Opportunity Information: Apply for 10 508
Apply for 10 508
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Software Development for Cyberinfrastructure" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.080 Office of Cyberinfrastructure.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 8, 2010 and posted on Nov 20, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 26, 2010 Full Proposal Deadline(s) February 26, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $15,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity titled Software Development for Cyberinfrastructure (SDCI) is a discretionary grant program run through the NSF Office of Cyberinfrastructure under CFDA 47.080. Its central goal is to create, deploy, and sustain reusable, extensible software components and systems that can serve a wide range of science and engineering communities, rather than narrowly supporting a single project or discipline. The program is positioned as a continuation and expansion of the earlier NSF Middleware Initiative (NMI), reflecting NSF's broader, updated vision of cyberinfrastructure, meaning the integrated environment of computing, data, networking, software, and related services that modern research depends on.
SDCI supports software development across five major areas. First, it funds system software and tools for high performance computing (HPC) environments, which can include capabilities that improve how researchers use supercomputers and advanced compute clusters. Second, it supports software that advances NSF's strategic vision for digital data, which generally points toward tools and infrastructure that make data easier to manage, share, curate, discover, and reuse at scale. Third, it funds network software to support distributed systems, meaning software that helps connect users, services, and resources across sites and institutions in reliable, high-performance ways. Fourth, it supports middleware capabilities and services, typically the "in-between" software layer that enables interoperability, authentication/authorization, service integration, workflow execution, resource sharing, and other cross-cutting functions that many applications can build upon. Fifth, it supports cybersecurity-oriented software efforts that strengthen the security posture of cyberinfrastructure and the research workflows running on it.
A major emphasis of the program is improving scientific productivity and enabling research and education collaborations. In practice, that means the software outcomes are expected to help communities share data, instruments, and computing or storage resources more effectively, lowering barriers for collaborative and multi-institutional work. The framing of "reusable and expandable" implies NSF is looking for broadly useful building blocks, platforms, and services that can be adopted beyond the proposing team, and that can evolve over time as needs change.
A key requirement is that the funded software be developed as open source. This signals expectations around transparency, community uptake, and long-term sustainability, since open source licensing can make it easier for other researchers and institutions to inspect, improve, extend, and maintain the software after the award period. It also aligns with the goal of producing shared cyberinfrastructure components rather than closed, one-off solutions.
From an administrative and funding standpoint, the opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number 10-508 (NSF Publication 10-508). NSF anticipated making about 30 awards with an estimated total funding amount of $15,000,000. Individual award sizes were expected to range from a floor of $100,000 to a ceiling of $3,000,000, and there was no cost sharing or matching requirement. Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to many types of entities, subject to any additional clarifications in the full announcement. The posting date was November 20, 2009, with a full proposal deadline of February 26, 2010, and the opportunity was archived on November 8, 2010.
For access and support, the announcement points applicants to NSF Publication 10-508 for complete details. It also provides a Grants.gov support contact (grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov) for technical difficulties accessing the announcement electronically or issues related to linking to the funding notice.
Software Development for Cyberinfrastructure (SDCI) - FAQs
What is the SDCI program?
Software Development for Cyberinfrastructure (SDCI) is a discretionary grant program from the National Science Foundation (NSF) run through the NSF Office of Cyberinfrastructure under CFDA 47.080. The program focuses on creating, deploying, and sustaining software that supports modern research cyberinfrastructure.
What is the main goal of SDCI?
The central goal is to build reusable and extensible software components and systems that can serve a wide range of science and engineering communities, rather than software narrowly tailored to a single project or discipline.
How does NSF define "cyberinfrastructure" in this opportunity?
In the SDCI framing, cyberinfrastructure refers to an integrated environment of computing, data, networking, software, and related services that research and education rely on.
Is SDCI related to any earlier NSF programs?
Yes. SDCI is positioned as a continuation and expansion of the earlier NSF Middleware Initiative (NMI), reflecting an updated and broader vision of cyberinfrastructure.
What kinds of projects does SDCI fund?
SDCI funds software development efforts intended to improve scientific productivity and enable research and education collaborations, especially where software can become shared building blocks adopted by communities beyond the proposing team.
What are the five major software areas supported by SDCI?
SDCI supports software development across five areas: (1) system software and tools for high performance computing (HPC) environments, (2) software supporting NSF's strategic vision for digital data, (3) network software for distributed systems, (4) middleware capabilities and services, and (5) cybersecurity-oriented software for cyberinfrastructure and research workflows.
What does SDCI mean by "system software and tools for HPC"?
This refers to software capabilities that improve how researchers use supercomputers and advanced computing clusters, including tools and system-level software supporting HPC environments.
What does "software that advances NSF's strategic vision for digital data" include?
It generally points to tools and infrastructure that make data easier to manage, share, curate, discover, and reuse at scale.
What is meant by "network software to support distributed systems"?
This includes software that helps connect users, services, and resources across sites and institutions in reliable, high-performance ways.
What is middleware in the context of SDCI?
Middleware is the "in-between" software layer that enables cross-cutting functionality such as interoperability, authentication and authorization, service integration, workflow execution, and resource sharing. The idea is to provide capabilities many applications and communities can build upon.
What cybersecurity work is in scope for SDCI?
SDCI supports cybersecurity-oriented software efforts that strengthen the security posture of cyberinfrastructure and the research workflows running on it.
What does NSF emphasize about reuse and extensibility?
The opportunity emphasizes "reusable and expandable" outcomes, signaling interest in broadly useful components, platforms, and services that can be adopted beyond a single team and evolve as needs change.
How does SDCI aim to improve scientific productivity?
The program frames its impact around enabling research and education collaborations by helping communities share data, instruments, and computing or storage resources more effectively, and by lowering barriers to multi-institutional work.
Does SDCI require open source software?
Yes. A key requirement is that funded software be developed as open source, supporting transparency, community uptake, and longer-term sustainability through broad access and the ability for others to inspect, extend, and maintain the software.
Why does the program require open source development?
Based on the opportunity description, the open source requirement aligns with the goal of producing shared cyberinfrastructure components rather than closed, one-off solutions, and supports transparency and community-driven sustainability after the award period.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for SDCI?
The opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number 10-508 (NSF Publication 10-508).
What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The program is listed under CFDA 47.080.
How many awards did NSF anticipate making under this opportunity?
NSF anticipated making about 30 awards.
What was the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total funding amount was $15,000,000.
What were the expected award size ranges?
Individual award sizes were expected to range from $100,000 to $3,000,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to many types of entities, subject to any additional clarifications in the full announcement.
When was the opportunity posted?
The posting date was November 20, 2009.
What was the proposal deadline?
The full proposal deadline was February 26, 2010.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. The opportunity was archived on November 8, 2010.
Where can applicants find the complete details for this announcement?
The announcement points to NSF Publication 10-508 for complete details.
Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing the announcement?
For technical difficulties accessing the announcement electronically or issues related to linking to the funding notice, the opportunity provides a Grants.gov support contact: grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
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