Opportunity Information: Apply for 16 608
Apply for 16 608
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Smart and Autonomous Systems" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.070.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 22, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 19, 2016. (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 $1,400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 40 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Smart and Autonomous Systems (SampAS) grant opportunity supports research and development in what NSF calls Intelligent Physical Systems (IPS). In plain terms, it is aimed at the next generation of autonomous systems that do more than execute pre-programmed routines. The program is looking for systems that can operate for long periods with minimal or no human supervision, while understanding what they can and cannot do, adapting as conditions change, and making decisions that account for real-world constraints. The kinds of systems envisioned include robotic platforms and networked cyber-physical systems that tightly integrate computing, sensing, communication, and actuation.
A central theme of SampAS is pushing autonomy beyond basic perception-action loops into higher-level intelligence. The solicitation emphasizes five qualities. First, "cognizant" systems should have awareness that goes beyond primitive actions, meaning they can maintain a broader understanding of their state and environment in support of persistent, long-term operation. Second, "taskable" systems should be able to take high-level instructions that may be incomplete, vague, or stated in human terms, and translate them into concrete, context-dependent plans and actions. This reflects a shift toward autonomy that can be directed by intent rather than micromanaged through detailed commands.
Third, "reflective" systems are expected to learn from experience, not only from their own prior successes and failures but also from the experiences of other systems or humans. This includes learning through instruction or observation and developing self-aware, self-improving behavior over time, such as recognizing when performance is degrading, identifying why, and adjusting strategies accordingly. Fourth, SampAS explicitly calls for "ethical" IPS, meaning systems that incorporate societal and legal rules into decision-making instead of treating them as afterthoughts. The emphasis here is on autonomy that can be trusted in settings where safety, fairness, accountability, and compliance matter, and where decisions may have consequences for people and communities.
Finally, the program highlights "knowledge-rich" IPS, meaning systems that rely on robust representation and reasoning rather than only pattern recognition. The opportunity mentions semantic reasoning, probabilistic reasoning, and commonsense reasoning, with an emphasis on cognitively plausible approaches to handling uncertainty and making decisions when information is incomplete or noisy. Knowledge-rich systems are also expected to reason about the intentions of other entities, such as humans or other autonomous agents, which matters in collaborative environments and shared spaces where predicting behavior and coordinating actions are necessary for safe and effective autonomy.
Administratively, this is a discretionary NSF research grant opportunity in the science and technology research and development category (CFDA 47.070). The funding opportunity title is "Smart and Autonomous Systems" with opportunity number 16-608. The award ceiling listed is $1,400,000, and NSF anticipated making around 40 awards under this solicitation. The original posting date was September 22, 2016, with an original closing date of December 19, 2016. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with details intended to be clarified in the full eligibility text of the solicitation. Overall, the opportunity targets ambitious research that advances trustworthy long-duration autonomy by combining learning, reasoning, human-directed tasking, and principled decision-making in physical or cyber-physical systems.
NSF Smart and Autonomous Systems (SampAS) Grant Opportunity FAQs
1) What is the NSF Smart and Autonomous Systems (SampAS) opportunity?
It is a National Science Foundation (NSF) discretionary research grant opportunity titled "Smart and Autonomous Systems" (opportunity number 16-608). It supports research and development in what NSF describes as Intelligent Physical Systems (IPS), aimed at advancing the next generation of smart, autonomous systems.
2) What kinds of systems does this program focus on?
The program envisions robotic platforms and networked cyber-physical systems that tightly integrate computing, sensing, communication, and actuation. The emphasis is on autonomy in physical or cyber-physical settings rather than software-only automation.
3) What does NSF mean by "Intelligent Physical Systems (IPS)" in this context?
IPS refers to systems that combine computing with physical interaction through sensing and actuation, often with communication capabilities as well. In practical terms here, IPS are autonomous or semi-autonomous systems operating in real-world environments with real-world constraints.
4) What is the overall goal of the SampAS solicitation?
The goal is to push autonomy beyond pre-programmed routines and basic perception-action loops toward long-duration, trustworthy autonomy. The solicitation highlights systems that can operate for long periods with minimal or no human supervision, adapt as conditions change, and make decisions that account for real-world constraints.
5) What does "long-duration autonomy with minimal or no human supervision" imply?
It implies systems designed to persist over time without continuous human control, including the ability to monitor their own state, handle changing environments, and continue functioning effectively even when human input is limited, intermittent, or high-level.
6) What are the five key qualities emphasized in SampAS?
The solicitation emphasizes five qualities for Intelligent Physical Systems: cognizant, taskable, reflective, ethical, and knowledge-rich.
7) What is a "cognizant" system under this program?
"Cognizant" systems are expected to have awareness beyond primitive actions. They should maintain a broader understanding of their state and environment to support persistent, long-term operation.
8) What is a "taskable" system under this program?
"Taskable" systems should be able to accept high-level instructions that may be incomplete, vague, or stated in human terms, and translate them into concrete, context-dependent plans and actions. This reflects autonomy guided by intent rather than detailed step-by-step command sequences.
9) What is a "reflective" system under this program?
"Reflective" systems are expected to learn from experience over time. This includes learning from their own successes and failures and from the experiences of other systems or humans (for example, via instruction or observation). Reflective autonomy also includes self-monitoring and self-improvement behaviors such as detecting performance degradation, diagnosing causes, and adapting strategies accordingly.
10) What does NSF mean by "ethical" Intelligent Physical Systems?
11) What is meant by "knowledge-rich" Intelligent Physical Systems?
"Knowledge-rich" IPS are expected to use robust representation and reasoning approaches, not only pattern recognition. The opportunity mentions semantic reasoning, probabilistic reasoning, and commonsense reasoning, with an emphasis on handling uncertainty and making decisions when information is incomplete or noisy.
12) Does the program encourage reasoning about humans or other agents?
Yes. The description indicates that knowledge-rich systems are expected to reason about the intentions of other entities, including humans or other autonomous agents. This is relevant in collaborative environments and shared spaces where prediction, coordination, and safe interaction matter.
13) What research direction is SampAS pushing beyond traditional autonomy?
The solicitation emphasizes moving beyond basic perception-action loops and pre-programmed routines toward higher-level intelligence: broader awareness, intent-based tasking, learning from experience, principled decision-making, and reasoning that supports trustworthy long-term autonomy.
14) What is the funding opportunity number and title?
The funding opportunity title is "Smart and Autonomous Systems" and the opportunity number is 16-608.
15) What is the CFDA number and category for this opportunity?
The CFDA number is 47.070, and it is categorized as science and technology research and development.
16) Is this a discretionary grant?
Yes. The opportunity is described as a discretionary NSF research grant.
17) What is the award ceiling?
The listed award ceiling is $1,400,000.
18) How many awards did NSF anticipate making under this solicitation?
NSF anticipated making around 40 awards under this solicitation.
19) What were the original posting and closing dates?
The original posting date was September 22, 2016, and the original closing date was December 19, 2016.
20) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others." The details are intended to be clarified in the full eligibility text of the solicitation.
21) What types of constraints should proposed systems consider in decision-making?
The solicitation describes decision-making that accounts for real-world constraints and explicitly highlights incorporating societal and legal rules as part of ethical IPS, alongside practical issues such as uncertainty, incomplete information, and the need for safe and effective operation in shared environments.
22) What types of reasoning approaches are explicitly referenced?
The opportunity references semantic reasoning, probabilistic reasoning, and commonsense reasoning, and emphasizes cognitively plausible approaches to dealing with uncertainty and incomplete or noisy information.
23) What distinguishes this program from work focused only on pattern recognition?
The program highlights knowledge-rich autonomy that uses robust representations and reasoning, not only pattern recognition. It emphasizes higher-level intelligence for planning, decision-making under uncertainty, and reasoning about other entities' intentions.
24) What is the central theme tying the program elements together?
The central theme is advancing ambitious research that enables trustworthy long-duration autonomy by combining learning from experience, reasoning with rich knowledge, human-directed high-level tasking, and principled (including ethical) decision-making in physical or cyber-physical systems.
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