Opportunity Information: Apply for 11 553
Apply for 11 553
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Robotics Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.310 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) 43.001 Science 43.008 Education 47.041 Engineering Grants 47.070 Computer and Information Science and Engineering 47.075 Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences 47.076 Education and Human Resources 93.286 Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health 93.361 Nursing Research 93.389 National Center for Research Resources 93.853 Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders 93.865 Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research 93.866 Aging Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 19, 2012 and posted on Jun 29, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 18, 2012 Letter of Intent Deadline Date October 1, 2012 Small Proposals October 1, Annually Thereafter Full Proposal Deadline Date November 3, 2012 Small Proposals November 3, Annually Thereafter Letter of Intent Deadline Date December 15, 2012 Group Large Proposals December 15, Annually Thereafter Full Proposal Deadline Date January 18, 2013 Group Large Proposals January 18, Annually Thereafter. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $50,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 75 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 Organizational eligibility is contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). Additional eligibility restrictions apply to USDA/NIFA grants(see section IV). The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the NSF website at a hrefhttp://www.nsf.gov/publications/pubsumm.jspodskeygpghttp://www.nsf.gov/publications/pubsumm.jspodskeygpg/a.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Robotics Initiative (Funding Opportunity Number 11-553) is a federal research and development program aimed at speeding up the creation and real-world adoption of "co-robots" in the United States: robotic systems designed to work beside people or cooperatively with them, rather than replacing them. The core idea is to support robotics that directly assists human partners in a close, interactive way, where the human and robot function as a team and each complements the other. The program is structured to push progress not only in robotics technology itself, but also in how these systems are designed for practical use, how they are manufactured and deployed, and how society adapts to them over time.
The opportunity is backed by multiple federal agencies with different mission areas, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) as the lead agency, along with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Because of that multi-agency structure, the initiative is meant to cover a broad range of application spaces and scientific disciplines, from core engineering and computer science to health, agriculture, education, and the social and behavioral sciences. Projects are expected to align with the relevant interests of one or more participating agencies, and applicants are encouraged to clarify fit and relevance with the appropriate agency contact listed in the solicitation.
A notable feature of the program is its emphasis on the full life cycle of robotics innovation. This includes fundamental research and early-stage development, but also extends to later-stage considerations such as usability, reliability, integration into workflows, manufacturing pathways, and deployment in real environments. Beyond the technical milestones, the solicitation also highlights education and workforce development: proposals that help establish or strengthen robotics in educational curricula and research training are viewed as important to the initiative's long-term goals. In addition, the program explicitly calls out the importance of understanding longer-term social, behavioral, and economic implications of co-robots across human activities, encouraging research that examines how people will work with these systems, how organizations may change, and what broader impacts might follow.
Collaboration is strongly encouraged across academia, industry, nonprofits, and other organizations to tighten the connection between foundational science, technology development, and practical use. This reflects a broader program intent to reduce the gap between lab results and deployed systems by building teams and partnerships that can carry ideas further toward adoption and impact.
The solicitation supports two main proposal tracks. Small projects can be led by one or more investigators and may last from 1 to 5 years. Large projects are intended for multidisciplinary teams, also spanning 1 to 5 years, and are designed for efforts that require broader expertise and coordinated research components. The funding instrument listed is a cooperative agreement, and the overall program scale in the source data indicates an estimated total funding amount of $50,000,000 and an expected 75 awards. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement stated.
Key administrative details include annual recurring deadlines (as presented in the opportunity history). Letters of intent are required, with separate dates for small and large proposals, followed by corresponding full proposal deadlines. Eligibility is tied to the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), with additional restrictions applying specifically to USDA/NIFA proposals, meaning applicants need to follow the NSF baseline eligibility rules while also checking any agency-specific constraints if they intend to route funding or scope through USDA components. The opportunity spans multiple CFDA program areas across engineering, computer and information science, education, social and behavioral sciences, health and biomedical research, neuroscience, aging, and agriculture, reflecting the initiative's intentionally broad, cross-sector focus.
National Robotics Initiative (Funding Opportunity Number 11-553) FAQs
1) What is the National Robotics Initiative (NRI)?
The National Robotics Initiative (Funding Opportunity Number 11-553) is a federal research and development program focused on accelerating the development and real-world adoption of "co-robots" in the United States.
2) What does the program mean by "co-robots"?
"Co-robots" are robotic systems designed to work beside people or cooperatively with them. The emphasis is on robots that assist humans in close, interactive settings where the human and robot function as a team and complement each other, rather than robots intended to replace people.
3) What kinds of outcomes is NRI trying to achieve?
The program aims to speed up both (a) robotics technology progress and (b) practical adoption in real environments. It is structured to push progress not only in building the robots, but also in how they are designed for use, manufactured, deployed, integrated into workflows, and adapted to by society over time.
4) Which federal agencies support this opportunity?
The opportunity is backed by multiple federal agencies. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the lead agency, with participation from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
5) Why is this a multi-agency program?
Because multiple agencies participate, the initiative is intended to cover a broad range of application areas and scientific disciplines, spanning core engineering and computer science through health, agriculture, education, and social and behavioral sciences.
6) Do proposed projects need to align with a specific agency mission?
Yes. Projects are expected to align with the relevant interests of one or more participating agencies. Applicants are encouraged to clarify fit and relevance with the appropriate agency contact listed in the solicitation.
7) What disciplines and application areas are in scope?
The solicitation is intentionally broad and cross-sector. It spans multiple program areas including engineering, computer and information science, education, social and behavioral sciences, health and biomedical research, neuroscience, aging, and agriculture.
8) Does the program support only early-stage robotics research?
No. While fundamental research and early-stage development are included, the program also emphasizes later-stage considerations across the full life cycle of robotics innovation, such as usability, reliability, integration into workflows, manufacturing pathways, and deployment in real environments.
9) What does NRI mean by considering the "full life cycle" of robotics innovation?
It means proposals may address not just creating new robotic capabilities, but also practical and downstream elements that affect adoption, including human use considerations (usability), robustness (reliability), fit within real work settings (workflow integration), how systems can be produced (manufacturing pathways), and how they operate outside the lab (real-world deployment).
10) Is education and workforce development part of the program?
Yes. The solicitation highlights education and workforce development as important to the initiative's long-term goals, including efforts that help establish or strengthen robotics in educational curricula and research training.
11) Does NRI support research on social, behavioral, or economic impacts of co-robots?
Yes. The program explicitly calls out the importance of understanding longer-term social, behavioral, and economic implications of co-robots across human activities, including how people work with these systems, how organizations may change, and what broader impacts might follow.
12) Are collaborations required?
Collaboration is strongly encouraged across academia, industry, nonprofits, and other organizations. The intent is to tighten the connection between foundational science, technology development, and practical use to reduce the gap between lab results and deployed systems.
13) What proposal tracks are available under this solicitation?
The solicitation supports two main tracks: Small projects and Large projects.
14) What is a Small project under NRI?
Small projects can be led by one or more investigators and may last from 1 to 5 years.
15) What is a Large project under NRI?
Large projects are intended for multidisciplinary teams, may also span 1 to 5 years, and are designed for efforts that require broader expertise and coordinated research components.
16) What is the award duration for projects?
Both Small and Large projects may last from 1 to 5 years.
17) What funding instrument is used for awards?
The funding instrument listed for this opportunity is a cooperative agreement.
18) What is the estimated total funding and expected number of awards?
The overall program scale indicates an estimated total funding amount of $50,000,000 and an expected 75 awards.
19) Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated in the information provided.
20) Are there recurring deadlines?
Yes. The opportunity history indicates annual recurring deadlines.
21) Are letters of intent (LOIs) required?
Yes. Letters of intent are required, with separate dates for Small and Large proposals, followed by corresponding full proposal deadlines.
22) How does eligibility work for this opportunity?
Eligibility is tied to the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). Applicants should follow NSF baseline eligibility rules.
23) Are there any agency-specific eligibility restrictions to be aware of?
Yes. Additional restrictions apply specifically to USDA/NIFA proposals. Applicants should follow the NSF eligibility baseline while also checking agency-specific constraints if they intend to route funding or scope through USDA components.
24) What should applicants do if they are unsure which participating agency is the best fit?
Applicants are encouraged to clarify fit and relevance with the appropriate agency contact listed in the solicitation.
25) What is the core program philosophy behind NRI projects?
The core philosophy is to support robotics that directly assists human partners in close, interactive ways, with the human and robot operating as a team where each complements the other, alongside a deliberate push toward real-world use and broader societal adaptation.
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| DoD Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Technology Development Award Apply for W81XWH 11 PRORP TDA Funding Number: W81XWH 11 PRORP TDA Agency: Dept. of the Army USAMRAA Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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