Opportunity Information: Apply for 13 520
Apply for 13 520
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Coordination Networks (RCN)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041 Engineering Grants 47.049 Mathematical and Physical Sciences 47.050 Geosciences 47.074 Biological Sciences 47.075 Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences 47.076 Education and Human Resources 47.078 Polar Programs 47.079 Office of International Science and Engineering 47.080 Office of Cyberinfrastructure.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 19, 2014 and posted on Dec 3, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by This opportunity has been archived.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $17,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 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 Non profit, non academic organizations Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities. Universities and Colleges Universities and two and four year colleges (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation's Research Coordination Networks (RCN) program was designed to help research and education communities move faster and think bigger by funding the coordination work that lets people collaborate effectively. Instead of paying for primary research projects, RCN supports the connective tissue of a field: building new partnerships, sharing methods and ideas, aligning ongoing or planned efforts, and creating the structures that allow many separate projects and groups to operate as a coherent community. The central aim is to advance an area of science or education, or to open up entirely new directions, by enabling investigators to communicate and coordinate across disciplinary lines, institutions, geographic regions, and even national borders.
A defining feature of RCN is its emphasis on creating new or expanded networks rather than maintaining ones that already exist. The program explicitly discourages proposals that mainly fund established collaborations or keep an existing network running. Instead, the awards are meant to spark new connections and help communities organize around a shared theme that gives the network coherence. That theme might be a broad research question, a set of emerging technologies, a methodological approach, or a cross-cutting challenge that benefits from interdisciplinary input. Activities commonly associated with RCN support include organizing workshops and training events, developing shared resources, coordinating multi-site efforts, promoting synthesis across studies, and building community standards, particularly for data and metadata. NSF also highlights interest in novel networking strategies and collaborative technologies, reflecting a desire for networks that are not only scientifically meaningful but also modern in how they share information and operate.
The solicitation included both general (non-targeted) RCN proposals and targeted tracks. General RCN proposals were accepted by core programs within several NSF units, including the Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO), Geosciences (GEO), Engineering (ENG), and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), along with the Offices of Cyberinfrastructure (OCI) and Polar Programs (OPP). For these general proposals, deadlines varied by the participating program, and applicants were directed to consult program-specific guidance. In addition, NSF offered targeted tracks intended to encourage collaboration across multiple directorates and to concentrate effort on priority areas. One major targeted track was RCN SEES (Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability), which focused on interdisciplinary sustainability topics. This track supported networking that would advance sustainability science, engineering, and education, addressing challenges tied to environmental, social, and cultural change associated with human population growth and development, as well as the pursuit of a sustainable energy future. Another targeted track was RCN UBE (Undergraduate Biology Education), supported only by BIO and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), aimed at improving undergraduate biology education through better participation, learning outcomes, or assessment in biology curricula. The solicitation also noted that other NSF solicitations may accept RCN-style proposals or otherwise support networking activities, depending on the program.
From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 13-520) was a discretionary NSF grant program in the science and technology research and development category. NSF anticipated roughly 25 awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $17.5 million. Individual award sizes ranged from $50,000 to a maximum of $750,000, and there was no cost sharing or matching requirement. Eligible applicants included US-based universities and colleges (including accredited two- and four-year institutions and community colleges with a US campus) applying on behalf of their faculty, as well as certain non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar US organizations tied to research or educational activities. The posting date was December 3, 2012, and while the solicitation referenced specific due dates for certain tracks (for example, early 2013 for SEES and mid-2013 for UBE-related deadlines) and also indicated that proposals could be accepted at any time depending on program rules, the opportunity is now archived (archived December 19, 2014), meaning it is no longer open for submission under that specific solicitation.
In practical terms, the RCN program was about funding coordination with purpose: helping a community define a shared agenda, connect the right people, adopt effective tools for collaboration, and agree on standards and practices that make research and education efforts easier to combine, compare, and build upon. The program's value proposition was that well-designed networks can accelerate discovery and improve education not by paying for more experiments directly, but by making the overall enterprise more connected, aligned, and capable of generating synthesis and new directions.
NSF Research Coordination Networks (RCN) Program (Funding Opportunity 13-520) FAQs
What is the NSF Research Coordination Networks (RCN) program?
The National Science Foundation's Research Coordination Networks (RCN) program funds the coordination work that helps research and education communities collaborate effectively. It is designed to help communities move faster and think bigger by supporting activities that connect people, align efforts, and build shared structures across a field.
What is the main goal of RCN awards?
The central aim is to advance an area of science or education (or open up entirely new directions) by enabling investigators to communicate and coordinate across disciplinary lines, institutions, geographic regions, and even national borders.
Does RCN fund primary research projects?
No. RCN is described as supporting the "connective tissue" of a field rather than paying for primary research projects. It focuses on coordination that enables collaboration, synthesis, and community organization.
What kinds of activities does RCN typically support?
Activities commonly associated with RCN support include organizing workshops and training events, developing shared resources, coordinating multi-site efforts, promoting synthesis across studies, and building community standards, particularly for data and metadata.
What does NSF mean by "coordination work" in this program?
Coordination work includes building new partnerships, sharing methods and ideas, aligning ongoing or planned efforts, and creating structures that allow separate projects and groups to operate as a coherent community around a shared theme.
Is the program intended to maintain existing networks?
No. A defining feature of RCN is its emphasis on creating new or expanded networks rather than maintaining ones that already exist. The program explicitly discourages proposals that mainly fund established collaborations or keep an existing network running.
What makes a network "coherent" for RCN purposes?
RCN networks are expected to organize around a shared theme that gives the network coherence. The theme could be a broad research question, a set of emerging technologies, a methodological approach, or a cross-cutting challenge that benefits from interdisciplinary input.
Does NSF encourage new approaches to networking and collaboration?
Yes. NSF highlights interest in novel networking strategies and collaborative technologies, reflecting an emphasis on networks that are scientifically meaningful and modern in how they share information and operate.
Were there different types of RCN proposals under this solicitation?
Yes. The solicitation included both general (non-targeted) RCN proposals and targeted tracks intended to encourage collaboration across multiple NSF directorates and concentrate effort on priority areas.
Which NSF units participated in the general (non-targeted) RCN proposals?
General RCN proposals were accepted by core programs within several NSF units, including the Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO), Geosciences (GEO), Engineering (ENG), and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), along with the Offices of Cyberinfrastructure (OCI) and Polar Programs (OPP).
How did deadlines work for general RCN proposals?
For general (non-targeted) proposals, deadlines varied by the participating program, and applicants were directed to consult program-specific guidance.
What was the RCN SEES targeted track about?
RCN SEES (Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability) focused on interdisciplinary sustainability topics. It supported networking intended to advance sustainability science, engineering, and education.
What kinds of sustainability challenges were emphasized in RCN SEES?
The track addressed challenges tied to environmental, social, and cultural change associated with human population growth and development, as well as the pursuit of a sustainable energy future.
What was the RCN UBE targeted track about?
RCN UBE (Undergraduate Biology Education) was aimed at improving undergraduate biology education through better participation, learning outcomes, or assessment in biology curricula.
Which NSF directorates supported the RCN UBE track?
The RCN UBE track was supported only by BIO and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR).
Could other NSF solicitations support RCN-style networking activities?
Yes. The solicitation noted that other NSF solicitations may accept RCN-style proposals or otherwise support networking activities, depending on the program.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?
The Funding Opportunity Number was 13-520.
What type of funding opportunity was this?
It was a discretionary NSF grant program in the science and technology research and development category.
How many awards did NSF anticipate making under this opportunity?
NSF anticipated roughly 25 awards.
What was the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total funding amount was $17.5 million.
What was the funding range for individual awards?
Individual award sizes ranged from $50,000 to a maximum of $750,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants included US-based universities and colleges (including accredited two- and four-year institutions and community colleges with a US campus) applying on behalf of their faculty. Certain non-profit, non-academic organizations were also eligible, such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar US organizations tied to research or educational activities.
Did applicants need to be US-based?
The eligibility description focused on US-based institutions and US organizations, including institutions with a US campus.
When was this opportunity posted?
The posting date was December 3, 2012.
Is this solicitation still open?
No. The opportunity is archived (archived December 19, 2014), which means it is no longer open for submission under that specific solicitation.
Were there specific due dates mentioned?
Yes. The solicitation referenced specific due dates for certain tracks (for example, early 2013 for SEES and mid-2013 for UBE-related deadlines). It also indicated that proposals could be accepted at any time depending on program rules, and that applicants should consult program-specific guidance for general proposals.
In practical terms, what was RCN trying to accomplish?
RCN was about funding coordination with purpose: helping a community define a shared agenda, connect the right people, adopt effective tools for collaboration, and agree on standards and practices that make research and education efforts easier to combine, compare, and build upon.
What is the value proposition of RCN, according to the solicitation summary?
The value proposition is that well-designed networks can accelerate discovery and improve education not by paying for more experiments directly, but by making the overall enterprise more connected, aligned, and capable of generating synthesis and new directions.
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