Opportunity Information: Apply for 13 544
Apply for 13 544
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation Research (NEESR) Planning Grants" 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, 2013 and posted on Apr 5, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 3, 2013 Full Proposal Deadline(s) June 03, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $8,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $450,000.00 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).
- Organization Limit Proposals may only be submitted by the following Universities and Colleges Universities and two and four year colleges (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions.
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Opportunity Summary:
The George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation Research (NEESR) Planning Grants (NSF 13-544) was a National Science Foundation funding opportunity created to keep earthquake engineering research moving forward during a transition period in the NEES program. NSF support for the then-current NEES operations, managed under a cooperative agreement with Purdue University, was scheduled to end on September 30, 2014. At the same time, NSF was running a separate competition (NSF 13-537) to select a lead institution to configure and operate the next phase of the infrastructure, referred to as "NEES2," starting October 1, 2014 for up to five years. Because the NEES2 competition meant the exact details of the future facilities and capabilities would not be known until the operations award was made, NSF used these planning grants to bridge the gap so researchers could prepare strong, facility-ready projects for rapid launch once NEES2 came online.
The core purpose of the planning grants was to support early-stage research and planning activities for projects that were expected to eventually require NEES2's advanced experimental resources. In practical terms, NSF wanted teams to use planning grant funds to complete proof-of-concept work that could be done without NEES2, such as preliminary numerical simulation studies, model development, feasibility checks, and pilot or shakedown experiments conducted at non-NEES2 facilities. The intent was that by the end of the planning grant, investigators would have reduced uncertainty, refined hypotheses, validated methods, and narrowed experimental designs enough to be "NEES2 ready," meaning prepared to submit follow-on proposals in early FY 2015 that would directly use NEES2 experimental facilities for full-scale or advanced testing.
NEES2 itself was described as a competed infrastructure that would include an integrated management office, a set of experimental facilities, cyberinfrastructure, and education and community outreach components. Since the identity of the NEES2 operator and the final configuration of resources were not yet determined when these planning grants were solicited, NSF emphasized that follow-on experimental designs would depend on the specific NEES2 facility eventually selected. That dependency is the main reason the planning grants focused on preparatory work rather than committing teams to detailed NEES2 facility schedules before the infrastructure award was finalized.
A key requirement built into the program was data stewardship. Planning grant awardees were required to archive all experimental data generated during the planning grant research in the data repository maintained by the eventual NEES2 operations awardee. This requirement signals NSF's emphasis on community benefit, reproducibility, and long-term value of the research outputs, even at the preliminary stage. It also aligns with NEES's broader role as a shared national research infrastructure where datasets are meant to be discoverable and usable by other researchers.
From an administrative and funding standpoint, the opportunity was offered by NSF's Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) within the Directorate for Engineering (ENG). It was a discretionary grant program in the Science and Technology / Research and Development category, listed under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants). NSF expected to make about 20 awards, with an estimated total program budget of $8,000,000. Individual awards ranged from $50,000 (floor) to $450,000 (ceiling). There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, which generally lowers barriers for applicants and allows institutions to focus on research planning and preliminary work rather than assembling non-federal match commitments.
Eligibility was limited to U.S.-based academic institutions: accredited two- and four-year colleges and universities (including community colleges) with a campus located in the United States, submitting proposals on behalf of their faculty. This framing indicates the program was designed primarily to prepare university-led research teams for the next wave of NEES2-enabled experimentation and to maintain a pipeline of ready-to-execute projects as the national earthquake engineering infrastructure transitioned to its second-generation operational model.
Finally, the timeline for this particular solicitation was tight and clearly defined. The funding opportunity was posted April 5, 2013, with a full proposal deadline of June 3, 2013, and an archive date of July 3, 2013. In short, NSF was using a one-time planning-grant mechanism to avoid a research slowdown during a major infrastructure handoff, ensuring that by the time NEES2 operations began in October 2014, investigators would have credible, technically mature project concepts ready to move quickly into direct use of NEES2 experimental capabilities.
FAQs: George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation Research (NEESR) Planning Grants (NSF 13-544)
What is the NEESR Planning Grants opportunity (NSF 13-544)?
NSF 13-544 was a National Science Foundation (NSF) planning-grant solicitation created to help earthquake engineering research teams prepare projects for the next phase of the NEES infrastructure (referred to as "NEES2"). It was designed as a bridge so research momentum could continue during the transition from the then-current NEES operations to NEES2.
Why did NSF create these planning grants?
NSF support for the then-current NEES operations (managed under a cooperative agreement with Purdue University) was scheduled to end on September 30, 2014. At the same time, NSF was running a separate competition (NSF 13-537) to select the lead institution that would configure and operate NEES2 starting October 1, 2014 (for up to five years). Because the final NEES2 facilities and capabilities would not be known until that operations award was made, NSF used planning grants to help teams do early work and be ready to launch quickly once NEES2 came online.
What was the main purpose of a NEESR planning grant?
The core purpose was to support early-stage research and planning for projects expected to eventually require NEES2 advanced experimental resources. The planning grants were intended to reduce uncertainty, refine hypotheses, validate methods, and narrow experimental designs so teams could be "NEES2 ready" for follow-on proposals.
What does "NEES2 ready" mean in this solicitation?
"NEES2 ready" meant that, by the end of the planning grant, investigators would have completed enough proof-of-concept work and planning that they could submit follow-on proposals (anticipated in early FY 2015) that would directly use NEES2 experimental facilities for full-scale or advanced testing.
What kinds of activities were planning grant funds intended to support?
NSF emphasized proof-of-concept and preparatory work that could be done without NEES2, including preliminary numerical simulation studies, model development, feasibility checks, and pilot or shakedown experiments conducted at non-NEES2 facilities.
What kinds of activities were these planning grants not primarily meant for?
They were not primarily meant to lock in detailed schedules or commitments tied to specific NEES2 facilities before the NEES2 infrastructure award was finalized, because the final configuration and operator were not yet known at the time of solicitation.
How did the separate NEES2 competition affect planning grant projects?
NEES2 was being selected through a separate competition (NSF 13-537). Since the identity of the NEES2 operator and the final configuration of resources were unknown when planning grants were solicited, follow-on experimental designs were expected to depend on whichever facilities were ultimately selected as part of NEES2.
What was NEES2 described as including?
NEES2 was described as a competed infrastructure that would include an integrated management office, a set of experimental facilities, cyberinfrastructure, and education and community outreach components.
Was there a data management or archiving requirement?
Yes. Planning grant awardees were required to archive all experimental data generated during the planning grant research in the data repository maintained by the eventual NEES2 operations awardee.
Why did NSF require data archiving for planning grant results?
The requirement reflects NSF's emphasis on community benefit, reproducibility, and long-term value of research outputs. It also aligns with NEES's role as shared national research infrastructure where datasets are intended to be discoverable and usable by other researchers.
Which NSF unit offered this funding opportunity?
The opportunity was offered by NSF's Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) within the Directorate for Engineering (ENG).
How was the program categorized administratively?
It was a discretionary grant program in the Science and Technology / Research and Development category, listed under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants).
How many awards did NSF expect to make, and what was the total estimated budget?
NSF expected to make about 20 awards, with an estimated total program budget of $8,000,000.
What was the award size range for individual planning grants?
Individual awards ranged from $50,000 (floor) to $450,000 (ceiling).
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to U.S.-based academic institutions: accredited two- and four-year colleges and universities (including community colleges) with a campus located in the United States, submitting proposals on behalf of their faculty.
Were non-academic organizations eligible under the described eligibility rules?
Based on the eligibility language provided, the program was limited to U.S.-based accredited academic institutions submitting proposals on behalf of faculty, indicating the solicitation was designed around university-led teams.
What was the submission timeline for NSF 13-544?
The funding opportunity was posted on April 5, 2013. The full proposal deadline was June 3, 2013. The archive date was July 3, 2013.
How did this solicitation fit into the broader NEES transition timeline?
It was intended to prevent a research slowdown during a handoff period: NEES operations under Purdue were scheduled to end September 30, 2014, and NEES2 operations were expected to begin October 1, 2014. Planning grants supported work that could be completed before NEES2 operations began, enabling faster start-up of NEES2-dependent projects afterward.
What was NSF trying to accomplish by the time NEES2 started?
NSF aimed to have investigators ready with credible, technically mature project concepts that could move quickly into direct use of NEES2 experimental capabilities once operations began.
Where were planning-grant experiments expected to take place if NEES2 was not yet available?
The solicitation contemplated pilot or shakedown experiments at non-NEES2 facilities, alongside numerical and modeling work that did not require NEES2 infrastructure.
Did the planning grants assume applicants already knew the exact NEES2 facility capabilities?
No. A central premise of the planning grants was that the exact NEES2 facilities and capabilities would not be known until the NEES2 operations award was made, so early work focused on preparing strong, adaptable project plans.
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