Opportunity Information: Apply for 16 571

  • The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Partnerships for International Research and Education" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.079, 47.083.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Jun 19, 2016.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 24, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
Apply for 16 571

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Opportunity Summary:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) program is an NSF-wide grant opportunity designed to fund U.S.-led projects that depend on meaningful international collaboration to achieve their research and education goals. The central idea behind PIRE is that certain advances in science and engineering cannot realistically happen within a single country or isolated research setting. Instead, the program targets high-quality projects where the international partnership is essential, not just helpful, and where working across borders is integral to the project design, outcomes, and broader impacts.

PIRE is positioned as a broad, cross-disciplinary program that spans all areas of science and engineering supported by NSF. That means proposals can come from a wide range of fields as long as they fit NSF research domains and make a strong case that international collaboration is required for success. The program emphasizes both research excellence and education and workforce development, with the goal of building a stronger U.S. science and engineering community that is capable of operating effectively in global research environments.

A major purpose of the program is to increase the level of international engagement by U.S. researchers and educators. NSF frames this as increasingly necessary because many of today’s most urgent and complex science and engineering challenges are global in scope and require access to expertise, infrastructure, data, environments, and perspectives that may be distributed across different countries. PIRE supports projects that form substantive partnerships with international teams and institutions, recognizing that effective collaboration also means working across different national research systems and cultural contexts.

Education and training are core parts of the program’s mission. PIRE aims to promote a diverse, globally engaged U.S. workforce by creating opportunities for students and early-career researchers to gain international experience and build skills for cross-cultural teamwork. In practice, this commonly includes structured research and training experiences, collaborative mentoring, and intentional plans for developing participants who can work in international teams and sustain long-term professional relationships across borders. The program’s broader workforce emphasis reflects NSF’s view that global competence is a key component of modern scientific and engineering leadership.

From the funding details provided, this opportunity is a discretionary grant program administered by NSF under Funding Opportunity Number 16-571. The award ceiling is listed at $5,000,000, and NSF anticipated making about 12 awards under this competition. The original closing date for proposal submission was April 24, 2017, and the opportunity record indicates it was created on June 19, 2016. The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and multiple CFDA numbers are associated with the solicitation (47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.079, 47.083), reflecting NSF’s multi-directorate coverage and the program’s broad scope. Eligibility is listed as “Others” with additional clarification referenced in the solicitation’s eligibility section, indicating that applicants need to consult the official text to confirm organizational eligibility requirements and any specific conditions.

Overall, PIRE is best understood as a program for ambitious, internationally integrated research and education projects where the international component is fundamental to the intellectual work, where collaboration quality is central, and where the project deliberately builds globally capable researchers and engineers in the United States while advancing NSF-supported science and engineering fields.

NSF PIRE (Partnerships for International Research and Education) - FAQs

What is the NSF Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) program?

PIRE is an NSF-wide grant opportunity that funds U.S.-led research and education projects that rely on meaningful international collaboration to achieve their goals. The program is designed for work where cross-border partnerships are essential to the project, not just an added benefit.

What is the main purpose of PIRE?

The core purpose is to support high-quality projects in science and engineering where significant advances cannot realistically be achieved within a single country or an isolated research setting. PIRE emphasizes projects that are intentionally designed around international collaboration as a fundamental requirement for success.

Does PIRE support only certain scientific fields?

PIRE is described as a broad, cross-disciplinary program spanning all areas of science and engineering supported by NSF. Proposals may come from a wide range of fields as long as they align with NSF research domains and clearly justify why international collaboration is required.

What does NSF mean by "meaningful international collaboration" in PIRE?

Based on the program description, "meaningful" collaboration means the international partnership is integral to the project design, outcomes, and broader impacts. The collaboration must be essential to achieving the research and education objectives, rather than being optional or peripheral.

Is PIRE primarily a research grant or an education/workforce program?

PIRE emphasizes both research excellence and education and workforce development. It is structured to advance science and engineering research while also training and developing a globally engaged U.S. science and engineering workforce.

Why does NSF emphasize international engagement in PIRE?

The program frames international engagement as increasingly necessary because many urgent and complex challenges are global in scope. PIRE supports partnerships that help U.S. teams access expertise, infrastructure, data, environments, and perspectives that may be distributed across countries.

What types of international partners are expected under PIRE?

PIRE supports projects that form substantive partnerships with international teams and institutions. The description highlights that collaboration involves working across different national research systems and cultural contexts, implying partnerships should be real, structured, and collaborative.

How important is the international component to a competitive PIRE project?

The international component is central. The opportunity description repeatedly emphasizes that international collaboration must be essential to the intellectual work and integral to project design and outcomes, not simply helpful.

What role do students and early-career researchers play in PIRE projects?

Education and training are core parts of PIRE. The program aims to create opportunities for students and early-career researchers to gain international experience and build cross-cultural teamwork skills through structured research and training experiences, collaborative mentoring, and intentional development plans.

What kinds of training activities are commonly included in PIRE?

Commonly included elements (as described) are structured international research and training experiences, collaborative mentoring arrangements, and plans to help participants work effectively in international teams and build long-term professional relationships across borders.

Does PIRE have a workforce development and diversity emphasis?

Yes. PIRE aims to promote a diverse, globally engaged U.S. workforce and reflects NSF's view that global competence is a key element of modern scientific and engineering leadership.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this PIRE solicitation?

The Funding Opportunity Number provided is 16-571.

What type of funding mechanism is PIRE under this opportunity record?

It is listed as a discretionary grant program administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed for this opportunity?

The award ceiling is listed at $5,000,000.

How many awards did NSF anticipate making under this competition?

NSF anticipated making about 12 awards under this competition.

What was the proposal submission deadline for this opportunity record?

The original closing date for proposal submission was April 24, 2017.

When was the opportunity record created?

The opportunity record indicates it was created on June 19, 2016.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

Which CFDA numbers are associated with this PIRE solicitation?

The solicitation lists multiple CFDA numbers: 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.079, and 47.083. This reflects NSF's multi-directorate coverage and the program's broad scope.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the solicitation's eligibility section. Applicants are expected to consult the official solicitation text to confirm organizational eligibility requirements and any specific conditions.

Is PIRE limited to one NSF directorate or office?

No. The program is described as NSF-wide and cross-disciplinary, spanning all areas of science and engineering supported by NSF, which is also reflected by the multiple CFDA numbers associated with the solicitation.

What makes PIRE different from projects that simply include international collaborators?

PIRE targets projects where the international partnership is essential to achieving the objectives. The program description emphasizes that working across borders must be integral to the project design, outcomes, and broader impacts, with collaboration quality being central.

What outcomes does PIRE aim to achieve for the U.S. research community?

PIRE aims to build a stronger U.S. science and engineering community that can operate effectively in global research environments, while advancing NSF-supported science and engineering fields through internationally integrated research and education efforts.

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