Opportunity Information: Apply for 11 539
Apply for 11 539
- 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 47.050 Geosciences 47.070 Computer and Information Science and Engineering 47.074 Biological Sciences 47.075 Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences 47.076 Education and Human Resources 47.079 Office of International Science and Engineering 47.080 Office of Cyberinfrastructure 47.081 Office of Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 22, 2011 and posted on Apr 22, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 18, 2011 Full Proposal Deadline(s) July 18, 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 $30,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 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 "Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation" (SI2) is designed to strengthen and sustain the software foundations that modern science and engineering increasingly depend on. NSF frames computation as a central pillar of discovery alongside theory and experiment, and SI2 sits within NSF's broader Cyberinfrastructure Framework for 21st Century Science and Engineering (CIF21). In practical terms, the program is aimed at moving research software beyond one-off or short-lived tools and turning it into durable, widely usable, well-supported infrastructure that becomes a dependable part of the national research cyberinfrastructure.
At the heart of SI2 is the idea that sophisticated scientific progress now often depends on equally sophisticated software. The program emphasizes that software does not just support research; it actively shapes what questions can be asked and answered by enabling new methods, higher throughput, better accuracy, and the ability to integrate computation with data, networking, instruments, and experiments. NSF is looking for efforts that make software more robust, reliable, usable, and sustainable, so that it can serve communities over time rather than fading when a particular project ends or a graduate student graduates. SI2 also highlights the importance of building and sustaining software communities that cut across disciplines and geography, with collaboration among universities, non-profit research organizations, government labs, industry, and potentially international partners.
The solicitation describes SI2 as a long-term investment intended to catalyze new paradigms and best practices across the full software lifecycle, from development and integration to deployment, user support, and ongoing stewardship. It explicitly connects software infrastructure to the ability to tackle problems at unprecedented scale and complexity, including improvements in resolution and accuracy, and encourages approaches that weave together diverse cyberinfrastructure components (such as sensors and instruments, desktop environments, high-end computing and data systems, and large-scale facilities). Education is treated as a core expectation rather than a side benefit: proposals are expected to help train the next generation of researchers and cyberinfrastructure creators, and to integrate learning and workforce development in ways that help sustain the infrastructure over time.
SI2 is organized into three conceptual award classes, though this specific solicitation only accepts proposals in two of them. The first is Scientific Software Elements (SSE), which targets smaller teams building and deploying focused, robust software components where there is a clear, demonstrated need and a strong likelihood of advancing one or more major scientific or engineering areas. The second is Scientific Software Integration (SSI), which targets larger, interdisciplinary teams working on shared software infrastructure meant to address common research problems and serve broader communities; the goal here is a sustainable community framework that supports diverse users. The third class, Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2), is described as long-term hubs of excellence serving large, broad research communities, but it is not included in this solicitation and was expected to be competed under a separate future announcement.
Because SI2 is a multi-directorate NSF activity, it is explicitly positioned as cross-cutting and receptive to proposals with broad interdisciplinary impact. Applicants are encouraged to pay attention to directorate and division priorities and to consult core program descriptions and related NSF communications for alignment. The solicitation strongly recommends that prospective principal investigators contact an appropriate NSF program officer (from the cognizant program officer list) to confirm that the scientific focus and budget level fit the program, especially since participation and emphasis may vary across NSF units. An example given is interest within the MPS and ENG directorates in proposals connected to "matter by design."
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary NSF grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 11-539) posted April 22, 2011, with a full proposal deadline of July 18, 2011. NSF anticipated about 50 awards with an estimated total program funding level of $30,000,000. Award sizes were expected to range from $300,000 (floor) up to $5,000,000 (ceiling), and the solicitation states there is no cost sharing requirement. Eligible applicants include US-based universities and colleges (two-year and four-year institutions, including community colleges, accredited and with a US campus) as well as non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar organizations associated with education or research activities.
Overall, SI2 is best read as NSF's push to treat research software as real infrastructure: something that should be engineered carefully, supported responsibly, adopted broadly, improved continuously, and taught and learned as part of how science and engineering are done. The program is not just funding code development; it is funding durable software capabilities, the practices and partnerships needed to sustain them, and the communities that will keep them alive and useful well beyond the initial award period.
NSF SI2 (Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation) FAQ
What is the NSF SI2 program?
Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation (SI2) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity focused on strengthening and sustaining the software foundations that modern science and engineering rely on. The goal is to move research software beyond one-off tools and toward durable, widely usable, well-supported software infrastructure that becomes a dependable part of the national research cyberinfrastructure.
What problem is SI2 trying to solve?
SI2 targets a common challenge in research: important software often fades when a specific project ends or when key personnel leave. NSF is looking for efforts that make research software robust, reliable, usable, and sustainable over time, supported by practices and communities that keep the software alive and useful well beyond the initial award.
How does NSF position software within scientific discovery in SI2?
NSF frames computation as a central pillar of discovery alongside theory and experiment. In SI2, software is not treated as a side utility; it actively shapes what research questions can be asked and answered by enabling new methods, higher throughput, better accuracy, and stronger integration across data, networking, instruments, and experiments.
How does SI2 relate to NSF cyberinfrastructure efforts?
SI2 sits within NSF's broader Cyberinfrastructure Framework for 21st Century Science and Engineering (CIF21). It supports software as a core component of cyberinfrastructure and encourages approaches that weave together diverse cyberinfrastructure elements.
What kinds of outcomes is SI2 trying to produce?
SI2 aims to catalyze new paradigms and best practices across the full software lifecycle, including development, integration, deployment, user support, and ongoing stewardship. The program emphasizes sustained infrastructure, community adoption, and continuous improvement rather than short-lived code development.
What kinds of cyberinfrastructure components may SI2 projects connect?
The solicitation highlights integration across a wide range of components, including sensors and instruments, desktop environments, high-end computing and data systems, and large-scale facilities. The emphasis is on enabling research at unprecedented scale and complexity, including improvements in resolution and accuracy.
Does SI2 emphasize community building?
Yes. SI2 highlights the importance of building and sustaining software communities that cut across disciplines and geography. It encourages collaboration among universities, non-profit research organizations, government labs, industry, and potentially international partners.
Is SI2 intended for single-discipline projects or interdisciplinary efforts?
SI2 is explicitly cross-cutting and receptive to proposals with broad interdisciplinary impact. It is a multi-directorate NSF activity, and participation and emphasis may vary across NSF units.
What are the SI2 award classes?
SI2 describes three conceptual classes: Scientific Software Elements (SSE), Scientific Software Integration (SSI), and Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2). However, this specific solicitation accepts proposals in only two classes: SSE and SSI.
Which award classes are accepted under this solicitation?
This solicitation accepts proposals for Scientific Software Elements (SSE) and Scientific Software Integration (SSI). The Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2) class is described but not included and was expected to be competed under a separate future announcement.
What is Scientific Software Elements (SSE)?
SSE targets smaller teams building and deploying focused, robust software components. Proposals should show a clear, demonstrated need and a strong likelihood of advancing one or more major scientific or engineering areas.
What is Scientific Software Integration (SSI)?
SSI targets larger, interdisciplinary teams working on shared software infrastructure meant to address common research problems and serve broader communities. A key goal is a sustainable community framework that supports diverse users.
What is S2I2, and why is it mentioned if it is not included?
Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2) are described as long-term hubs of excellence intended to serve large, broad research communities. They are mentioned to explain the overall SI2 structure, but this solicitation does not accept S2I2 proposals and indicates they were expected to be competed under a separate future announcement.
Is education and training a required part of SI2 proposals?
Education is treated as a core expectation in SI2 rather than a side benefit. Proposals are expected to help train the next generation of researchers and cyberinfrastructure creators and to integrate learning and workforce development in ways that help sustain the software infrastructure over time.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 11-539.
When was this SI2 funding opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on April 22, 2011.
What was the full proposal deadline?
The full proposal deadline was July 18, 2011.
How many awards did NSF anticipate making?
NSF anticipated about 50 awards under this opportunity.
What was the estimated total funding level for the program?
The estimated total program funding level was $30,000,000.
What is the expected range of award sizes?
Award sizes were expected to range from $300,000 (floor) up to $5,000,000 (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 (two-year and four-year institutions, including community colleges, accredited and with a US campus) and non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar organizations associated with education or research activities.
Are non-academic organizations eligible?
Yes. The solicitation explicitly includes eligible non-profit, non-academic organizations such as museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar organizations associated with education or research activities.
Does SI2 encourage partnerships outside universities?
Yes. SI2 emphasizes collaborations across universities, non-profit research organizations, government labs, industry, and potentially international partners, especially where those partnerships help build sustainable software communities and long-term stewardship.
Should prospective PIs contact NSF before submitting?
Yes. The solicitation strongly recommends that prospective principal investigators contact an appropriate NSF program officer (from the cognizant program officer list) to confirm that the scientific focus and budget level fit the program, particularly because participation and emphasis may vary across NSF units.
Why does NSF recommend checking directorate and division priorities?
Because SI2 is a multi-directorate activity, alignment can depend on the priorities of specific directorates and divisions. The solicitation encourages applicants to consult core program descriptions and related NSF communications to ensure the proposal fits the relevant NSF context.
Does the solicitation give any examples of topical interest?
Yes. It notes, as an example, interest within the MPS and ENG directorates in proposals connected to "matter by design."
Is SI2 funding just for writing new code?
No. While software development can be part of the work, SI2 is framed as funding durable software capabilities, the practices required to support and steward them, and the communities that will sustain and use them over time.
What does NSF mean by treating software as infrastructure?
In this program, software is treated like a long-lived, dependable component of the research ecosystem. That implies careful engineering, responsible support, broad adoption, continuous improvement, and training and learning so that the software remains usable and maintained beyond the initial award period.
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