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US Ignite (NSF) Grant Opportunity FAQs

What is the US Ignite grant opportunity?

US Ignite is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity designed to accelerate U.S. leadership in next-generation, gigabit-speed networked applications and the networking technologies that make those applications possible.

What problem is this program trying to solve?

The program targets a long-standing "chicken-and-egg" problem: developers and researchers are hesitant to invest in advanced gigabit applications because robust end-to-end gigabit infrastructure is uncommon, while communities and network operators are less likely to expand advanced broadband testbeds without compelling, bandwidth-hungry applications. US Ignite funds work intended to advance both applications and the experimental networking environments needed to test them.

What is the main purpose of US Ignite funding?

The goal is to simultaneously drive new gigabit-speed application development and strengthen experimental, end-to-end networking testbeds so applications can be tested, refined, and moved beyond isolated lab demonstrations toward credible community deployment pathways.

What types of organizations is the program trying to bring together?

The solicitation emphasizes pulling together academic researchers, nonprofits, and local governments or municipalities, especially in the context of a distributed national testbed spanning U.S. universities, colleges, and participating cities and regions.

Does the program focus only on lab research?

No. A stated emphasis is moving beyond isolated lab demonstrations by leveraging and extending a distributed national testbed and by exploring how cutting-edge networking can be applied to real public-interest challenges in community settings.

What are the two main focus areas of funding?

Funding is organized around two main focus areas: (1) application concepts and prototypes tied to national priority needs, and (2) more fundamental research in networking, including advances in network technology and protocols.

What is Focus Area 1 about (applications)?

Focus Area 1 supports the creation of application concepts and prototypes aligned with national priority needs, particularly ideas that explore genuinely new uses of high-speed networks and help shape "Smart and Connected Communities" of the future.

What kinds of application requirements does Focus Area 1 emphasize?

This track highlights applications that depend on very high throughput, very low latency, high reliability, or advanced network features, and that can clearly demonstrate why gigabit infrastructure matters.

Are proposals limited to incremental improvements to existing applications?

No. The solicitation encourages novel application and networking paradigms, meaning proposals can go beyond incremental improvements and explore new architectures for how applications interact with networks and users.

What is Focus Area 2 about (networking research)?

Focus Area 2 is aimed at more fundamental research in networking itself, including advances in network technology and protocols. The intent is to expand both the capability and the scientific understanding of gigabit networking infrastructure to meet rising and changing application demands.

What kinds of networking improvements are relevant under Focus Area 2?

Supported directions include progress that could improve performance, scalability, flexibility, and manageability of advanced networks, helping ensure future applications are not constrained by current networking limitations.

How does the program relate to "Smart and Connected Communities"?

The solicitation explicitly connects application prototyping to national priority needs and to the vision of "Smart and Connected Communities," emphasizing community-relevant use cases where high-speed connectivity can enable measurable societal benefits.

Is there a partnership component with another federal agency?

Yes. The 2016 solicitation notes NSF collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office for Access to Justice (ATJ).

What topics were of interest under the NSF-DOJ Access to Justice collaboration?

Through the NSF-DOJ partnership, NSF sought additional application concepts, prototypes, and basic research directions aligned with shared national priorities, with particular interest in areas where next-generation networking could improve access to justice and related public services.

What type of grant is this administratively?

This is a discretionary grant program from NSF within the science and technology research and development category.

What are the CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA 47.041 and 47.070.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning any entity type may apply as long as it meets any conditions described in the full solicitation.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is 16-553.

When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on March 17, 2016.

What was the application deadline?

The application deadline was June 14, 2016.

How many awards did NSF anticipate making?

NSF anticipated making about 14 awards.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling was up to $3,000,000 per award.

Does the program appear to favor larger efforts or small pilots?

Based on the stated award ceiling and anticipated number of awards, the program signals interest in substantial, high-impact efforts rather than small pilot-only projects.

What role does a national testbed play in this program?

A distributed national testbed across U.S. universities, colleges, and participating cities and regions is central to the program. It is meant to provide experimental networking environments where gigabit applications can be tested and refined and where research can be anchored in real-world settings.

What kinds of outcomes is the solicitation trying to promote?

The solicitation highlights credible pathways for deployment and adoption in community settings, with the idea that high-speed connectivity can enable measurable societal benefits, alongside technical advances in applications and networking infrastructure.