Opportunity Information: Apply for 14 536
Apply for 14 536
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "High Performance Computing System Acquisition Continuing the Building of a More Inclusive Computing Environment for Science and Engineering." 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 Feb 18, 2014 and posted on Feb 18, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 14, 2014 Full Proposal Deadline(s) May 14, 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 $10,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Who May Submit Proposals Proposals may only be submitted by the following Other Federal Agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) Contact the appropriate program before preparing a proposal for submission. 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. Who May Serve as PI No specific eligibility description
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Opportunity Summary:
This National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity, titled "High Performance Computing System Acquisition: Continuing the Building of a More Inclusive Computing Environment for Science and Engineering" (Funding Opportunity Number 14-536), is aimed at expanding the nation’s shared advanced computing capabilities by funding organizations that will acquire, deploy, and operate new computational resources as part of NSF’s eXtreme Digital (XD) program. The central idea is not just to buy more traditional high performance computing (HPC) capacity, but to broaden what “advanced computing†looks like at the national level so it better serves a wider range of scientific and engineering fields, including communities that have not historically relied on classic supercomputing systems. NSF frames this as part of its broader Advanced Computing Infrastructure vision under CIF21, emphasizing accessible, modern computational and data-driven capabilities that can support the most complex research and education challenges across disciplines.
A key theme throughout the solicitation is inclusivity and diversification of both technology and users. Earlier NSF HPC investments strongly emphasized petascale performance and classic metrics like floating-point speed, delivered via large shared clusters and tightly coupled supercomputers. This solicitation recognizes that modern computational science increasingly depends on complex workflows that combine simulation, data analysis, instruments, sensors, and dynamic pipelines, and that many important research workloads are data intensive rather than dominated by raw arithmetic throughput. As a result, NSF is explicitly encouraging “new and creative approaches†to resource delivery, including architectures and service models that may look different from conventional HPC, while still operating at national scale and integrating into the existing shared cyberinfrastructure ecosystem.
Proposals are expected to come from organizations willing to serve as “Resource Providers†within the XD program, meaning they will take responsibility for acquisition, deployment, operations, and reliable service delivery to the open science and engineering community. The resources funded through this call are intended to become part of the XD tier of NSF’s two-tier national cyberinfrastructure (with Blue Waters representing the other tier referenced in the opportunity). Once incorporated into XD, these resources will be integrated and supported through XSEDE (the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment), which provides shared services such as allocation management, user support, training and outreach, a connecting file system across resources, and “campus bridging†to help link national resources with campus computing environments. The solicitation also highlights additional program-level services: the Technical Inspection Service (TIS), which evaluates software and recommends its use, and the Technical Audit Service (TAS), which supplies system metrics and application evaluations, including through XDMoD, a publicly accessible tool for understanding how XD resources are being used and how well they are serving the community.
Competitive proposals must clearly align with one or more specific objectives that reflect this shift toward broader usability and new communities. These objectives include: adding new types of computational resources that complement existing XD capabilities and better fit less traditional computational science communities; incorporating innovative, reliable services that support complex and dynamic workflows that are difficult to achieve in the current environment; introducing flexible and highly usable capabilities such as cloud computing for national-scale scientific use cases; creating practical, usable connections to other parts of the national cyberinfrastructure outside XD, such as domain-specific centers that hold specialized software, sensor streams, or instrument data; developing new and effective ways to engage campus cyberinfrastructure so that national resources and campus systems work together more seamlessly; expanding the range of computationally challenging applications that can be addressed using XD, with a strong emphasis on ease of access and usability; and delivering reliable, flexible, user-friendly environments for scientific communities that may be new to HPC, with proposers expected to spell out exactly how their approach achieves that usability and reliability.
Operational expectations are also concrete. An important requirement is that any hardware acquisition must reach a high degree of stability and usability no later than January 2016, reinforcing that NSF is not only funding purchases but expecting timely, production-quality service to the community. The solicitation also notes that proposals to add innovative features to systems that are already deployed can be considered, so the opportunity is not limited strictly to brand-new standalone system purchases if meaningful capability improvements can be demonstrated.
On performance evidence, NSF shifts its approach compared to earlier HPC acquisitions. Instead of requiring a fixed set of NSF-provided benchmarks, the agency allows proposers more flexibility because of the emphasis on nontraditional HPC, cloud-like solutions, and varied scientific impacts. Even so, the proposal must still present a convincing, data-backed demonstration that the proposed system will perform as described. Benchmarking and performance results can include applications used by existing NSF computational science communities, but they must also show credible reach into new scientific areas and user communities enabled by the innovative aspects of the proposed resource. In other words, proposers need hard evidence not only of capability, but also of fit-for-purpose performance and broader community impact.
Administratively, this is a discretionary NSF funding opportunity using a Cooperative Agreement mechanism, under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, associated with CFDA 47.070 (Computer and Information Science and Engineering). NSF anticipated making around 2 awards, with an estimated total funding amount listed as $10,000,000 (though the listing also shows an “Award Floor†of $12,000,000, which is unusual on its face and suggests applicants should rely on the official NSF publication for authoritative budget guidance). Cost sharing is not required. The opportunity was posted February 18, 2014, with a full proposal deadline of May 14, 2014, and it was archived June 14, 2014. Eligible applicants include other federal agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) (with the note to contact the program before preparing a submission), as well as accredited U.S.-based universities and two- and four-year colleges, including community colleges. The solicitation indicates there is no special eligibility restriction for who may serve as PI beyond what is otherwise allowed.
Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NSF’s attempt to keep the national shared computing ecosystem moving beyond “bigger supercomputers†toward a more balanced portfolio: systems plus services, traditional HPC plus newer modes like cloud-style access, and performance plus usability. The end goal is to strengthen national-scale computing above the campus level while simultaneously improving campus engagement, and to make advanced computing genuinely reachable for a broader slice of the science and engineering community, especially groups whose work depends on data-intensive pipelines, complex workflows, domain-specific resources, or user-friendly environments rather than classic HPC alone.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this NSF funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "High Performance Computing System Acquisition: Continuing the Building of a More Inclusive Computing Environment for Science and Engineering."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 14-536.
What is the main purpose of this grant opportunity?
The goal is to expand the nation's shared advanced computing capabilities by funding organizations to acquire, deploy, and operate new computational resources as part of NSF's eXtreme Digital (XD) program. A central emphasis is broadening what "advanced computing" looks like at national scale so it better serves a wider range of science and engineering communities, including groups that have not historically relied on traditional supercomputers.
Is this opportunity only about buying more traditional HPC capacity?
No. NSF explicitly frames this as more than acquiring classic high performance computing (HPC) capacity. The solicitation encourages new and creative approaches to national-scale resource delivery, including architectures and service models that may differ from conventional HPC, while still integrating into the shared national cyberinfrastructure ecosystem.
What larger NSF vision or initiative does this opportunity fit under?
NSF frames the solicitation within its broader Advanced Computing Infrastructure vision under CIF21, with an emphasis on accessible, modern computational and data-driven capabilities that can support complex research and education challenges across disciplines.
What does NSF mean by creating a more inclusive computing environment?
Inclusivity here refers to diversifying both the technology and the user communities served by national-scale resources. The solicitation highlights that many important modern workloads are data intensive and workflow driven (involving instruments, sensors, dynamic pipelines, simulation plus analysis), so "advanced computing" should support a broader set of disciplines and computational styles, not only those optimized for floating-point performance on tightly coupled systems.
Who is expected to submit proposals under this program?
Proposals are expected from organizations willing to serve as "Resource Providers" within the XD program, meaning they will take responsibility for acquisition, deployment, operations, and reliable service delivery to the open science and engineering community.
What does it mean to be a "Resource Provider" in the XD program?
A Resource Provider is responsible for acquiring the system or capability, deploying it, operating it in a production manner, and delivering reliable services to the broader research and education community as part of the XD ecosystem.
How will the funded resources be integrated into the national ecosystem?
Once incorporated into XD, resources will be integrated and supported through XSEDE (the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment), which provides shared services such as allocation management, user support, training and outreach, a connecting file system across resources, and campus bridging to link national resources with campus environments.
What is XSEDE in the context of this solicitation?
XSEDE is described as the integrative environment that supports XD resources by providing shared services (allocations, support, training/outreach, cross-resource file system connectivity, and campus bridging) so the community can use the national resources more effectively.
What additional program-level services are mentioned besides XSEDE?
The solicitation highlights the Technical Inspection Service (TIS), which evaluates software and recommends its use, and the Technical Audit Service (TAS), which supplies system metrics and application evaluations. TAS includes XDMoD, a publicly accessible tool used to understand how XD resources are used and how well they serve the community.
What is XDMoD?
XDMoD is described as a publicly accessible tool used for understanding how XD resources are being used and how well they are serving the community.
How many awards did NSF anticipate making?
NSF anticipated making around 2 awards.
What is the estimated total funding amount?
The listing states an estimated total funding amount of $10,000,000. The same listing also shows an "Award Floor" of $12,000,000, which is unusual on its face; applicants are advised (based on the provided information) to rely on the official NSF publication for authoritative budget guidance.
What funding mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This is a discretionary NSF funding opportunity using a Cooperative Agreement mechanism.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 47.070 (Computer and Information Science and Engineering).
Is cost sharing required?
No. Cost sharing is not required.
What types of projects or capabilities does NSF want proposals to align with?
Competitive proposals are expected to clearly align with one or more objectives that reflect broader usability and engagement of new communities. The solicitation describes objectives including: adding new types of computational resources that complement existing XD capabilities; incorporating innovative and reliable services for complex and dynamic workflows; introducing flexible and highly usable capabilities such as cloud computing at national scale; creating practical connections to other cyberinfrastructure outside XD (including domain-specific centers with specialized software, sensor streams, or instrument data); developing new ways to engage campus cyberinfrastructure (campus bridging); expanding the range of computationally challenging applications addressable through XD with strong emphasis on ease of access and usability; and delivering reliable, flexible, user-friendly environments for communities that may be new to HPC.
Does NSF encourage cloud computing or cloud-like capabilities in this program?
Yes. The solicitation explicitly includes introducing flexible and highly usable capabilities such as cloud computing for national-scale scientific use cases among the objectives.
Is connecting to resources outside the XD program part of the solicitation's goals?
Yes. One objective described is creating practical, usable connections to other parts of national cyberinfrastructure outside XD, such as domain-specific centers that host specialized software, sensor streams, or instrument data.
What is meant by "campus bridging" in this opportunity?
Campus bridging is described as helping link national resources with campus computing environments so that national and campus systems work together more seamlessly.
What is NSF looking for in terms of usability and community impact?
A strong theme is ease of access and usability, especially for scientific communities that may be new to HPC. Proposers are expected to spell out how their approach achieves usability and reliability and how it broadens the range of applications and communities that can effectively use XD resources.
Are proposals limited to entirely new system acquisitions?
No. The solicitation notes that proposals to add innovative features to systems that are already deployed can be considered, so long as meaningful capability improvements can be demonstrated.
What operational timeline requirement is highlighted for hardware acquisitions?
An important requirement is that any hardware acquisition must reach a high degree of stability and usability no later than January 2016, reflecting NSF's expectation of timely, production-quality service delivery.
How does NSF want proposers to demonstrate performance and impact?
Rather than requiring a fixed set of NSF-provided benchmarks, NSF allows more flexibility because of the emphasis on nontraditional HPC, cloud-like approaches, and varied scientific impacts. Even so, proposals must present convincing, data-backed evidence that the system will perform as described, including performance results tied to applications used by existing NSF computational science communities and credible reach into new scientific areas and user communities enabled by the proposed innovations.
Do proposals need to show impact beyond existing HPC user communities?
Yes. Based on the provided description, benchmarking and performance evidence should not only demonstrate capability for existing communities but also show credible reach into new scientific areas and user communities enabled by the innovative aspects of the proposed resource.
What is the relationship between XD and Blue Waters as described here?
The opportunity references NSF's two-tier national cyberinfrastructure, with the resources funded through this call intended to become part of the XD tier, and Blue Waters referenced as the other tier.
When was the opportunity posted and when were proposals due?
The opportunity was posted February 18, 2014. The full proposal deadline was May 14, 2014.
Is this opportunity currently open?
No. The opportunity was archived June 14, 2014.
Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?
Eligible applicants include accredited U.S.-based universities and two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges). Other federal agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) are also listed as eligible, with a note to contact the program before preparing a submission.
Are there any special eligibility restrictions on who may serve as PI?
The solicitation indicates there is no special eligibility restriction for who may serve as PI beyond what is otherwise allowed.
What research areas does the opportunity aim to support?
The solicitation is framed to support science and engineering research and education challenges across disciplines, including fields that depend on data-intensive pipelines, complex workflows, domain-specific resources, or user-friendly environments rather than classic HPC alone.
What distinguishes this solicitation from earlier NSF HPC acquisitions?
Earlier investments emphasized petascale performance and classic metrics like floating-point speed delivered via large shared clusters and tightly coupled supercomputers. This solicitation emphasizes a broader portfolio: systems plus services, traditional HPC plus newer access modes (including cloud-style approaches), and performance coupled with usability and inclusion of new communities and workflow/data-driven computing needs.
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