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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this NSF funding opportunity (NSF 13-582) about?

This opportunity sought proposals from qualified organizations to manage and operate the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

What is NOAO and what does it do?

NOAO serves as the United States national center for ground-based, nighttime optical and infrared (O/IR) astronomy. Its mission is community-facing, focused on providing broad and fair access to advanced observing capabilities and scientifically valuable data resources for professional researchers.

What scientific areas was NOAO expected to support?

The solicitation emphasized NOAO as a shared national resource enabling a wide range of modern astrophysics, including studies of small bodies in the Solar System, galaxy evolution across cosmic time, and large-scale investigations that indirectly probe dark matter and dark energy.

What kind of award was this (grant type and category)?

This was a discretionary NSF grant opportunity in the "Science and Technology and other Research and Development" category.

What CFDA program was associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity was listed under CFDA 47.049 (Mathematical and Physical Sciences).

How many awards did NSF anticipate making?

NSF anticipated making a single award.

What was the estimated funding amount?

The estimated total funding level was $200,617,888. This amount was also listed as the award floor.

Was cost sharing required?

No cost-sharing requirement was stated for this opportunity.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants included:

• U.S.-based universities and accredited two- and four-year colleges
• Non-profit, non-academic organizations (such as independent observatories, museums, research labs, and professional societies)
• For-profit U.S. commercial organizations (including small businesses) with strong research, engineering, or education capabilities

What was the expected role of the awardee?

The awardee was expected to manage and operate NOAO and work closely with NSF and the broader scientific community to ensure NOAO continued delivering frontier science through unique facilities, strong user support, and a culture of operational and scientific excellence.

What does it mean that NOAO is an FFRDC?

The solicitation identified NOAO as a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). In this context, the funding opportunity was specifically to manage and operate that NSF-supported center as a national resource.

What were the main responsibilities described for the managing organization?

Within available resources, responsibilities included planning and executing a coherent and inclusive program aligned with research and education priorities identified by stakeholder communities, while keeping NOAO productive, inclusive, and aligned with evolving scientific priorities.

What facilities and resources was the awardee expected to maintain and operate?

The managing organization was responsible for maintaining and operating NSF-provided facilities and equipment, sustaining instruments and infrastructure, enabling robust access to observing time and data products, and operating NOAO as a multidisciplinary, multiuser center.

What were proposals expected to describe (key elements)?

Proposals were expected to lay out practical plans for how the organization or partnership would:

1. Provide access to NOAO observing capabilities and scientific data
2. Deliver an integrated portfolio of research support, education, training, and outreach
3. Maintain and refresh instruments, facilities, and underlying technical infrastructure
4. Recruit, manage, and develop a skilled and diverse workforce
5. Build effective partnerships across academia, industry, private organizations, and international collaborators to strengthen and extend NOAO's mission

How important were sustainability and community responsiveness in this solicitation?

They were central themes. The winning proposal needed to present a compelling long-term vision that could realistically be executed under expected funding levels, with management and operational structures designed to keep NOAO sustainable, productive, inclusive, and responsive to community needs.

Was collaboration with the scientific community expected?

Yes. The awardee was expected to work closely with NSF and the broader scientific community, and to run NOAO as a multiuser center where programs are carried out in collaboration with the communities that depend on it.

What kinds of partnerships were encouraged or expected?

The solicitation called for building effective partnerships across academia, industry, private organizations, and international collaborators to strengthen and extend NOAO's mission.

Were education, training, and outreach part of the expected work?

Yes. Proposals were expected to include an integrated portfolio that includes research support along with education, training, and outreach.

Was workforce diversity addressed in the solicitation?

Yes. Proposals were expected to describe how the organization would recruit, manage, and develop a skilled and diverse workforce.

What were the key submission dates?

The required letter of intent was due October 18, 2013 (by 5 p.m. local time). The full proposal deadline was January 13, 2014.

Was a letter of intent required?

Yes. A letter of intent was required and had its own deadline (October 18, 2013 by 5 p.m. local time).

When was the opportunity originally posted and when was it archived?

The opportunity was originally posted July 31, 2013 and was archived February 13, 2014.

What does it mean that NOAO is a "shared national resource" in this solicitation?

The solicitation framed NOAO as a community-facing national center intended to provide broad, fair access to observing capabilities and data resources so that a wide range of professional researchers can carry out modern astrophysics research.

What was expected regarding user access and user support?

The awardee was expected to ensure robust access to observing time and data products and provide strong user support as part of maintaining NOAO as a multiuser national facility.

Could a partnership submit a proposal?

Yes. The solicitation stated proposals should explain how the organization (or partnership) would meet the requirements, indicating that partnership approaches were contemplated.

What was NSF looking for in the management approach?

NSF emphasized management and operational structures that support long-term sustainability, operational and scientific excellence, inclusivity, and alignment with evolving scientific priorities, while remaining realistic under expected funding levels.