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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - NSF Operations Research (OR) Grant (PD 09 5514)

What is this grant opportunity?

This is the National Science Foundation (NSF) Operations Research (OR) discretionary research grant opportunity, identified as Funding Opportunity Number PD 09 5514 under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants). It is positioned within NSF's Science and Technology and other Research and Development portfolio as a standard NSF research program supporting competitive proposals.

What is the purpose of the NSF Operations Research (OR) program?

The purpose of the program is to fund fundamental research that advances the scientific foundations of operations research. The emphasis is on creating new models, methods, and algorithms that improve how large-scale systems are operated, analyzed, and optimized.

What kinds of research topics does the program support?

The program focuses on innovations in optimization and decision-making for complex, large-scale systems. The core scope includes advances in optimization theory, methods for difficult (NP-hard) optimization problems, modeling and simulation under uncertainty, and new enterprise-wide or system-of-systems approaches that may require advanced computing.

Does this program focus on theoretical work, applied work, or both?

Based on the description, the program targets fundamental research (scientific foundations) while clearly connecting that research to how large-scale systems are operated and optimized. The solicitation language highlights mathematical and algorithmic advances, including rigorous performance guarantees where possible.

What optimization areas are specifically called out?

The program explicitly calls out advances in the theory of optimization, including continuous, discrete, and combinatorial optimization, along with rigorous performance guarantees where possible.

Are heuristic or approximation methods eligible topics?

Yes. The program explicitly includes heuristic and approximation approaches for NP-hard optimization problems, reflecting interest in methods that remain effective when exact solutions are computationally infeasible at real-world scales.

Does the program support research involving uncertainty and randomness?

Yes. The scope includes simulation, stochastic modeling, and probabilistic methods for systems subject to uncertainty, randomness, and variability.

Does the program support high-performance or advanced computing needs?

Yes. The description mentions the development of novel, enterprise-wide or system-of-systems models that may require advanced, high-end computing to represent, solve, and analyze.

What types of operational decisions are mentioned as relevant applications?

The opportunity targets research strengthening the mathematical and algorithmic toolkit behind planning, scheduling, routing, network design, resource allocation, logistics, and other operational decisions, particularly when decisions must be made at scale and under uncertainty.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning proposals could be submitted by any type of applicant organization, subject to any additional eligibility language that may have appeared in the full program text.

Was cost sharing or matching funds required?

No. The opportunity did not require cost sharing or matching funds.

What were the proposal submission windows?

The original full proposal submission window was September 1 to October 1, 2009, and the listing indicates that this same window applied annually thereafter. An additional window of January 15 to February 15, 2010 was also provided, and it too was indicated annually thereafter.

Is this opportunity still active?

No. The opportunity is archived. The archive date listed is August 4, 2010.

What replaced this archived opportunity?

The listing notes that this opportunity was replaced by a later NSF program announcement referenced as "replaced by 10 5514."

Why does the listing show $0 estimated funding and 0 expected awards?

The record shows an estimated total funding amount of $0 and expected awards listed as 0. The information provided indicates this can be an artifact of how older federal listings were captured rather than a definitive statement about actual NSF program funding. The program description itself frames it as a standard NSF research program supporting competitive proposals.

Where could applicants find the authoritative program guidance?

The listing referenced an NSF program description link (NSF Program Description 08 5514) as the authoritative source for program guidance.

Where could applicants get help accessing the announcement through Grants.gov?

NSF provided support for Grants.gov access via the email address grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

What program and catalog identifiers are associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is identified as NSF Operations Research (OR), Funding Opportunity Number PD 09 5514, under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants).