Opportunity Information: Apply for 14 516
Apply for 14 516
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Exploiting Parallelism and Scalability" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.070 Computer and Information Science and Engineering.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 5, 2013 and posted on Nov 26, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 24, 2014 Submission Window Date(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposers local time) February 10, 2014 February 24, 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 $15,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Who May Serve as PI Each FULL SIZE proposal is required to have two or more PIs providing different and distinct expertise relevant to the programs focus areas. More details are available in Section V.A. Proposal Preparation Instructions.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity titled Exploiting Parallelism and Scalability (XPS) is a research program focused on overcoming the limits of traditional single-processor performance by driving major advances in parallel computing. The program is motivated by a clear shift in modern computing: instead of relying on steadily faster individual CPUs, todays performance gains increasingly depend on using many computing resources at once, ranging from multicore chips and GPUs to large-scale cloud and warehouse-sized systems, plus distributed and networked devices at the edge. As semiconductor scaling runs into physical and power constraints and single-core speedups have largely plateaued, the core idea behind XPS is that future improvements must come from better ways to harness parallelism predictably, efficiently, and in ways that programmers and users can actually manage.
XPS is designed to fund ambitious, cross-cutting work that rethinks the stack end-to-end, from applications and services down to microarchitecture. NSF is explicitly looking for breakthroughs that go beyond incremental tuning and instead introduce new concepts, theories, and foundational principles for parallel systems. The scope includes, but is not limited to, developing new abstract models and algorithms for scalable parallel execution; new programming models and languages that make parallelism easier to express and safer to use; and advances in compilers, operating systems, and runtime systems that can translate high-level parallel intent into efficient execution on real hardware. On the hardware side, the program also supports new architectures aimed at making parallel performance more scalable and more predictable, rather than leaving gains to chance or to highly specialized manual optimization.
A key theme of the opportunity is that scalability is not only about raw speed. XPS highlights the need to improve energy efficiency and communication efficiency, recognizing that data movement and power consumption are often the true bottlenecks in modern parallel and distributed systems. The program also calls out the growing importance of splitting work intelligently across edge devices and the cloud, which reflects real-world trends where computation is increasingly spread across phones, sensors, embedded devices, local gateways, and centralized data centers. Proposals are therefore expected to consider both performance and practicality: how to achieve scalable throughput and latency while controlling overheads from synchronization, communication, memory access, and energy use, and how to make these systems usable for real domains rather than only for narrow benchmarks.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary NSF grant under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering CFDA (47.070), categorized as science and technology research and development. The funding opportunity number is 14-516. NSF anticipated making around 20 awards with an estimated total program funding level of $15,000,000. Individual awards were expected to range from an award floor of $1,000 up to an award ceiling of $1,000,000, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The opportunity was posted on November 26, 2013, with proposal submissions due by 5 p.m. local time during a window that included February 10, 2014 through the final closing date of February 24, 2014, and it was archived on March 24, 2014.
Eligibility details are referenced in the full solicitation, but one requirement is clearly emphasized: every full-size proposal must include two or more principal investigators with different and distinct expertise aligned to the program’s focus areas. This reflects the programs intent to push collaborative, multidisciplinary research that bridges traditionally separated layers of computing, such as combining expertise in applications and services with programming systems, compilers and runtimes, operating systems, and hardware or microarchitecture. For full program details, the announcement points to NSF Publication 14-516, and applicants needing technical help accessing the notice were directed to Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NSF Exploiting Parallelism and Scalability (XPS) program?
The NSF Exploiting Parallelism and Scalability (XPS) program is a research-focused grant opportunity aimed at overcoming the limits of traditional single-processor performance by enabling major advances in parallel computing. The program emphasizes new ways to harness many computing resources at once (for example, multicore processors, GPUs, large-scale cloud systems, warehouse-sized computing, and distributed/edge devices) to achieve predictable, efficient, and manageable performance improvements.
Why is NSF emphasizing parallelism and scalability in this opportunity?
The opportunity is motivated by a shift in modern computing: performance gains are increasingly driven by using multiple computing resources in parallel rather than relying on steadily faster single CPUs. As semiconductor scaling faces physical and power constraints and single-core performance improvements have largely plateaued, XPS focuses on breakthroughs that make parallel performance more scalable and predictable.
What kinds of research does XPS want to fund?
XPS is designed to support ambitious, cross-cutting work that rethinks the computing stack end-to-end, from applications and services down to microarchitecture. NSF is looking for breakthroughs that introduce new concepts, theories, and foundational principles for parallel systems, rather than incremental tuning or narrow optimizations.
What areas of the computing stack are in scope for XPS?
The scope is broad and can include work at multiple layers, such as applications and services, programming models and languages, compilers, operating systems, runtime systems, hardware architectures, and microarchitecture. The program encourages bridging across layers to make parallel execution more scalable, predictable, and practical.
Does XPS support work on programming models and languages?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes developing new programming models and languages that make parallelism easier to express and safer to use.
Does XPS support compiler, operating system, and runtime research?
Yes. XPS includes advances in compilers, operating systems, and runtime systems that can translate high-level parallel intent into efficient execution on real hardware.
Does XPS fund hardware and architecture research?
Yes. On the hardware side, the program supports new architectures and related advances aimed at making parallel performance more scalable and more predictable, rather than relying on chance or highly specialized manual optimization.
Is scalability only about making programs run faster?
No. XPS highlights that scalability is not only about raw speed. The program emphasizes energy efficiency and communication efficiency, noting that power consumption and data movement are often the real bottlenecks in modern parallel and distributed systems.
What practical system issues are proposals expected to consider?
Proposals are expected to consider both performance and practicality, including how to achieve scalable throughput and latency while controlling overheads from synchronization, communication, memory access, and energy use. The program also stresses usability for real domains, not just narrow benchmarks.
Does XPS address edge computing and cloud computing together?
Yes. The opportunity calls out the growing importance of splitting work intelligently across edge devices and the cloud, reflecting trends where computation is distributed across phones, sensors, embedded devices, gateways, and centralized data centers.
What is the funding opportunity number for XPS?
The funding opportunity number is 14-516.
Which NSF area and CFDA does this opportunity fall under?
This is a discretionary NSF grant under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering CFDA (47.070), categorized as science and technology research and development.
How many awards did NSF anticipate making, and what was the total estimated funding?
NSF anticipated making around 20 awards, with an estimated total program funding level of $15,000,000.
What was the expected award size range?
Individual awards were expected to range from an award floor of $1,000 up to an award ceiling of $1,000,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required for XPS?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
When was the opportunity posted and when did proposals have to be submitted?
The opportunity was posted on November 26, 2013. Proposal submissions were due by 5 p.m. local time during a window that included February 10, 2014 through the final closing date of February 24, 2014.
What does it mean that the opportunity is archived?
The opportunity was archived on March 24, 2014, indicating the listing is no longer active for new submissions under that posting.
Are there any specific collaboration requirements for proposals?
Yes. Every full-size proposal must include two or more principal investigators (PIs) with different and distinct expertise aligned to the program’s focus areas. This requirement reflects the program’s intent to support collaborative, multidisciplinary work that spans traditionally separated layers of computing.
What kinds of PI expertise combinations does XPS appear to encourage?
The opportunity highlights bridging expertise across layers such as applications and services, programming systems, compilers and runtimes, operating systems, and hardware or microarchitecture. The key is that the PIs bring different and distinct expertise relevant to the XPS focus.
Where are the full program details published?
The announcement points applicants to NSF Publication 14-516 for full program details.
Who should applicants contact for technical help accessing the notice?
Applicants needing technical help accessing the notice were directed to Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
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