Opportunity Information: Apply for 13 511
Apply for 13 511
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation S2I2" 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 47.074 Biological Sciences 47.080 Office of Cyberinfrastructure.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 5, 2012 and posted on Nov 5, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 4, 2013 Full Proposal Deadline(s) February 04, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 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 NSF Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation program (SI2) sits inside NSF's broader CIF21 cyberinfrastructure vision, which treats software as a core part of modern research infrastructure rather than a side product of research. The basic premise of the opportunity is that increasingly sophisticated software is now driving new ways of doing science and engineering, improving productivity, enabling new experiments and simulations, and expanding what researchers can realistically attempt. Through SI2, NSF is trying to turn promising, research-born software into robust, reliable, usable, and sustainable community resources that become a lasting part of the national cyberinfrastructure. The program also emphasizes education and workforce development, with the idea that training at multiple levels should be woven into how this evolving software-enabled cyberinfrastructure is built and used.
SI2 is organized into three award classes that reflect increasing scale and community reach. Scientific Software Elements (SSE) awards are meant for small groups building and deploying specific software components that fill a demonstrated need and move forward one or more research areas. Scientific Software Integration (SSI) awards target larger, interdisciplinary teams that integrate infrastructure around shared research problems, resulting in sustainable community frameworks used by diverse groups. The focus of this particular solicitation is the largest and most community-oriented class: Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2). S2I2 awards are intended to create long-term hubs of excellence that develop and steward software infrastructure and related technologies for a sizable research community spanning meaningful disciplinary breadth.
Within S2I2, NSF envisioned two stages: Conceptualization Awards and Implementation Awards. Conceptualization Awards are planning grants designed to bring an interdisciplinary community together, identify and prioritize common software requirements, map challenges, and build credible plans for a future institute-scale effort. Implementation Awards would then fund the execution of those community-developed plans to actually stand up and operate the institute-level software infrastructure. A key detail for this funding year is that, in FY13, NSF planned to make only S2I2 Conceptualization Awards, so proposals needed to be framed as strong, institute-building planning efforts rather than full build-outs.
NSF also signals the kinds of cross-cutting software issues it wants S2I2 communities to tackle, especially from an infrastructure and stewardship point of view. The Office of Cyberinfrastructure highlights topics like long-term sustainability, software lifecycle and ecosystem thinking, governance models, verification and validation practices, and reproducibility. In other words, the opportunity is not just about producing code; it is about creating the conditions, processes, and community structures that keep critical scientific software trustworthy, maintainable, and usable over time, while supporting credible scientific results.
At the same time, NSF notes several directorate-specific interest areas, which function like topical "lanes" where institute concepts may be especially welcome if they align with research priorities. Biological Sciences is interested in institute concepts tied to high-priority research problems that significantly leverage existing investments and transform infrastructure for BIO and BIO-related research. Engineering is interested in partnerships aimed at open access software that integrates major interdisciplinary advances with significant engineering impact. Within Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Astronomy looks for proposals with clear impact on a substantial portion of the astronomy community; Materials Research points to alignment with the Materials Genome Initiative; Mathematical Sciences highlights new mathematical and statistical theory and tool development and application; and Physics looks for efforts that significantly advance fundamental physics research. Across these areas, NSF stresses that proposals should be science-driven, with clear and compelling goals that match research priorities in the participating units.
The solicitation also includes several practical competitiveness and compliance expectations. Proposals must clearly fit the overall SI2 program and be responsive to this specific S2I2 solicitation and its review criteria; proposals that are off-target can be returned without review. NSF also notes that proposed institute areas should not duplicate areas already covered by previous S2I2 awards; groups that want to work in already-covered areas are encouraged to coordinate with existing S2I2 teams instead of proposing overlapping efforts. NSF strongly recommends that prospective PIs contact the cognizant program officers to confirm that the scientific focus and community scope are appropriate before submitting, reflecting the expectation that a viable institute concept requires careful alignment, real community commitment, and credible planning that could later mature into an implementation-ready institute.
On the administrative side, this is an NSF discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 13-511) with an estimated total funding of $2.5 million and an expectation of about five awards. Award sizes range from $300,000 (floor) to $1,000,000 (ceiling), with no cost sharing requirement. Eligible applicants include US-based universities and colleges (including two- and four-year institutions and community colleges) as well as certain non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies, and similar US organizations tied to education or research. The full proposal deadline listed is February 4, 2013, and the opportunity is archived after March 4, 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NSF SI2 program and why does it exist?
The NSF Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation (SI2) program is part of NSF's broader CIF21 cyberinfrastructure vision. It treats software as a core component of modern research infrastructure, not just a byproduct of research. The program is built on the idea that increasingly sophisticated software is driving new ways of doing science and engineering, improving productivity, enabling new experiments and simulations, and expanding what researchers can realistically attempt.
What is SI2 trying to fund and achieve?
Through SI2, NSF aims to turn promising, research-born software into robust, reliable, usable, and sustainable community resources. The goal is for these software resources to become lasting parts of the national cyberinfrastructure, with attention not only to the software itself but also to the practices and structures that keep it trustworthy and useful over time.
How does SI2 connect to education and workforce development?
The program emphasizes education and workforce development. NSF expects training at multiple levels to be woven into how software-enabled cyberinfrastructure is built and used, rather than treated as an afterthought.
What are the three SI2 award classes?
SI2 is organized into three award classes that reflect increasing scale and community reach:
- Scientific Software Elements (SSE): Supports small groups building and deploying specific software components that fill a demonstrated need and advance one or more research areas.
- Scientific Software Integration (SSI): Supports larger, interdisciplinary teams integrating infrastructure around shared research problems, resulting in sustainable community frameworks used by diverse groups.
- Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2): The largest, most community-oriented class, intended to create long-term hubs of excellence that develop and steward software infrastructure and related technologies for sizable research communities spanning meaningful disciplinary breadth.
What is the focus of this specific solicitation?
This solicitation focuses on Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2), specifically on planning efforts for institute-scale community software infrastructure.
What are S2I2 awards intended to create?
S2I2 awards are intended to create long-term hubs of excellence that develop and steward software infrastructure and related technologies for a sizable research community. These hubs are meant to serve communities with meaningful disciplinary breadth and deliver institute-level stewardship and infrastructure impact.
What are the two S2I2 stages NSF envisioned?
NSF envisioned two stages within S2I2:
- Conceptualization Awards: Planning grants to bring an interdisciplinary community together, identify and prioritize common software requirements, map challenges, and develop credible plans for a future institute-scale effort.
- Implementation Awards: Awards to fund execution of the community-developed plans to stand up and operate the institute-level software infrastructure.
What types of S2I2 awards were planned for FY13?
In FY13, NSF planned to make only S2I2 Conceptualization Awards. Proposals therefore needed to be framed as strong, institute-building planning efforts rather than full institute build-outs or operational implementations.
What kinds of cross-cutting software issues does NSF want S2I2 communities to address?
The solicitation highlights infrastructure and stewardship issues such as long-term sustainability, software lifecycle and ecosystem thinking, governance models, verification and validation practices, and reproducibility. The emphasis is not just on producing code, but on creating the conditions, processes, and community structures that keep critical scientific software maintainable, trustworthy, and usable over time while supporting credible scientific results.
Is this opportunity primarily about writing new code?
Not primarily. NSF frames the opportunity around stewardship and sustainability for scientific software as a lasting community resource. That includes governance, lifecycle management, verification and validation, and reproducibility, alongside the software infrastructure itself.
What does it mean for an institute concept to be "science-driven"?
NSF stresses that proposals should be science-driven, with clear and compelling goals that match research priorities in participating units. The institute concept should be grounded in real research needs and a demonstrated community requirement for shared software infrastructure.
What directorate-specific interest areas are noted in the solicitation?
The solicitation lists directorate-specific interest areas that function like topical lanes where institute concepts may be especially welcome if aligned with research priorities, including:
- Biological Sciences (BIO): Institute concepts tied to high-priority research problems that significantly leverage existing investments and transform infrastructure for BIO and BIO-related research.
- Engineering (ENG): Partnerships aimed at open access software that integrates major interdisciplinary advances with significant engineering impact.
- Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS):
- Astronomy: Clear impact on a substantial portion of the astronomy community.
- Materials Research: Alignment with the Materials Genome Initiative.
- Mathematical Sciences: New mathematical and statistical theory and tool development and application.
- Physics: Efforts that significantly advance fundamental physics research.
How important is alignment with SI2 and this specific S2I2 solicitation?
It is critical. Proposals must clearly fit the overall SI2 program and be responsive to this S2I2 solicitation and its review criteria. NSF notes that proposals that are off-target can be returned without review.
Can an institute concept overlap with areas covered by prior S2I2 awards?
NSF indicates that proposed institute areas should not duplicate areas already covered by previous S2I2 awards. Groups that want to work in already-covered areas are encouraged to coordinate with existing S2I2 teams rather than proposing overlapping efforts.
Does NSF recommend contacting program officers before submitting?
Yes. NSF strongly recommends that prospective PIs contact the cognizant program officers to confirm that the scientific focus and community scope are appropriate before submitting. This reflects the expectation that a viable institute concept requires careful alignment, real community commitment, and credible planning that could mature into an implementation-ready institute.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 13-511.
How much total funding is estimated for this opportunity?
The estimated total funding is $2.5 million.
How many awards does NSF expect to make?
NSF expects to make about five awards.
What is the award size range?
Award sizes range from $300,000 (floor) to $1,000,000 (ceiling).
Is cost sharing required?
No. The solicitation states there is no cost sharing requirement.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include US-based universities and colleges (including two- and four-year institutions and community colleges) and certain non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies, and similar US organizations tied to education or research.
What is the proposal deadline?
The full proposal deadline listed is February 4, 2013.
When is the opportunity archived?
The opportunity is archived after March 4, 2013.
Is this described as a discretionary grant opportunity?
Yes. It is described as an NSF discretionary grant opportunity.
What kind of teams does S2I2 Conceptualization funding expect?
Conceptualization Awards are designed to bring an interdisciplinary community together. The solicitation emphasizes credible institute-scale planning, including identifying and prioritizing common software requirements and mapping key challenges, which implies a community-oriented effort rather than a single-lab or narrowly scoped project.
What should a strong FY13 S2I2 Conceptualization proposal emphasize?
Based on the solicitation description, a strong FY13 proposal should emphasize institute-building planning: convening the relevant community, clarifying shared needs, prioritizing requirements, addressing cross-cutting stewardship issues (sustainability, lifecycle, governance, V&V, reproducibility), and producing a credible plan that could later mature into an implementation-ready institute effort.
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