Mid Scale Innovations Program | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Mid Scale Innovations Program (MSIP) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunity run through the Division of Astronomical Sciences to support ambitious, mid-scale astronomy and astrophysics projects that are too large for typical single-investigator awards but smaller than major flagship facilities. The program was specifically recommended by the 2010 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey, which highlighted a strong pipeline of mid-scale ideas capable of delivering significant science returns on a timely schedule. In practical terms, MSIP is meant to keep the field moving by funding high-impact projects in a cost band that enables real leaps in capability without the long timelines and large commitments associated with the biggest observatories.

A defining feature of this solicitation is its focus on a broad range of project types, organized into four formal subcategories. First, it supports limited-term, self-contained science projects, which are efforts with clear, bounded scopes and deliverables that can produce important results within a defined period. Second, it funds longer-term mid-scale facilities, which may include the construction, upgrade, or operation of facilities that serve astronomy research needs over extended timescales. Third, it includes development investments that prepare the ground for future mid-scale or large-scale projects, essentially helping mature concepts, technologies, instrumentation, or infrastructure so they are ready for later, larger efforts. Fourth, it supports community open-access capabilities, emphasizing resources or platforms that can be broadly used by the wider research community rather than being limited to a single group, such as shared instrumentation, data systems, or services that expand access to observations or analysis.

The program places strong weight on scientific merit, meaning proposals are expected to make a compelling case for the astronomy or astrophysics enabled by the project and why it matters now. Alongside the science case, MSIP also explicitly emphasizes workforce development and education: applicants are expected to present a well-developed plan for student training and for involving a diverse workforce. This workforce component is not treated as an add-on; it is tied to the program's goal of building capability in areas like instrumentation, facility development, and data management, where hands-on participation can create long-term value for both the project and the broader field.

From a funding standpoint, this is a discretionary grant program under the NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences CFDA number 47.049. The opportunity anticipated making about four awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $30,000,000. Individual awards were expected to range from a floor of $4,000,000 up to a ceiling of $30,000,000, indicating the program is designed for sizable, project-style investments rather than conventional research grants. Cost sharing or matching was not required. Eligibility was listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility details that might be included in the full solicitation text.

Administratively, this opportunity was posted June 19, 2015, with a closing date of February 22, 2016, and it was later archived on March 23, 2016. The funding opportunity number is 15-580, and the full details were provided in NSF Publication 15-580. For access issues with the announcement, the notice directs applicants to NSF's grants.gov support contact at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

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