE award portfolio. It is positioned alongside NSF-supported Science and Technology Centers and is meant to complement other CISE programs that target specific areas by enabling broader, more integrated research agendas.

What is the main goal of funded Expeditions projects?

The expectation is that funded projects will set new directions for the field, establish research frontiers, and create momentum that shapes computing research for years to come.

What type of grant is this?

This opportunity is described as a discretionary grant in the science and technology research and development category.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 47.070 (Computer and Information Science and Engineering).

What are the solicitation numbers mentioned for this opportunity?

The solicitation originally appeared as NSF 13-563 (posted May 9, 2013) and was later archived and replaced by NSF 14-519 (archive date January 13, 2014).

Is this opportunity current, or has it been archived?

Based on the provided information, the original solicitation was archived and replaced (NSF 13-563 was replaced by NSF 14-519), and the deadlines provided are in 2014. That indicates the specific listing described here is not current.

Were there multiple stages of submission?

Yes. The process required a preliminary proposal followed by a full proposal.

What was the preliminary proposal deadline?

The preliminary proposal was due March 10, 2014, by 5 p.m. local time.

What was the full proposal deadline?

The full proposal deadline was December 10, 2014.

What does the program mean by "bold, long-horizon agendas"?

In this context, it refers to research plans that look beyond near-term, incremental progress and instead pursue disruptive innovations with the potential for lasting, field-defining impact.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described broadly in the listing, with details deferred to the full solicitation text. This is typical for NSF opportunities, where eligibility can depend on institution type and other proposal-specific conditions.

Where can applicants find the detailed eligibility requirements?

The listing indicates that detailed eligibility information is provided in the full solicitation text rather than in the brief summary.

What is the broader motivation behind the program?

The program is motivated by the idea that computing has already delivered major societal benefits, but the most transformative breakthroughs are still ahead. Expeditions aims to accelerate those breakthroughs by supporting large, ambitious efforts.