Opportunity Information: Apply for 11 589
Apply for 11 589
- 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" 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 47.070 Computer and Information Science and Engineering 47.074 Biological Sciences 47.080 Office of Cyberinfrastructure.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 16, 2011 and posted on Sep 16, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 14, 2011 Full Proposal Deadline(s) December 14, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $5,000,000.00 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 12 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 (NSF) grant opportunity called Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation (SI2) is aimed at strengthening the software foundations that modern science and engineering increasingly depend on. It sits under NSFs broader Cyberinfrastructure Framework for 21st Century Science and Engineering (CIF21), which highlights advanced computational infrastructure as a key driver of discovery and innovation. The core idea behind SI2 is that software is not just a tool that supports research; it is often the enabling infrastructure that makes new kinds of research possible, improves productivity, and expands what researchers can do across computation, experimentation, and theory. Through SI2, NSF is making a long term investment in software as a form of cyberinfrastructure, with an emphasis on turning research innovations into software resources that can last, scale, and serve communities over time.
A major theme of the solicitation is sustainability and community impact. NSF is looking for efforts that result in software that is robust, reliable, usable, and maintained in a way that allows it to remain valuable beyond the initial research project. SI2 also ties software infrastructure to education and workforce development, expecting that funded activities will help train the next generation of researchers and software creators, and that education at multiple levels will be part of how this evolving cyberinfrastructure becomes embedded in everyday scientific and engineering practice.
The overall SI2 program is described as having three award classes, each targeting a different scale of software need. Scientific Software Elements (SSE) awards support smaller teams building and deploying specific, well justified software components that advance one or more important research areas. Scientific Software Integration (SSI) awards support larger interdisciplinary teams working on shared software infrastructure intended to tackle common research problems and produce sustainable community frameworks. The focus of this particular solicitation, however, is the third category: Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2). These institutes are envisioned as long term hubs of excellence that develop and support software infrastructure and technologies for sizable research communities spanning substantial disciplinary breadth.
Within S2I2, NSF planned two subclasses: Conceptualization Awards and Implementation Awards. Conceptualization Awards are planning oriented and designed to help organize an interdisciplinary community and clearly define shared software requirements, challenges, and the coordinated approach needed to address them. Implementation Awards are intended to execute those community plans and build out the institute level infrastructure. For the fiscal year referenced in the solicitation (FY12), NSF states that only S2I2 Conceptualization Awards would be made, meaning the immediate opportunity is to fund planning and community building work that can lead to a future institute implementation.
NSF signals that proposals must be clearly science driven and aligned with research priorities recognized across and within NSF units participating in the solicitation. A practical requirement is also emphasized: prospective principal investigators are strongly encouraged to contact the cognizant program officers listed by NSF to confirm that the proposed scientific focus is appropriate. NSF also makes it explicit that proposals must be relevant to the SI2 program goals and responsive to the solicitation and review criteria; submissions deemed not relevant or not responsive will be returned without review, so fit to scope is treated as a threshold issue.
On the administrative side, this is a discretionary NSF grant competition (Funding Opportunity Number 11-589) in the science and technology research and development category. NSF anticipated making about 12 awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $5,000,000. Individual awards were expected to range from $300,000 (floor) to $1,000,000 (ceiling), and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The proposal deadline listed is December 14, 2011. The opportunity is associated with multiple NSF CFDA program areas, reflecting its cross cutting nature: Engineering (47.041), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (47.049), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (47.070), Biological Sciences (47.074), and the Office of Cyberinfrastructure (47.080).
Eligibility includes US based universities and colleges (including accredited two year and four year institutions such as community colleges) 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 education or research activities. In short, SI2 is designed to fund coordinated, community oriented planning that can lead to sustained software infrastructure, with S2I2 Conceptualization Awards specifically supporting the early stage organization and definition of the institute scale software vision NSF wants to see become a durable part of national cyberinfrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - NSF Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation (SI2) - S2I2 Conceptualization Awards
What is the NSF SI2 (Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation) program?
SI2 is a National Science Foundation (NSF) program focused on strengthening the software foundations that modern science and engineering increasingly rely on. SI2 treats software as a form of cyberinfrastructure that can enable new kinds of research, improve productivity, and expand what researchers can do across computation, experimentation, and theory.
How does SI2 relate to NSF's broader cyberinfrastructure efforts?
SI2 sits under NSF's broader Cyberinfrastructure Framework for 21st Century Science and Engineering (CIF21). CIF21 emphasizes advanced computational infrastructure as a key driver of scientific discovery and innovation, and SI2 is NSF's long-term investment in software as a durable piece of that infrastructure.
What is the main goal of this SI2 solicitation?
The solicitation emphasizes sustainability and community impact. NSF is looking for efforts that lead to software that is robust, reliable, usable, and maintained so it remains valuable beyond the initial research project. The program also connects software infrastructure to education and workforce development.
Why does NSF emphasize software sustainability in SI2?
NSF frames software as enabling infrastructure, not just a research tool. The goal is to support software resources that can last, scale, and serve research communities over time, rather than ending when a single research project ends.
What are the three SI2 award classes mentioned in the program description?
The overall SI2 program describes three award classes:
- Scientific Software Elements (SSE): Supports smaller teams building and deploying specific, well-justified software components that advance one or more important research areas.
- Scientific Software Integration (SSI): Supports larger interdisciplinary teams building shared software infrastructure to address common research problems and create sustainable community frameworks.
- Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2): Envisioned as long-term hubs of excellence that develop and support software infrastructure and technologies for sizable research communities spanning substantial disciplinary breadth.
Which award class is the focus of this particular opportunity?
This solicitation focuses on the third category: Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2), specifically the S2I2 Conceptualization Awards for the referenced fiscal year.
What are S2I2 Conceptualization Awards?
S2I2 Conceptualization Awards are planning-oriented awards intended to help organize an interdisciplinary community and clearly define shared software requirements, challenges, and a coordinated approach for addressing them. They are meant to set the stage for potential future institute-scale implementation work.
Are S2I2 Implementation Awards available under this solicitation?
No. For the fiscal year referenced in the solicitation (FY12), NSF states that only S2I2 Conceptualization Awards would be made. The immediate opportunity is to fund planning and community-building activities that could lead to a future institute implementation.
What kinds of activities are supported by an S2I2 Conceptualization Award?
Based on the solicitation description, supported activities are centered on planning and community organization, including defining shared software needs and challenges across a sizable, interdisciplinary research community, and developing a coordinated approach that could support institute-level software infrastructure in the future.
What does NSF mean by "science-driven" proposals in this program?
NSF indicates that proposals must be clearly science-driven and aligned with research priorities recognized across and within the NSF units participating in the solicitation. This means the software infrastructure vision should be grounded in well-justified scientific and engineering needs shared by the relevant community.
How important is fit with the SI2 program goals and the solicitation scope?
Fit is treated as a threshold requirement. NSF explicitly states that proposals must be relevant to SI2 program goals and responsive to the solicitation and review criteria; proposals deemed not relevant or not responsive will be returned without review.
Should applicants contact NSF program officers before submitting?
Yes. Prospective principal investigators are strongly encouraged to contact the cognizant program officers listed by NSF to confirm that the proposed scientific focus is appropriate for the solicitation.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 11-589.
What type of grant competition is this?
This is described as a discretionary NSF grant competition in the science and technology research and development category.
How many awards did NSF anticipate making, and what was the total funding amount?
NSF anticipated making about 12 awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $5,000,000.
What is the expected funding range per award?
Individual awards were expected to range from $300,000 (floor) to $1,000,000 (ceiling).
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The solicitation states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What is the proposal deadline listed in the opportunity?
The proposal deadline listed is December 14, 2011.
Which NSF program areas (CFDA) are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with multiple NSF CFDA program areas, reflecting its cross-cutting nature:
- Engineering (47.041)
- Mathematical and Physical Sciences (47.049)
- Computer and Information Science and Engineering (47.070)
- Biological Sciences (47.074)
- Office of Cyberinfrastructure (47.080)
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility includes U.S.-based universities and colleges (including accredited two-year and four-year institutions such as community colleges) applying on behalf of their faculty. Certain non-profit, non-academic organizations are also eligible, such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar U.S. organizations tied to education or research activities.
Does the solicitation indicate the kind of teams NSF expects for S2I2 Conceptualization work?
Yes. The description emphasizes organizing an interdisciplinary community and developing a shared, coordinated plan. While it does not prescribe exact team composition, it frames the effort as community-oriented and spanning substantial disciplinary breadth.
How does education and workforce development factor into SI2?
SI2 ties software infrastructure to education and workforce development. NSF expects funded activities to help train the next generation of researchers and software creators, with education at multiple levels contributing to how cyberinfrastructure becomes embedded in everyday scientific and engineering practice.
What is the long-term vision behind S2I2 institutes?
S2I2 institutes are envisioned as long-term hubs of excellence that develop and support software infrastructure and technologies for sizable research communities. Conceptualization Awards support the early-stage planning needed to define that institute-scale vision and community roadmap.
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