Infrastructure Management and Extreme Events | Apply Online

Infrastructure Management and Extreme Events (IMEE) - FAQs

What is the Infrastructure Management and Extreme Events (IMEE) opportunity?

IMEE was a National Science Foundation (NSF) research grant program focused on what happens to civil infrastructure and communities when large-scale hazards strike, and how society can prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and recover from those events.

What kinds of problems was IMEE designed to study?

The program emphasized understanding and improving resilience by studying how infrastructure performance and social systems interact before, during, and after extreme events. It treated infrastructure as part of a broader socio-technical system, where human behavior, governance, economics, and public decision-making can strongly shape outcomes.

What does IMEE mean by treating infrastructure as a "socio-technical system"?

In this program context, infrastructure was not viewed only as physical assets like bridges, roads, water systems, power grids, and buildings. It was viewed as interconnected with social and institutional dynamics, including household and organizational behavior, policy choices, equity impacts, and emergency management.

What types of infrastructure were relevant to IMEE?

The description specifically referenced civil infrastructure such as bridges, roads, water systems, power grids, and buildings, as well as interconnected services and functions that can be affected during extreme events (for example communications, healthcare, transportation, and supply chains in the context of cascading failures).

What research approach did IMEE emphasize?

IMEE emphasized integrative, fundamental research that crosses disciplinary boundaries. Proposals were expected to combine engineering with social, behavioral, political, and economic sciences to address system-level vulnerability and risk.

Was IMEE focused on narrow technical studies of a single component?

No. The intent was to generate knowledge that reduces vulnerability and risk at a system level, rather than focusing narrowly on a single component or hazard in isolation.

What disciplines were expected to be involved in IMEE proposals?

Proposals were expected to bring together perspectives from engineering alongside social, behavioral, political, and economic sciences, linking technical questions with human and institutional factors.

What are examples of technical topics IMEE was interested in?

Examples mentioned include structural performance, network reliability, lifeline restoration, and system interdependencies.

What are examples of social, institutional, or economic topics IMEE was interested in?

Examples mentioned include risk perception, household and organizational decision-making, policy design, emergency management, equity impacts, and economic disruption.

What were the core research areas highlighted by IMEE?

The program highlighted research on (1) interdependence between civil infrastructure and society, (2) development of more sustainable infrastructure systems, and (3) approaches to vulnerability reduction and risk management.

Did IMEE support research on cascading failures and interdependent networks?

Yes. The description explicitly referenced studying cascading failures across interconnected networks, such as how power outages can affect water delivery, communications, healthcare, transportation, and supply chains, as well as identifying critical weak points and strategies for robustness and recovery.

What kinds of outcomes or improvements did IMEE aim to support?

IMEE aimed to improve robustness, enable rapid recovery, and support long-term adaptability of infrastructure systems, while also generating knowledge that helps reduce vulnerability and risk at a system level.

How did sustainability factor into the IMEE program?

The program aligned with research that helps communities plan and invest in ways that are resilient to extreme events and sustainable over time, acknowledging trade-offs among cost, performance, environmental constraints, and social outcomes.

Was IMEE an NSF program, and how was it categorized?

Yes. Administratively, IMEE was a discretionary NSF grant program within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category and was associated with CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants).

Did the IMEE opportunity require cost sharing or matching funds?

No. The listing stated that cost sharing or matching was not required.

Who was eligible to apply to IMEE?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to applicant types unless additional limitations were specified in the full solicitation text.

What were the historical proposal due dates for IMEE?

Historically, proposals followed recurring annual submission windows with due dates listed as September 1 and October 1, and January 15 and February 15, with submissions due by 5 p.m. local time for the proposer.

Is IMEE currently accepting new submissions?

No. The opportunity is archived. The archive date was January 15, 2015, and the original closing date was noted as October 1, 2010, indicating it is no longer active for new submissions under that specific funding opportunity number.

What is the funding opportunity number referenced for this archived IMEE listing?

The listing referenced funding opportunity number PD 10-1638.

Where was applicants directed to find additional program information?

NSF provided an additional information link to the NSF program description.

Who should be contacted for Grants.gov access issues related to this opportunity?

Applicants having trouble accessing the announcement through Grants.gov were directed to contact NSF Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.