April 2020  
 

A Note from the Research Development Team

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our team will be working remotely. We are available to provide assistance via email, phone, or Zoom conferencing. As circumstances are evolving quickly, please also refer to our  FAS RAS website  and the  OSP website   for information about submitting proposals and managing your awards.


For assistance, please contact:
Erin Hale, Senior Research Development Officer
erin_hale@fas.harvard.edu | 617-496-5252

Jennifer Corby, Research Development Officer
jcorby@fas.harvard.edu | 617-495-1590

News, Announcements, and Special Features

While research operations in the FAS Division of Science and SEAS have been suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, a small number of exceptions may be justified for those who are working on research directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the potential for near-term impact (< 12 months). The FAS Research Development team has compiled the following resources for those seeking funding for COVID-19 Research:
 
  • For an aggregated list of COVID-19 research funding opportunities, visit the SPIN website while on a Harvard network and click on Search in the menu bar and then click on COVID-19/Coronavirus Funding Opportunities in the drop down menu. This list is updated daily and can be exported to Excel.
  • Harvard Link: Alternatively, you may add the key word COVID to your Harvard Link account to receive updated COVID-19 funding recommendations.
  • Other Funding Search Databases Available to Harvard Affiliates: All Harvard affiliates have access to the funding databases PIVOT, SPIN and FDO here.
  • ­Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Funding List: Johns Hopkins University has compiled and continues to maintain a list of funding opportunities available for COVID-19 research.
 
Please note that in order to conduct COVID-19 research, a  petition must be submitted to both Deans (Chris Stubbs and Frank Doyle) by e-mail and will be processed in a timely manner. The petitions will be reviewed by the relevant Chair(s), as well as a Committee in HMS that has been set up to review COVID-19 research. A final decision will be rendered by the Deans. We encourage you to visit the division of science and SEAS  Coronavirus FAQs website.

Feature:  COVID-19 Funding Opportunities Spotlight 

This section of the newsletter will highlight opportunities relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Federal Opportunities  
Feature: New Investigator Opportunity Spotlight
Quick links to early career opportunities in this month's newsletter.
News: NASA Currently Accepting Applications for STAR (Spaceflight Technologies, Application, and Research) Course

STAR is a space biosciences research course that will be implemented for the first time as a pilot program at NASA Ames Research Center during the week of August 10-14, 2020, to be expanded to multiple locations by Fiscal Year 2022 to support training in space-specific research paradigms. The STAR Course aims to provide training to PIs, senior research scientists, and postdoctoral scholars in the science and technology behind biological experiments in space. To qualify, applicants must have an advanced degree (MD, PhD, or equivalent) and must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. NASA will reimburse authorized travel expenses. Applications are due by May 29, 2020.


News: DARPA Request for Information: Identifying Artificial Intelligence (IAI)

DARPA's Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is requesting information on foundational concepts and potential technologies to identify a system that is "artificially intelligent" in a way that would qualitatively change how we interact with such a system. DARPA invites participation from all those engaged in related research activities and would appreciate responses from all capable and qualified sources including, but not limited to, universities, university-affiliated research centers (UARCs), Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), private or public companies and Government research laboratories. Responses must be emailed to DARPA no later than May 1, 2020.



Funding Opportunities
Indicates an UPDATED or NEW opportunity added this month
Foundation Opportunities

Internal Opportunities
Industry/Corporate Opportunities

U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

National Science Foundation: Directorate for Computer & Information Science and Engineering (NSF: CISE)
National Science Foundation: Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (NSF: MPS)


Foundation Opportunities
mozilla
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline: Rolling
Award Amount: Up to $50,000; Overhead on this award is limited to 10%. This falls short of the 15% overhead required by FAS/SEAS policy. Please discuss with your grants administrator before preparing an application.      
 
The MOSS Program  broadens access, increases security, and empowers users by providing catalytic funding to open source technologists. The COVID-19 Solutions Fund is accepting applications for open source technology projects which are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in some way. Funding may be used for hardware (e.g., an open source ventilator), software (e.g., a platform that connects hospitals with people who have 3D printers who can print parts for that open source ventilator), as well as software that solves for secondary effects of COVID-19 (e.g., a browser plugin that combats COVID related misinformation).
 
The MOSS committee will only consider projects which are released publicly under a license that is either a free software license according to the Free Software Foundation or an open source license according to the Open Source Initiative . Projects which are not licensed for use under an open source license are not eligible for MOSS funding. Awardees are expected to use all funds within three months of receiving the award.

bsac
Sponsor Deadline for Expressions of Interest: April 17, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: April 24, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposal (if invited): May 1, 2020
Award Amount: up to £25,000 for 1 year. Exceptional grants in excess of £25,000 will be considered.
 
The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy has launched a COVID-19 funding call to support researchers in better understanding and addressing the COVID-19 outbreak. Applications are open worldwide to all organizations and will be subject to a rapid peer review process. The funding scope covers new projects, extension of existing research projects, and expenditure of staff and or consumables. Expressions of interest should be submitted to grants@bsac.org.uk by April 17, 2020.
FDN_UEF
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: April 24, 2020
Sponsor Concept Paper Deadline: May 1, 2020
Award Amount: The UEF anticipates awarding 5-10 grants per year totaling approximately $800,000.
 
UEF provides funding for proposals and programs whose chief purpose is to advance engineering for the welfare of humanity. Proposals must be consistent with the mission of UEF and priorities for giving, which include programs that focus on the following areas:

1. Diversity
2. Kindergarten -12th Grade Education
3. Ethics and Leadership in Continuing Education
 
Preference is given to proposals for programs that are innovative and aim to integrate multiple fields and  subspecialties of engineering; programs that include outreach to engage the community; and collaborative proposals submitted on behalf of a group.  UEF does not fund research proposals. Grant funding is awarded following the completion of the grant project, upon receipt of a final report and invoice.
Fdn_eref
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: April 24, 2020
Sponsor Pre-Proposal Deadline: May 1, 2020
Award Amount: Previously awarded grants have ranged from $15,000 to over $500,000 with the average grant amount in recent years being $160,000. Typical project durations are about 2 years.
 
The EREF funds research on sustainable waste management practices. Pre-proposal topics must relate to sustainable solid waste management practices and pertain to the following topic areas:
 
  1. Waste minimization
  2. Recycling
  3. Waste conversion to energy, biofuels, chemicals or other useful products. This includes, but is not limited to waste-to-energy, anaerobic digestion, composting, and other thermal or biological conversion technologies.
  4. Strategies to promote diversion to higher and better uses (e.g. organics diversion, market analysis, optimized material management, logistics, etc.)
  5. Landfilling
 
Desirable aspects of the above topics, in addition to or as part of hypothesis driven applied research, also include: economic or cost/benefit analyses, feasibility studies for untested technologies or management strategies, life cycle analysis or inventory, and analyses of policies that relate to the above.
Fdn_1907
University Area Pre-Proposal Deadline: April 30, 2020 by 5:00PM  (Updated Deadline)
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline (if nominated): June 23, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: June 30, 2020
Award Amount: $100,000 for research to be spent over a two-year duration, a $20,000 prize to enhance the economic security of the scientist, and travel & expense coverage for attendance at two annual meetings
 
The 1907 Trailblazer Award was established to encourage high-impact, step-change approaches to research in the brain and mind sciences for mental health. Projects must be grounded in the study of biological mechanisms underlying brain function, cognitive processes, and/or consciousness. The sponsor supports projects for basic science in addition to near-term applications (e.g. disruptive technologies and potential clinical interventions). 
 
Eligibility Criteria:

  • Applicants must be within ten years of the date when PhD/MD degree was awarded (whichever came later and with exceptions for maternity leave, paternity leave and other excused absences)
  • Applicants will currently be employed by a university or public research institute in the US, the UK, or Canada, with full-time employment guaranteed for the duration of the project (tenure or tenure-track and international equivalents)
  • Applicants must already work in a supervisory role (PhD, MD, Postdoctoral supervisor primary or secondary)
  • Applicants will have demonstrated independence from senior colleagues. They must be able to initiate and direct their own research as principal investigator, have full responsibility for running their labs and full control of their research funds. Postdoctoral fellows or adjunct faculty are not eligible to apply
  • Applicants will have a strong track record of scientific publications relevant to their research program
  • Research applications may be related to but cannot be identical to any other currently funded projects
 
This is a limited submission opportunity and the University Area (Cambridge Campus) may nominate two candidates for this opportunity. FAS and SEAS pre-proposals must be submitted online by April 30, 2020 by 5:00pm via the link above.
Fdn_franklin
Notice of Intent to Nominate Deadline (encouraged): April 30, 2020
Nomination Deadline: May 31, 2020
Prize Amount: $250,000
 
The Franklin lnstitute seeks nominations for the 2021 Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science of individuals who have made significant contributions to the scientific understanding of decision-making. The interdisciplinary field of decision-making integrates theory and methods from economics, psychology, neuroscience, computer science, and related areas to understand the mechanisms through which individuals and groups choose among competing possibilities and how these mechanisms guide behavior.
 
Nominations are encouraged in, but not limited to, the following subtopics and their intersections:
  • Psychological insights: mechanisms, development, context-dependence, individual differences, cultural variation, evolution
  • Modeling of individual or group choice behavior: valuation, social preferences, impulsivity, strategy, network models
  • Neurobiological mechanisms: human neuroscience, model organisms, behavioral neuroscience, genetic approaches, comparative approaches
  • Clinical approaches: pharmacology, psychiatric disorders, neuropsychological conditions
  • Development of interventions to improve individual and/or group decision-making outcomes
  • Broad applications: artificial intelligence, courts/law, education, finance, health/medicine, government/public policy, intelligence, labor, technology
Nominations from any individual or organization will be accepted, including self-nominations. The winner must be available to participate in The Franklin lnstitute Awards Week programs, to be held in April 2021 in Philadelphia.
Fdn_neilsen
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: May 4, 2020
Sponsor Letter of Intent Deadline: May 11, 2020
Award Amount: varies by category; see below
 
The Spinal Cord Injury Research on the Translational Spectrum (SCIRTS) portfolio focuses on research designed to improve understanding and advance the current treatment of acute and chronic spinal cord injury. The goal of the program is to address gaps in the field and advance novel approaches to improving function and developing curative therapies after spinal cord injury. The scope of this program is broad, encompassing mechanistic, preclinical modeling, translational and/or clinical research.
 
There are three funding categories:
  • Two-year Postdoctoral Fellowships encourage early-career training and specialization in the field of spinal cord injury research. Fellows must have attained their terminal degree by the LOI submission deadline and have held that degree no longer than five years before the full proposal submission deadline (October 14, 2020). Up to $75,000 per year.
  • Two-year Pilot Research Grants help to establish new investigators in the field of spinal cord injury research and support studies by established investigators who are undertaking new directions in their work. These grants allow the PI to test the feasibility of novel methods and procedures and/or collect new data that can lead to or enhance larger-scale studies. Up to $150,000 per year for a maximum total cost of $300,000.
  • Three-year Senior Research Grants encourage senior-level investigators to expand the scope of their work in targeted studies that will move the field along the translational spectrum. These grants are intended to open new areas of research, fill gaps in the spinal cord injury field and encourage cutting-edge ideas and approaches that have great potential, despite some additional uncertainty. Award Amount: Up to $200,000 per year for a maximum total cost of $600,000.
The Neilsen Foundation does not allow indirect costs on its Postdoctoral Fellowships. The maximum amount allowed for indirect costs for Pilot Research Grants and Senior Research Grants is 10%. This falls short of the 15% overhead required by FAS/SEAS policy. Please discuss with your grants administrator before preparing an application.
Fdn_BAF
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: May 8, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: May 15, 2020
Award Amount: $10,000 to $50,000. This award does not cover overhead costs. This falls short of the 15% overhead required by FAS/SEAS policy. Please discuss with your grants administrator before preparing an application.
 
The Brain Aneurysm Foundation invites applications for basic scientific research directed at early detection, improved treatment modalities, and technological advances that will ultimately improve outcomes for patients with brain aneurysms. Projects that are focused on translational research, clinical outcome research, imaging, and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and its associated complications are also awarded funding. Any project with the potential to advance  basic science, translational and clinical brain aneurysm research will be considered.
 
Grant awards will be presented at the Brain Aneurysm Foundation's Annual Research Grant Awards Dinner in Scottsdale, AZ on September 3, 2020. Grant awardees or an appropriate representative must be present to receive the award and present a poster of the research during the opening reception.

bsf
Brain Research Foundation Scientific Innovations Award *
Harvard Pre-Proposal Deadline: May 11, 2020 by 12 PM 
Sponsor LOI Deadline (if nominated): June 25, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $150,000 in direct costs for a two year grant period. This award does not cover overhead costs. This falls short of the 15% overhead required by FAS/SEAS policy. Please discuss with your grants administrator before preparing an application.
Target Applicants: Applicant must be an Associate Professor or Full Professor working in the area of brain function in health and disease; have had major NIH or other peer-reviewed funding in the past three years, though current support is preferred; and must propose a new research project that is not funded by other sources.
 
The Brain Research Foundation's Scientific Innovations Award Program provides funding for innovative science in both basic and clinical neuroscience. This funding mechanism supports creative, exploratory, cutting edge research in well-established research laboratories under the direction of established investigators. Studies should be related to either normal human brain development or specifically identified disease states. This includes molecular and clinical neuroscience as well as studies of neural, sensory, motor, cognitive, behavioral and emotional functioning in health and disease. It is expected that investigations supported by these grants will yield high impact findings and result in major grant applications and significant publications in high impact journals. Complete guidelines for the 2021 award cycle are available on the  Brain Research Foundation website .
 
This is a limited submission opportunity and Harvard may put forward only one nominee to submit a Letter of Intent to the sponsor. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research will conduct the internal competition to select the Harvard nominee. To be considered for the Harvard nomination, potential applicants must submit an internal pre-proposal via the link above.
Fdn_Mallinckrodt
Harvard Pre-Proposal Deadline: June 1, 2020 by 12 PM
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline (if nominated): July 24, 2020
Sponsor Deadline (if nominated): August 1, 2020
Award Amount: $60,000 per year for up to three years
 
The Mallinckrodt Foundation supports early stage investigators engaged in biomedical research that has the potential to significantly advance the understanding, diagnosis, or treatment of disease. The funds are designed to provide faculty members who hold M.D. and/or Ph.D. degrees, and who are in the first to fourth year of a tenure-track position (appointed on or after August 1, 2016), with support to move the project forward to the point where R01 or other independent funding can be obtained. Applicants with current R01 funding are not eligible to apply.
 
This is a limited submission opportunity and Harvard may put forward only one nominee to submit a proposal. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research will conduct the internal competition to select the Harvard nominee. To be considered for the Harvard nomination, potential applicants must submit an internal pre-proposal via the link above.
cottrell
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: June 24, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: July 1, 2020
Award Amount: $100,000 over three years
Eligible Applicants: Early career faculty who started their first tenure-track appointment anytime in calendar year 2017 who hold an appointment in a chemistry, physics, or astronomy department. Accommodations are made for faculty who have taken maternity or paternity leave, or who have experienced medical conditions that prompted a tenure clock extension.
 
The Cottrell Scholar Award develops outstanding teacher-scholars who are recognized by their scientific communities for the quality and innovation of their research programs and their academic leadership skills. The Cottrell Scholar Award provides entry into a national community of outstanding scholar-educators who produce significant research and educational outcomes. Proposals must contain a research plan, an educational plan and a clear statement on how the Cottrell Scholar Award will help applicants become truly outstanding teacher-scholars and future academic leaders. The ability of applicants to mount a strong and innovative research program and achieve excellence in education and their academic citizenship skills are key criteria in the selection of the awards. The primary criterion for research funding in the Cottrell Scholar Award program is to add to fundamental scientific knowledge in one of the three core disciplines (Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy) and hence, applied research without a significant fundamental component is not funded.
 

 parvet
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: June 24, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: July 1, 2020
Award Amount: Varies; see below

The mission of the Paralyzed Veterans of America Research Foundation is to promote innovative research to find better treatments and cures for paralysis; support efforts to improve the quality of life of individuals with spinal cord dysfunction until treatments are found; and train post-doctoral fellow investigators and encourage them to specialize in the area of spinal cord research. 
 
The Foundation supports one or two-year grants in four areas of emphasis:
  1. Laboratory research in the basic sciences related to spinal cord injury or disease. Grants funded up to $75,000 for 1 year or up to $150,000 for 2 years.
  2. Clinical and functional studies of the medical, psychosocial, and economic effects of spinal cord injury or disease, and/or interventions proposed to alleviate these effects. Grants funded up to $75,000 for 1 year or up to $150,000 for 2 years.
  3. Design and development of new or improved rehabilitative and assistive devices to improve function for individuals with spinal cord injury or disease. Funding may be used to develop drawings, schematics, or prototypes, and for the testing necessary to further the design of assistive technology devices. Grants funded up to $75,000 for one year or up to $150,000 for 2 years.
  4. Fellowships for postdoctoral students in basic science, clinical applications, or design and development, intended to encourage training and specialization in the field of spinal cord research. Grants funded up to $50,000 for 1 year or up to $100,000 for 2 years.

Fdn_BBVA
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: Review by Harvard OSP not required
Sponsor Nomination Deadline: June 30, 2020
Award Amount: 400,000 euros, a diploma, and a commemorative artwork
 
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards recognize fundamental contributions in a broad array of areas of scientific knowledge, technology, humanities, and artistic creation. The name of the award is intended to denote not only research work that substantially enlarges the scope of our current knowledge-pushing forward the frontiers of the known world-but also the meeting and overlap of different disciplinary areas and the emergence of new fields.  
 
The disciplines and domains of the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards are:
  • Basic Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics)
  • Biology and Biomedicine
  • Information and Communication Technologies
  • Ecology and Conservation Biology
  • Climate Change
  • Economics, Finance and Management
  • Humanities
  • Music and Opera

Any scientific or cultural organization or institution may nominate more than one candidate, but no candidate may be nominated in more than one award category. The awards are also open to scientific or cultural organizations that can be collectively credited with exceptional contributions. Candidates may be of any nationality. Self-nomination is not permitted.
FoundationsChanZ
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: July 24, 2020
Sponsor Deadlines: August 1, 2020
Award Information: $50,000 - $250,000 (inclusive of up to 15% for indirect/overhead costs) for one year
 
In an effort to support open source software for science, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) seeks applications for software projects that are essential to biomedical research, have already demonstrated impact, and can show potential for continued improvement. Grants will be for a one-year period with the potential to apply for renewal in future cycles. The goal of the program is to support software maintenance, growth, development, and community engagement for these critical tools.
 
Applications for two broad categories of open source projects will be considered in scope:
  • Domain-specific software for analyzing, visualizing, and otherwise working with the specific data types that arise in biomedical science (e.g., genomic sequences, microscopy images, molecular structures).
  • Foundational tools and infrastructure that enable a wide variety of downstream software across several domains of science and computational research (e.g., numerical computation, data structures, workflows, reproducibility). 

Internal Opportunities
DRCLS_Mexico
Deadline: May 1, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $100,000
The goal of the Mexico Innovation Fund is to deepen ties between Harvard and Mexican academia in order to address some of the most important issues facing Mexico. A project supported by this fund should propose policy improvements or provide ideas for action that might help Mexico address the specific issues related to the project. The priority fields of study are:
  1. Sustainable Urban and Regional Development
  2. Science, Technology, and Education
  3. Empowered Citizenship, State Capacity, and the Rule of Law
Projects submitted for consideration must be innovative, involve evidence-based research leading to measurable outcomes, leverage technology, where appropriate, to "leapfrog" older processes and concept, especially in areas relating to public policy and urban studies, and ideally delve deeply into one subject area while also combining multi-sector and multi-disciplinary approaches.

DRCLAS_uai
Deadline: May 1, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $30,000
This program's primary objective is to strengthen connections between Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (UAI) in Chile and Harvard through innovative research projects in all disciplines, including but not limited to technology, design, humanities, science, engineering, health, public policy, business, and education. Each project must have a PI from Harvard and one from UAI. Funding will be primarily for program start-up expenses including travel to facilitate site visits, workshops, and academic research exchanges.

internal_football
Expression of Interest Deadline: May 4, 2020
Full Proposal Deadline (if invited): June 15, 2020
Award Amount: $100,000 (including 15% overhead) for one year
 
The Football Players Health Study at Harvard University (FPHS) is a portfolio of studies designed to deepen the understanding of the benefits and risks of participation in American style football (ASF), identify risks that are potentially reversible or preventable, and develop interventions or approaches to improve the health and wellbeing of players. The FPHS is currently soliciting proposals for innovative "ultra near term" solutions (e.g. the application of technologies such as imaging, sensing, diagnostic, preventative or therapeutic technologies) to improve the health of former and/or current professional players. Successfully funded awards will have an emphasis on improving health by applying a technology to either prevent or treat a medical condition with high prevalence among ASF players (such as sleep apnea, cardiometabolic and cardiovascular disease, neurocognitive impairment, musculoskeletal injury, chronic pain).

internal_hsph
Notice of Intent Deadline (required): May 20, 2020
Application Deadline: June 22, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $100,000 (direct costs) for a 12-month project period, with an automatic 6-month no-cost extension if needed.
Target Applicants: This award is open to faculty of any rank who have a primary appointment at the Harvard Chan School, but applications will require the substantial engagement of at least two Harvard Chan School Departments or Centers and must include collaboration from at least one other Harvard School.
 
The Dean's Fund for Scientific Advancement expands the School's internal research funding with the goal of creating a pipeline of support that facilitates the exploration of early ideas, the development of strong interdisciplinary team science and creation of transformative research collaborations that advance the frontiers of science. Acceleration Awards are intended to nurture collaborations in research, develop platforms, and support educational projects. Up to three awards will be distributed annually across three focal areas:
  1. Research Grants will be aligned with School priorities, and will overlap with at least one Incubation Award priority from the previous year. This year, the priority areas are:
    • Reimagining Aging
    • Overcoming Violence
    • Confronting Climate Change
    • Cultivating Well-Being and Nutrition
    • Conquering Epidemics
  2. Research Platforms are adaptable and dynamic resources that can be accessed by multiple faculty to support projects in a variety of disciplines. The goal of these awards is to provide one-time support for the development of research platforms that can be funded in the future by external support mechanisms.
  3. Public Health Pedagogy awards intend to produce scalable innovations that will improve the quality of teaching and learning at the Harvard Chan School. Special consideration will be given to applications that have the potential to be scaled up School-wide to benefit teaching and learning at all levels. The goal is to provide one-time support for the development of pedagogical innovations that can be integrated into educational programs or funded in the future by external support mechanisms.
Industry/Corporate Opportunities
Facebook_polarization
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: April 29, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: May 6, 2020 (Updated Deadline)
Award Amount: $50,000-$150,000. Overhead on this award is limited to 5%. Please discuss overhead requirements and options for shortfall recovery with your grants administrator prior to beginning an application.
 
In this request for proposals (RFP), Facebook is offering awards to researchers interested in exploring the societal issues of misinformation and polarization related to social communication technologies. The goal for these awards is to support the growth of the scientific community in these spaces and to contribute to a shared understanding across the broader industry on how social technology companies can better address social issues on their platforms. Research is not restricted to focusing on Facebook apps and technology.
 
Priority research areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Health misinformation
  • Quantifying harms of misinformation
  • Information processing of sensational, hateful, divisive, or provocative problematic content
  • Affective polarization
  • Dangerous speech, conflict, and violence
  • Misinformation, multimedia, and formats
  • News, trust, and information quality
  • Cross-platform information ecosystem understanding
  • Digital literacy, demographics, and misinformation
More information on each priority area can be found at the link above. Successful proposals will demonstrate innovative and compelling research that has the potential to significantly advance the community's understanding of the impact of technology on society. Proposals are encouraged with the following two emphases:

  • Studies that draw on traditional social science methods like interviews, surveys, ethnographic observation, content analyses, and survey/behavioral experiments, or innovative mixed methodological approaches that combine these methods.
  • Comparative research and inclusion of non-Western regions that have experienced a growth in social media platform use, including South and Central America, Sub-Saharan and North Africa, the Middle East, and Central, South, and Southeast Asia. Facebook encourages proposals from researchers, or collaborations with researchers, based in the country/countries being researched.
Facebook_AI
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: April 23, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: April 30, 2020 (Updated Deadline)
Award Amount: $50,000. Overhead on this award is limited to 5%. Please discuss overhead requirements and options for shortfall recovery with your grants administrator prior to beginning an application.
 
Facebook invites university faculty to respond to the new call for research proposals on AI System Hardware/Software Co-Design. Deep learning has been particularly amenable to simultaneous design and optimization of several aspects of the system, including hardware and software, to achieve a set target for a given system metric, such as throughput, latency, power, size, or their combination. Facebook AI teams have been using co-design to develop high-performance AI solutions for both existing as well as future AI hardware, and Facebook is currently looking to further explore co-design opportunities across a number of new dimensions.
 
Facebook is especially interested in soliciting proposals for the wide range of AI hardware/algorithm co-design research areas, including but not limited to:

  • Recommendation models
    • Compression, quantization, pruning techniques
    • Graph-based systems with implications on hardware (graph learning)
  • Hardware/software co-design for deep learning
    • Energy-efficient hardware architectures
    • Hardware efficiency-aware neural architecture search
    • Mixed-precision linear algebra and tensor-based frameworks
  • Distributed training
    • Software frameworks for efficient use of programmable hardware
    • Scalable communication-aware and data movement-aware algorithms
    • High-performance and fault-tolerant communication middleware
    • High-performance fabric topology and network transport for distributed training
  • Performance, programmability, and efficiency at data center scale
    • Machine learning-driven data access optimization (e.g., prefetching and caching)
    • Enabling large model deployment through intelligent memory and storage
    • Training un/self/semi-supervised models on large scale video data sets
 
Proposals are highly encouraged to focus funding on project personnel, especially PhD students. Proposals from small collaborative teams, particularly with Principal Investigators bridging areas of systems and machine learning, are also encouraged.
corp_semiconductor
White Paper Deadline (required): April 30, 2020 by 3PM
SEAS/FAS/OSP Deadline (if invited): June 29, 2020
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline (if invited): July 7, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $100,000/year for 2-3 years. Please discuss overhead requirements and options for shortfall recovery with your grants administrator prior to beginning an application.
 
Semiconductor Research Corporation Global Research Collaboration is soliciting white papers in the Hardware Security (HWS) research program. The principal goal of this discovery-driven program is to advance fundamental knowledge and innovations in these devices.
 
The mission of the HWS research program is to develop designs, analysis strategies, processes and tools for secure, trustworthy, reliable and privacy preserving chips, systems, computing and communications. Some examples of research outcomes are to decrease the likelihood of unintended behavior or systems' access, to increase resistance and resilience to tampering, and to improve the ability to provide authentication throughout the supply chain and in the field.
 
Key strategic challenges are divided into five categories:
  1. Trusted architectures and hardware designs
  2. Security techniques for advanced technologies and packaging
  3. Security aspects of embedded software and firmware
  4. Security assurance, protection, and verification
  5. Authentication and attestation
This call may be addressed by an individual investigator or a research team. Each researcher may be involved in at most two white papers.
corp_FBarvr
SEAS/FAS/OSP Deadline: June 5, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: June 12, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $75,000. Please discuss overhead requirements and options for shortfall recovery with your grants administrator prior to beginning an application.
 
Facebook invites university faculty to respond to this call for research proposals on exploring unique challenges, threats, attacks, mitigations, and other considerations in the burgeoning space of AR, VR, and smart devices. Facebook is soliciting proposals to help accelerate research in these fields with the hope of helping to foster a world of trustworthy mixed-reality and smart device products. There are fairly robust research fields in traditional computing paradigms from cloud to mobile, and Facebook hopes to drive similar progress in the fields of AR/VR.
 
Facebook is interested in a broad range of topics relating to applications like AR glasses, VR headsets, other AR or VR form-factors, smart home products, and more. Examples might include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Novel threats, attacks, mitigations, or features in the areas of silicon, hardware, supply-chain, or anti-tamper in this space
  • Privacy-preserving techniques and engineering in the context of unique sensors and use cases
  • Developments involving trust in voice assistants, smart devices, smart home cameras, biometrics, and so on
  • Proposed operating system, platform, or device system concepts that offer improvements in the technological space
  • Novel concepts in terms of identity, authentication, authorization, abuse-prevention, and more, as they pertain to said devices and technologies
  • Perspectives on unique ethical or societal considerations and challenges posed by this technology, and suggested mitigations
  • Any novel or new concepts in trust as applied to the AR/VR and smart devices space that warrant further exploration
Microsoft_AI
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadlines: July 6, 2020 and October 5, 2020
Award Information: Azure compute credits worth $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, plus additional resources including technical advice and support, online Azure training materials, and invitations to the AI for Earth Summit for networking and education opportunities.

AI for Earth grants provide access to Microsoft resources to support projects that change the way people and organizations monitor, model, and manage Earth's natural systems. Researchers who already have access to a labeled dataset and are ready to start using Azure AI tools and cloud computing, may apply for Azure compute credits through this grant. Microsoft's areas of focus for AI for Earth are agriculture, food, biodiversity, and/or climate change. Microsoft recommends that the main applicant has a demonstrated background in environmental science and/or technology (such as a PhD degree), and that at least one member of the team has strong enough technical skills to complete the project successfully.
Amazon
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline: Rolling
Award Amount: The amount awarded is at the discretion of the awards panel and may be based on the number of applicants and number of awards granted during an award cycle. Awards can include funding and AWS Promotional Credits. 69% overhead is required per FAS/SEAS policy.
 
The AWS Machine Learning Research Awards (MLRA) program funds eligible universities, faculty, PhD students and post-docs under the supervision of faculty, that are conducting novel research in machine learning (ML). The goal is to enable research that accelerates the development of innovative algorithms, publications, and source code across a wide variety of ML applications and focus areas. Selected applicants will receive awards that include unrestricted cash funding as well as AWS Promotional Credits. Award recipients will receive an invitation to attend an annual research seminar and may receive live one-on-one training sessions with Amazon scientists and engineers.
 
Full-time faculty members and university departments leading a team of students and postdocs at education institutions in North America and Europe which are conducting innovative research related to Machine Learning are eligible to apply. Awards provided to faculty or university institutions will support the researchers identified in the application conducting research under the guidance of this PI.
DARPA_polyplex20
Sponsor Deadline for Abstracts (strongly encouraged): April 17, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: May 29, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $100,000 for 1 year
 
The purpose of this Polyplexus Pilot Topic Opportunity Notice is to provide public notification of a research and development funding opportunity on the Polyplexus online platform. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) invites participation in Polyplexus, which is an online, professional, technical conversation between the research community and DARPA Program Managers that will lead to the opportunity to submit abstracts and full proposals for a research and development project. The shared task of this group is to rigorously explore the trends and possible applications of emerging science and technology in a specific technical area defined by a participating Program Manager. The online discussion culminates in an opportunity to submit an abstract and subsequently a proposal describing a proposed research project. The initial technical area under consideration in this announcement is the acceleration of quantum dot device development. The topic will be refined as the incubator conversation evolves. The updated topic can be found in the "Acceleration of Quantum Dot Device Development (Topic 20)" incubator located on the polyplexus.com website.
 
The process, evaluation criteria, abstract submission instructions, and proposal submission instructions are described in the most recent amendment of the BAA for Polyplexus Pilot 3 (HR001119S0075) .
 
 DARPA_polyplex21
Sponsor Deadline for Abstracts (strongly encouraged): April 20, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: June 4, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $100,000 for 1 year
 
The purpose of this Polyplexus Pilot Topic Opportunity Notice is to provide public notification of a research and development funding opportunity on the Polyplexus online platform. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) invites participation in Polyplexus, which is an online, professional, technical conversation between the research community and DARPA Program Managers that will lead to the opportunity to submit abstracts and full proposals for a research and development project. The shared task of this group is to rigorously explore the trends and possible applications of emerging science and technology in a specific technical area defined by a participating Program Manager. The online discussion culminates in an opportunity to submit an abstract and subsequently a proposal describing a proposed research project. The initial technical area under consideration in this announcement is the fundamental understanding of detecting artificial intelligence. The topic will be refined as the incubator conversation evolves. The updated topic can found in the "Detecting the Presence of Artificially Intelligent Systems (Topic 21)" incubator located on the polyplexus.com website.
 
The process, evaluation criteria, abstract submission instructions, and proposal submission instructions are described in the most recent amendment of the BAA for Polyplexus Pilot 3 (HR001119S0075) .
DoD_medres
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline: Varies by program (see below for details)
Award Amount: Varies by program (see below for details)
 
The vision of the FY20 Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) is to improve the health, care, and well-being of all military Service members, Veterans, and beneficiaries, and its mission is to encourage, identify, select, and manage medical research projects of clear scientific merit and direct relevance to military health. The PRMRP challenges the scientific and clinical communities to address at least one of the FY20 PRMRP Topic Areas (see solicitation for a complete list) with original ideas that foster new directions along the entire spectrum of research and clinical care. The program seeks applications in laboratory, clinical, behavioral, epidemiologic, and other areas of research to advance knowledge in disease etiology, improve prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life for those affected by a relevant disease or condition, and to develop and validate clinical care or public health guidelines.
 
Several mechanisms are available under this program:
  • Focused Program Awards are intended to optimize research and accelerate solutions to a critical question related to at least one of the Congressionally directed FY20 PRMRP Topic Areas through a synergistic, multidisciplinary research program. Focused Program Award applications must describe a unifying, overarching challenge that will be addressed by a set of research projects. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a minimum of four research projects; additional studies are allowed. Individual research projects may range from exploratory, hypothesis-developing studies through small-scale clinical trials (i.e., up to and including Phase II or equivalent). There should be a clear intent to progress toward translational/clinical work over the course of the effort.
    • Pre-Application Deadline (required): April 30, 2020
    • Full Proposal Deadline (if invited): August 13, 2020
    • Award Amount: Up to $7.2M in direct costs for a maximum project period of 4 year
  • Investigator-Initiated Research Awards are intended to support studies that will make an important contribution toward research and/or patient care for a disease or condition related to at least one of the FY20 PRMRP Topic Areas. Research projects may focus on any phase of research from basic laboratory research through translational research, including preclinical studies in animal models and human subjects, as well as correlative studies associated with an existing clinical trial. Research involving human subjects and human anatomical substances is permitted; however, this award may not be used to conduct clinical trials. In addition to accepting single investigator proposals, the FY20 PRMRP is offering a Partnering PI Option for this award mechanism. The results of this partnering project should significantly advance the research beyond what would be possible through individual efforts. The Partnering PI Option is structured so that two investigators, each of whom will be designated as a PI, work synergistically on a single project.
    • Pre-Application Deadline (required): May 1, 2020
    • Full Proposal Deadline (if invited): September 3, 2020
    • Award Amount: Up to $2M in direct costs for a maximum project period of 4 years
  • Technology/Therapeutic Development Awards are a product-driven award mechanism intended to provide support for the translation of promising preclinical findings into products for clinical applications, including prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, or quality of life, in at least one of the Congressionally directed FY20 PRMRP Topic Areas. Products in development should be responsive to the healthcare needs of military Service members, Veterans, and/or beneficiaries. The product(s) to be developed may be a tangible item such as a pharmacologic agent (drugs or biologics) or device, or a knowledge-based product.
    • Pre-Application Deadline (required): May 1, 2020
    • Full Proposal Deadline (if invited): September 3, 2020
    • Award Amount: Up to $4M in direct costs for a maximum project period of 4 years
Darpa_buildcombat
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: April 23, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: April 30, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $25M is anticipated for awards made under this program. Phase 1 is the Base Period for TA-1 and is anticipated to be 12 months. Phase 2 is an option period for TA-1 with an anticipated 16 month Period of Performance. Phase 3 is an Option Period with an anticipated 16 month Period of Performance.
 
DARPA's Strategic Technology Office (STO) is soliciting innovative proposals for the Air Combat Evolution (ACE) Program Technical Area 1 (TA-1): Building Combat Autonomy. Technical Areas 2, 3, and 4 were solicited under a previous BAA (HR001119S0051, Amendment 2). The ACE program will increase warfighter trust in combat autonomy by automating aerial within-visual-range (WVR) maneuvering, colloquially known as a dogfight, using progressively more realistic platforms (following demonstrations in modeling and simulation, the program will graduate to live small-scale unmanned aerial vehicles, and culminate on live operationally representative aircraft). The ACE TA-1 BAA specifically solicits the development of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that can conduct aerial dogfighting. A dogfight represents the progression in autonomy from current physics-based automation generally trusted by operators to more complex human-machine collaboration necessary to realize the promise of future manned/unmanned teaming.
 
DARPA anticipates multiple awards.

 DARPA_adapter
Sponsor Deadline for Abstracts (strongly encouraged): April 29, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: June 18, 2020
Award Amount: The amount of resources made available under this BAA will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds. The ADAPTER program spans 4.5 years and consists of a 24-month Phase I, 18-month Phase II Option, and 12-month Phase III Option.
 
The Biological Technologies Office (BTO) is soliciting innovative proposals to enable the development of hybrid technology (bioelectronics and synthetic biology) for warfighter-controlled, on-demand enhanced management of circadian rhythms and mitigation of gastrointestinal stress caused by pathogenic bacteria. While jet lag and traveler's diarrhea are inconveniences for an average traveler, they are critical challenges to operational readiness for a warfighter and can be the difference between mission success or failure. To maximize warfighter performance, the ADvanced Acclimation and Protection Tool  for Environmental Readiness (ADAPTER) program will develop systems to provide warfighters with control over their own physiology. This program will integrate therapeutic cellular factories and biomolecules into an internal, bioelectronics carrier that the warfighter can signal, as needed, to initiate the production and release of therapies that either eliminate the principal cause of traveler's diarrhea - pathogenic bacteria - or regulate disrupted circadian rhythms caused by jetlag or shift work schedules.

Developing the therapeutic systems will require two Technical Areas (TAs)-Accurate Therapies (TA1) and Carrier/Communication (TA2). Performers will choose one of two application tracks: (1) in vivo compound delivery to entrain circadian rhythm/restore sleep-cycles or (2) in vivo decontamination of food and water from bacterial causes of traveler's diarrhea. An individual proposal must address both TAs and must address only one application track. Proposers may propose to both tracks but must provide separate proposals; although allowed, this is highly discouraged.
 
Multiple awards are anticipated.

DARPA_atomsense
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: April 29, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: May 6, 2020 (UPDATED DEADLINE)
Award Amount: The level of funding for individual awards made under this BAA will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds. The AtmoSense program consists of two phases: Phase 1 (a 27-month base period) and Phase 2 (a 12-month period).
 
The Defense Sciences Office (DSO) at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative research proposals in the area of modeling, simulating, and experimentally observing transient disturbances (both mechanical and electromagnetic) in the Earth's atmosphere (from the troposphere through the ionosphere) due to meteorological and geophysical sources.
 
The AtmoSense approach will consist of three technical areas (TAs):
  • TA1 - Modeling and Simulation
  • TA2 - Characterization of the Background
  • TA3 - Sensing Modalities 
In addition to the three technical areas, an Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) team will evaluate the research products of each performer and provide expert analysis of the capabilities developed for potential application spaces. The IV&V team is not being solicited at this time. Proposers are strongly encouraged to form teams capable of proposing to all three TAs. However, proposals with a strongly unique approach to an individual TA will be considered solely for Phase 1.
 
DARPA anticipates multiple awards.
DARPA_polyplex22
Sponsor Deadline for Abstracts (strongly encouraged): May 4, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: June 8, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $50,000 for 1 month
 
The purpose of this Polyplexus Pilot Topic Opportunity Notice is to provide public notification of a research and development funding opportunity on the Polyplexus online platform. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) invites participation in Polyplexus, which is an online, professional, technical conversation between the research community and DARPA Program Managers that will lead to the opportunity to submit abstracts and full proposals for a research and development project. The shared task of this group is to rigorously explore the trends and possible applications of emerging science and technology in a specific technical area defined by a participating Program Manager. The online discussion culminates in an opportunity to submit an abstract and subsequently a proposal describing a proposed research project. The initial technical area under consideration in this announcement is simulation enablement at the printed circuit board (PCB) level. The topic will be refined as the incubator conversation evolves. The updated topic can found in the "Simulation Enablement through Auto-Generation of Surrogate Models (Topic 22)" incubator located on the polyplexus.com website.
 
The process, evaluation criteria, abstract submission instructions, and proposal submission instructions are described in the most recent amendment of the BAA for Polyplexus Pilot 3 (HR001119S0075) .

Darpa_RIDE
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: May 8, 2020
Award Amount: The level of funding for individual awards made under this BAA will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds. RIDE is a four-year program divided into three phases that will be executed through two Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs). This BAA only solicits proposals for RIDE Phases 1 and 2, the first 30 months of the 48-month program.
 
The Defense Sciences Office (DSO) at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative research proposals in the area of technologies that speed, parallelize and systematize energetics formulation development. Capabilities developed for explosive and propellant formulations are of primary interest, though development may also entail capabilities for other energetics including obscurants and pyrotechnics.
 
During Phases 1 and 2, RIDE is divided into two separate Technical Areas (TAs) focused on building core component technologies for energetics formulation development:
  • TA1 Chemical Synthesis and Formulation Platforms: Develop safe, semi-automated, experimental capabilities that integrate energetics ingredient synthesis with formulation development and testing
  • TA2 Advanced Energetics Metrology: Develop new theoretical, experimental and/or statistical methods that enable safe, accurate evaluation of key energetics properties at reduced scale
Proposers may propose to both TAs but must do so in two separate proposals. During the 18-month final phase of RIDE (not solicited under this BAA), capabilities relevant to TA1 and TA2 will be integrated to build a complete, semiautomated energetics synthesis and formulation development platform with advanced on-board metrology. Devices will be delivered to and operated at a cleared research facility for Phase 3 demonstrations.
 
Multiple awards are anticipated.

DARPA_oceanII
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: May 8, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: May 15, 2020
Award Amount: The amount of resources made available under this BAA will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds. DARPA expects to award a total of $8M through this solicitation. The period of performance for Phase 2 projects will be 15 months.
 
DARPA's Strategic Technologies Office (STO) is soliciting innovative proposals for the second phase of a two-phase program to develop analytical techniques to derive insights from an autonomous float field and produce mission products from the many, concise float data reports. The program, Ocean of Things, is a vital part of the Mosaic Warfare end-state vision. Proposed solutions should develop innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems and innovative approaches to apply existing technology not previously applied to the maritime domain. To achieve these research objectives, DARPA divides the program into two technical efforts. Technical Area 1 (TA-1) includes the design and production of floats; Technical Area 2 (TA-2) includes the development of advanced data analytics to generate mission products. At this time, DARPA seeks innovative proposals for TA-2 advanced data analytics only.

Multiple awards are anticipated.

DOD_afosrYIP
Sponsor Deadline for White Papers (strongly encouraged): May 14, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: July 7, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: July 14, 2020
Award Amount: Most YIP awards are funded up to $150,000 per year for three years, for a total of $450,000. Each budget year must not exceed $150,000; regardless if the total budget is $450,000. Exceptional proposals will be considered individually for higher funding levels and/or longer duration. Higher funding levels could take the form of more funding in one or more years of the basic award, and/or an option for continued performance for one or two additional years at a funding level recommended by an AFOSR Program Officer. PIs should only submit a supplemental proposal for an option for continued performance beyond the three-year basic period if a PO requests it.
 
The Fiscal Year 2021 Air Force Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) intends to support early in career scientists and engineers who have received Ph.D. or equivalent degrees by 1 April 2013 or later showing exceptional ability and promise for conducting basic research. The program objective is to foster creative basic research in science and engineering; enhance early career development of outstanding young investigators; and increase opportunities for the young investigator to recognize the Air Force mission and related challenges in science and engineering. YIP PIs must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident.
 
AFOSR seeks unclassified proposals from qualified and responsible applicants in the research areas of interest identified in the most recent Broad Agency Announcement titled Research Interests of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research . Please note, the AFOSR issued its most recent annual Open BAA update on March 24, 2020, so PIs should make sure they are reviewing the current Amendment for up-to-date topic areas of interest and coordination of topic ideas with the appropriate Program Officer. YIP proposals may be submitted for only one research portfolio area.
 
Approximately 36 traditionally funded YIPs are anticipated in this fiscal year.

DOD_newton
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: Rolling through May 15, 2020
Award Amount: Total costs will not exceed $50,000 per investigator or $100,000 for a collaborative proposal by two investigators. DoD will only cover salary, fringe benefits and indirect costs. The period of performance will be 6 months.
 
From 1665 to 1666, the Great Plague of London swept across England, likely taking the lives of over 100,000 people. Though the germ theory of disease would not be formulated until the 1860s, the English public engaged in "social distancing" behaviors to avoid illness, leading to the closure of universities. Among the displaced was a young Isaac Newton, still a student at Trinity College in Cambridge. During the ensuing year of isolated study and reflection, Newton developed the basis for calculus, as well as foundational theories in gravitation, motion, and optics. Separated from the Great Plague by 350 years, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to similar health responses among the general public and scientific community, forcing the closure of laboratories and universities throughout the world and slowing scientific progress across theoretical and empirical domains. To help stimulate scientific thought and encourage efforts and advancements in the spirit of Sir Isaac, the Basic Research Office in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announces the Newton Award for Transformative Ideas during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
 
This award will be presented to a single investigator or team of up to two investigators that develops a "transformative idea" to resolve challenges, advance frontiers, and set new paradigms in areas of immense potential benefit to DoD and the nation at large. Proposals should fall within the scope of fields consistent with DoD basic research funding priorities, including but not limited to artificial intelligence/machine learning and autonomy, communications and networks, engineering, materials science, mathematics, microelectronics, physics, quantum science and computing, social and cognitive sciences, synthetic biology and biotechnology. Interdisciplinary and collaborative proposals by up to two  investigators are encouraged as necessary. Proposals should aim to produce novel conceptual frameworks or theory-based approaches that present disruptive ways of thinking about fundamental scientific problems that have evaded resolution, propose new, paradigm-shifting scientific directions, and/or address fundamental and important questions that are argued to be undervalued by the scientific community. Approaches can include analytical reasoning, calculations, simulations, and thought experiments. While data collection and production are therefore allowed, all supporting data should be generated without the use of laboratory-based experimentation or instrumentation. Given the novelty of and circumstances surrounding this one-time FOA, the objective of this program is to generate proposals that are equally novel and pioneering. Therefore, this FOA should be viewed as an opportunity to propose work outside the bounds of traditional proposals.
 
Up to 10 awards are anticipated.

DoD_darpaWARP
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: Proposals will continue to be accepted through June 11, 2020, however proposers are warned that the likelihood of available funding is greatly reduced for proposals submitted after  May 14, 2020. (Updated Deadline)
Award Amount: It is anticipated that $40M of total funding will be awarded across both technical areas, approximately partitioned as follows: $20M for Technical Area 1 (TA1), 3 phases, 48 months, 6.2 funding; and $20M for Technical Area 2 (TA2), 3 phases, 48 months, 6.2 funding. The total program is expected to run 48 months, where Phase 1 and Phase 2 will each be 18 months long, while Phase 3 will last 12 months.

DARPA's Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) seeks innovative proposals to develop wideband, adaptive RF filters and cancellers that selectively attenuate interference and protect wideband digital radios from saturation. When exposed to interference/self-interference, the filters and cancellers will automatically sense and adapt to the electromagnetic environment through the intelligent control of its adaptive hardware. WARP will ultimately enable the use of wideband software defined radios in congested and contested environments.
 
WARP will be executed across two technical areas (TAs): TA1 - Wideband Adaptive Filtering and TA2 - Wideband Signal Cancellation. Proposers should not propose to more than one Technical Area in a single proposal. Proposers who wish to propose to more than one Technical Area must submit a separate full proposal for each individual Technical Area. Proposals must include all phases for the associated Technical Area.

Multiple awards with a variety of technical approaches in each technical area are anticipated.
DoD_RAP
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: Review not required for awards made directly to individuals
Sponsor Deadlines for Full Proposals: May 1, 2020; August 1, 2020; November 1, 2020
Award Amount: Awards include stipends ranging from $45,000 to $80,000, health insurance, professional travel, and relocation. Awards are for up to 12 months (Summer Faculty awards are for 8-14 weeks), with the possibility of extension through a second or third year.
 
The NRC Research Associateship Programs (RAP) promote excellence in scientific and technological research conducted by the U.S. government through the administration of programs offering graduate, postdoctoral, and senior level research opportunities at sponsoring federal laboratories and affiliated institutions. In the NRC Research Associateship Programs, prospective applicants select a research project or projects from among a large group of  Research Opportunities . Prior to completing an application, prospective applicants should contact the Research Adviser listed with the selected Research Opportunity(ies) to assure that funding will be available if the application is recommended by NRC Research Associateship Programs panels.
 
Prospective applicants should carefully read the details and eligibility of the program to which they are applying. Some laboratories have citizenship restrictions (open only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents), and some laboratories have Research Opportunities that are not open to senior applicants (more than 5 years beyond the Ph.D.). When searching for Research Opportunities, applicants may limit their search to only those laboratories which match their eligibility criteria. In addition, applicants should note application deadlines, as not all laboratories participate in all reviews.
DoD_DURIP
OSP Deadline: May 8, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: May 15, 2020
Award Amount: Awards are generally between $50,000 and $1.5M for one year, but can be larger if the proposal meets one of two exceptions (though exceptions will be rare): 1) Your proposal contains a firm commitment from your institution to provide voluntary committed cost sharing or matching so the cost to DoD remains $1.5M or less; or, 2) Your proposal requests the administering agency that receives your proposal to grant an exception to the $1.5M maximum amount of DoD funding. At the administering agency's discretion, your proposal may be considered if it is warranted by a priority defense research need or needs. DoD intends to award a total of $48M under this program in FY2021.
 
The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the Fiscal Year 2021 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP). DURIP is designed to improve the capabilities of accredited United States institutions of higher education to conduct research and to educate scientists and engineers in areas important to national defense, by providing funds for the acquisition of research equipment or instrumentation.
 
This Department of Defense program is administered by three agencies. Click on the links below for information about each agency's areas of interest:

DoD encourages applicants to contact the Program Managers listed in the cited announcements before submitting a proposal to explore research areas of mutual interest. Applicants may submit a single DURIP proposal to more than one administering agency; however, only one administering agency will fund it, if selected. There is no limit on the total number of different proposals an applicant can submit. There is no limit to the number of awards a single applicant organization can receive under this competition.
DoD_iCorps
Sponsor Deadline for Informal White Papers: Rolling through May 15, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: Rolling through June 15, 2020
Award Amount: $40,000-$70,000 in total costs for 12 months. Up to 10 awards are anticipated for FY 20.
 
The Department of Defense (DoD) is soliciting applications from current/recent DoD awardees on research topics (the award must either be current or completed after 15 February 2015) to receive mentoring and funding to accelerate the transition and commercialization of the funded research. The I-Corps @ DoD program is designed to support the acceleration of research innovations from qualifying institutions by providing Principal Investigators (PIs) and students with training and mentorship in customer discovery and the commercialization process. Successful applicants will receive a grant to attend a program that provides extensive training in product commercialization from industry experts and 'serial entrepreneurs' who have helped train over 1,000 I-Corps™ Teams in how to bring their innovations to market. The I-Corps @ DoD program is a pilot program modeled after the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps™ program. The key component of the I-Corps @ DoD program is the I-Corps Team. The I-Corps Team is comprised of the Technical Lead, the Entrepreneurial Lead and the Mentor. The Entrepreneurial Lead is typically a postdoctoral researcher, graduate student, or other student, possesses relevant technical knowledge and a deep commitment to investigate the commercial landscape surrounding the innovation. The Mentor brings entrepreneurial experience and serves as the principal guide in determining the technology disposition. Technical Leads/PIs ideally locate their own mentor, but can also contact the I-Corps @ DoD Program Manager for assistance with locating a mentor.
 
There will be three outcomes of the I-Corps @ DoD program: 1) a clear go/no go decision regarding viability of products and services, 2) should the decision be to move the effort forward, a transition plan to do so, and 3) an understanding of what kind of minimum viable product demonstration would be required by key partners and customer segments.

DOD_cdmrpprmrp
CDMRP PRMRP Awards for Emerging Viral Diseases and Respiratory Health*
Sponsor Deadline for Pre-Applications (required): May 28, 2020 for Investigator-Initiated Research Awards and Technology/Therapeutic Development Awards; June 8, 2020 for Clinical Trial Awards
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: June 12, 2020 for Investigator-Initiated Research Awards and Technology/Therapeutic Development Awards; June 22, 2020 for Clinical Trial Awards
Award Amount: Varies by award type (see below for details)
 
The PRMRP challenges the scientific and clinical communities to address at least one of the FY20 PRMRP Topic Areas of Emerging Viral Diseases and Respiratory Health (see the solicitation for a complete list of Focus Areas within these topics) with original ideas that foster new directions along the entire spectrum of research and clinical care.
 
Three award mechanisms are available for projects in this area:
  • The PRMRP Investigator-Initiated Research Award is intended to support studies that will make an important contribution toward research and/or patient care in one or more Focus Areas. Research projects may focus on any phase of research from basic laboratory research through translational research, including preclinical studies in animal models and human subjects, as well as correlative studies associated with an existing clinical trial. The anticipated direct costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY20 PRMRP Investigator-Initiated Research Award will not exceed $1.6M for a single investigator project, or $2M for projects utilizing the Partnering PI Option. The maximum period of performance is 4 years.
  • The PRMRP Technology/Therapeutic Development Award is a product-driven award mechanism intended to provide support for the translation of promising preclinical findings into products for clinical applications in one or more Focus Areas. Products in development should be responsive to the healthcare needs of military Service members, Veterans, and/or beneficiaries. The anticipated direct costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY20 PRMRP Technology/Therapeutic Development Award will not exceed $4M. The maximum period of performance is 4 years.
  • The PRMRP Clinical Trial Award supports the rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to have a significant impact in one or more of the Focus Areas. Applications are not restricted to a predetermined cost limit. The maximum period of performance is 4 years.
The CDMRP expects to allot up to $12M to fund approximately four Investigator-Initiated Research Award applications for Emerging Viral Diseases and/or Respiratory Health, up to $25M to fund approximately four Technology/Therapeutic Development Award applications, and up to $30M to fund approximately five Clinical Trial Awards.
DoD_MURI
Sponsor Deadline for White Papers (encouraged): June 1, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: September 4, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: September 14, 2020
Award Amount: Typical annual funding per grant is in the $1.25M to $1.5M range. The amount of the award and the number of supported researchers should generally not exceed the limit specified for the individual topics in the solicitation. Each individual award will be for a three-year base period with one two-year option period to bring the total maximum term of the award to five years.
 
The Department of Defense (DoD) Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI), one element of the University Research Initiative (URI), is sponsored by the DoD research offices, including the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Army Research Office (ARO), and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). The MURI program supports basic research in science and engineering at U.S. institutions of higher education that is of potential interest to DoD. The program is focused on multidisciplinary research efforts where more than one traditional discipline interacts to provide rapid advances in scientific areas of interest to the DoD. DOD's MURI program addresses high-risk basic research and attempts to understand or achieve something that has never been done before. The program has regularly produced significant scientific breakthroughs with far reaching consequences to the fields of science, economic growth, and revolutionary new military technologies. Key to the program's success is the close management of the MURI projects by Service program officers and their active role in providing research guidance.
 
The FY 2021 MURI competition is for the topics listed below:
 
White papers and proposals addressing the following topics should be submitted to the Office of Naval Research (ONR):
  • Topic 1: Molecular Qubits for Synthetic Electronics
  • Topic 2: A Brain-based Compositional Framework for Robust Computer Vision
  • Topic 3: Littoral Ocean Dynamics off Rocky Coasts and Shorelines
  • Topic 4: Fog and Turbulence
  • Topic 5: Dynamic Tuning of Thermal Transport
  • Topic 6: Chemically and Thermally Insensitive Super/Ultra-Hard Materials
  • Topic 7: Narrative, Moral and Social Foundations of Social Cyber-Attack in Social Media
  • Topic 8: A Dynamics and Control Theory of Safe, Cognitive and Learning Systems
  • Topic 9: Understanding Turbulence-Chemistry Interactions in Non-Equilibrium, High-Speed Flows
  • Topic 10: Predicting Organic Molecular Decomposition 
White papers and proposals addressing the following topics should be submitted to the Army Research Office (ARO):
  • Topic 11: Anomalous Dipole Textures in Engineered Ferroelectric Materials
  • Topic 12: Cyber Autonomy through Robust Learning and Effective Human/Bot Teaming
  • Topic 13: Highly Heterogeneous Meta-macrostructures Created via Fine-particle Interactions
  • Topic 14: Non-Silica Inorganic Material Phases Synthesized from Genetically Modified Diatoms
  • Topic 15: Novel Mechanisms of Neuro-Glio Bio-Computation and Reinforcement Learning
  • Topic 16: Quantum Network Science
  • Topic 17: The Same is Different: Integrating Multiple Phenomena in Single Materials
  • Topic 18: Tunable Dilute Anion III-Nitride Nanostructures for Stable Photocatalysis
White papers and proposals addressing the following topics should be submitted to the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR):
  • Topic 19: Mechanisms of Novel Reactivity in Aqueous Microdroplets
  • Topic 20: Topological Plasma Electromagnetics
  • Topic 21: Interfacial Engineering of Superconductors
  • Topic 22: Targeted Optical Stimulation of Individual Retinal Photoreceptors
  • Topic 23: Quantum Random Access Memory
  • Topic 24: Metasurface Edge Sensing, Processing and Computing
  • Topic 25: Non-Hermitian Programmable Materials at Exceptional Points
  • Topic 26: Mathematical Foundations for Enabling Robust Optimal Design of Hypersonic Systems
White papers and proposals addressing the following OSD topic should be submitted to the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR):
  • Topic 27: Advanced Modeling of Evolutionary Cyber Eco-Systems with Autonomous Intelligence
darpa_DPRIVE
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: June 2, 2020
Award Amount: The level of funding for individual awards made under this BAA will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds. The DPRIVE program will be a 42-month program composed of three phases, a base Phase 1 (15 months) and optional Phases 2 (15 months) and 3 (12 months).
 
DARPA's Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) is soliciting innovative research and development to reduce the computation run time of fully homomorphic encrypted computation through hardware acceleration. The goal of the DPRIVE program is to enable fully homomorphic encrypted computation to within one order of magnitude of the compute time of current unencrypted computation. The outcome of DPRIVE will be a fabricated chip and supporting hardware/software that realizes the goals of the program. Given the anticipated challenges of the DPRIVE program, multidisciplinary teams with grounded experience in the mathematics of FHE, embedded software systems, and unconventional VLSI hardware design are encouraged to submit proposals.
 
DPRIVE will have a single Technical Area. Each DPRIVE team will need to address all required DPRIVE development activities (hardware + software + algorithms).
 
Multiple awards are anticipated. Total award funding is expected to be $33M.

DOD_cdmrpMED
Sponsor Deadline for Pre-Applications (required): July 29, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: August 6, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: August 13, 2020
Award Amount: Varies by award type (see below for details)
 
The vision of the FY20 Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) is to improve the health, care, and well-being of all military Service members, Veterans, and beneficiaries, and its mission is to encourage, identify, select, and manage medical research projects of clear scientific merit and direct relevance to military health. Thus, the proposed research must be relevant to active duty Service members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and/or the American public. The PRMRP challenges the scientific and clinical communities to address at least one of the FY20 PRMRP Topic Areas (see the solicitation for complete list) with original ideas that foster new directions. The PRMRP Clinical Trial Award supports the rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to have a significant impact. Clinical trials may be designed to evaluate promising new products, pharmacologic agents (drugs or biologics), devices, clinical guidance, and/or emerging approaches and technologies. Proposed projects may range from small proof-of-concept trials (e.g., pilot, first in human, Phase 0), to demonstrate feasibility or inform the design of more advanced trials, through large-scale trials to determine efficacy in relevant patient populations.
 
Two different application categories, based on the phase of planning for the clinical trial, are available under this Program Announcement:
  • Planning Phase with Clinical Trial: This is intended to support the final phase of regulatory activities necessary to initiate the planned clinical trial. For the Planning Phase, anticipated direct costs will not exceed $500,000 and the maximum period of performance is 18 months. In addition to the Planning Phase, the proposed clinical trial work is not restricted to a predetermined cost and has a maximum period of performance of 4 years.
  • Clinical Trial Only: This is intended to support a clinical trial having either FDA (or other regulatory agency) approval or an exemption; the clinical trial is expected to begin no later than 9 months after the award date. Applications are not restricted to a predetermined cost limit and the maximum period of performance is 4 years.
The CDMRP expects to allot approximately $45M to fund approximately 11 Clinical Trial Award applications (5 Planning Phase with Clinical Trial and 6 Clinical Trial Only).
DTRA_stri
Sponsor Deadline for White Papers: Rolling through March 2, 2025
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals: Rolling through March 2, 2025
Award Amount: DTRA SI-STT estimates the total program budget divided among multiple awardees at approximately $1,950,000 per year. The preferred period of performance for studies is 6-9 months to maximize opportunities for operational relevance. Given the need for timely research, in most but not all cases, the period of performance shall not exceed 12 months from the effective date of award.
 
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Strategic Integration Directorate, Strategic Trends and Effects Department, Strategic Trends Division (SI-STT) is announcing to industry and academia the intent to solicit white papers and proposals for research studies, strategic dialogues, and tabletop exercises (TTXs) through this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). This strategy provides an acquisition tool to support SI-STT's Strategic Trends Research Initiative (STRI) with the flexibility to solicit white papers and proposals from the external expert community and make awards for expert-driven research efforts that meet present, emerging, and future needs.
 
Per priorities identified by the 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS), SI-STT seeks proposals and white papers for research studies, strategic dialogues, and TTXs addressing the following five focus areas:
  • Identify the utility of deeper, more meaningful relationships with existing allies, partners, and establish new relationships with non-traditional partners as a mechanism to compete against key strategic competitors;
  • Understand the implications of key strategic competitors' emerging capabilities on the United States' ability to maintain operational advantage and project power;
  • Identify emerging WMD-related threats of concern for the future battlespace;
  • Consider the role and application of WMD risk reduction tools and approaches (e.g. arms control) in an era of Great Power competition; and/or
  • Explore the utility and applicability of applying a Counter Threat Network (CTN) approach to better characterize and address cross-domain threats posed by priority threat actors.
Within these five broad focus areas, DTRA SI-STT is specifically interested in credible, timely, operationally relevant and actionable research products (studies, strategic dialogues, and TTXs) that are aligned with seven thrust areas outlined below in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020:
  • Thrust Area 1: Competition with Revisionist Powers
  • Thrust Area 2: Emerging Threats
  • Thrust Area 3: Counter Threat Networks (CTN)
  • Thrust Area 4: Strategic Security and Risk Reduction
Track 1.5 and Track 2 Strategic Dialogues with:
  • Thrust Area 5: Allies, partners, and non-traditional partners
  • Thrust Area 6: Key strategic competitors
Tabletop Exercises (TTXs) that are focused on:
  • Thrust Area 7: Competition with Revisionist Powers (with a focus on WMD-related issues)
The funding will be provided for study projects, strategic dialogues (Track 1.5 and Track 2 meetings), and TTXs. Applicants are encouraged to propose projects in all categories, which are aligned with distinct thrust areas.

I f you are interested in DoD funding opportunities, please note:
The  Defense Innovation Marketplace  is a centralized source for Department of Defense science and technology (S&T) planning, acquisition resources, funding, and financial information. 
DOE_covid
 
DOE is soliciting ideas about how DOE and the National Labs might contribute resources to help address COVID-19 through science and technology efforts and collaborations. Through its user facilities, computational power, and enabling infrastructure, DOE has unique capabilities that the scientific community may leverage for the COVID-19 response and recovery. DOE does not provide medical and clinical work; instead, the Department's mission complements the efforts of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and other Federal partners by helping to understand the scientific phenomena contributing to COVID-19, from the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the disease, to models that can mimic its spread. DOE supports significant biologically focused facilities and resources, including the Joint Genome Institute (JGI), National Microbiome Data Collaborative (NMDC), Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL), and DOE Systems Biology Knowledgebase (KBase ). These and other DOE resources may be used for many studies, such as:

  • Developing high-throughput multiplex technologies to characterize virus-host interactions, determine phage resistance mechanisms in nature, identify the degree of specificity for each bacterial resistance mechanisms across diverse phage types, and understand the coevolution of hosts and their phages, which can ultimately be used to design better phage therapeutic treatments and tools for precision microbiome engmeenng;
  • Improved modeling for understanding natural viral populations and persistence in the environment, as well as predictive modeling for viral stability and evolution in changing environmental conditions;
  • Understanding virus-microbiome community composition, function, and evolution;
  • Synthetic biology of key target viral proteins to rapidly develop improved vaccines or therapeutics; and
  • Synthetic biology to construct viral genome variants and test viral stability, persistence, and resilience in the environment.
 
The Department encourages submission of scientific questions that underpin COVID-19 response and that the research community may answer using DOE user facilities, computational resources, and enabling infrastructure. Please send research questions that the scientific community may address with DOE resources by email to SC.DCL@science.doe.gov . The Department is acting rapidly to leverage, and when appropriate provide prioritized access to, the full range of DOE user facilities and other facilities available at national laboratories to support the national and international effort to address COVID-19. 
DOE_fair 
Sponsor Concept Paper Deadline (required): April 17, 2020
SEAS/FAS/OSP Deadline: May 8, 2020
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: May 15, 2020
Award Amount: $150,000-$750,000/year for 2-3 years
 
The DOE SC program in Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) hereby announces its interest in making research data and artificial intelligence (AI) models findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR1) to facilitate the development of new AI applications in SC's congressionally authorized mission space, which includes the advancement of AI research and development. In particular, ASCR is interested in supporting FAIR benchmark data for AI; and FAIR frameworks for relating data and AI models.
 
For this FOA, AI is inclusive of, for example, machine learning, deep learning, neural networks, computer vision, and natural language processing. Data, in this context, are the digital artifacts used to generate AI models and/or employed in combination with AI models during inference. An AI model is an inference method that can be used to perform a "task," such as prediction, diagnosis, or classification. The model is developed using training data or other knowledge. An AI task is the inference activity performed by an artificially intelligent system.
DOE_bottle
Sponsor Concept Paper Deadline: April 29, 2020 (Updated Deadline)
FAS/SES/OSP Full Proposal Deadline: June 25, 2020
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: July 2, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $2.5M for up to 3 years
 
In November 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the Plastics Innovation Challenge, a comprehensive program to accelerate innovations in energy-efficient plastics recycling technologies. This FOA will support high-impact R&D for plastics by developing new plastics that are capable of efficient recyclability and improving recycling strategies that can break existing plastics into chemical building blocks that can be used to make higher-value products. Topic Areas include:

  1. Highly Recyclable or Biodegradable Plastics: develop new plastics that have improved performance attributes over a comparable existing plastic that can be cost-effectively recycled or biodegrade completely in the environment or in compost facilities.
  2. Novel Methods for Deconstructing and Upcycling Existing Plastics: generate energy efficient recycling technologies (mechanical, chemical, or biological) that are capable of breaking plastic streams into intermediates which can be upgraded into higher value products.
  3. BOTTLE Consortium Collaborations to Tackle Challenges in Plastic Waste: create collaborations with the Bio-Optimized Technologies to Keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) Laboratory Consortium to further the long-term goals of the Consortium and the Plastics Innovation Challenge.
 DOE_offshore
Sponsor Concept Paper Deadline (required): April 30, 2020
SEAS/FAS/OSP Deadline: July 1, 2020
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: July 9, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $10M for up to 60 months. Cost sharing of at least 20% is required.
 
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002236 entitled "Offshore Wind Atmospheric Science and Project Development."
 
This FOA has Two Topic Areas:
  • Topic Area 1: The overall goal of this Topic Area is to provide funding for a project that will improve wind resource modeling and predictions in offshore wind energy development areas. Using lessons-learned and information gained during the previous program work in complex-terrain wind resource modeling and prediction, this Topic Area will focus on improving wind resource model physics for foundational wind forecasts and other applications in offshore wind energy development areas.
  • Topic Area 2: The overall goal of this Topic Area is to provide funding for a project(s) that will enable demonstration of a novel technology and/or methodology that will advance the state-of-the-art of offshore wind energy in the United States. The proposed project must either implement an innovative technology at engineering/pilot or full-scale, and/or employ a novel methodology that has yet to be utilized commercially in the United States for offshore wind.
DOE_machinelearn
Sponsor Pre-Application Deadline (required): May 1, 2020
SEAS/FAS/OSP Deadline: May 21, 2020
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: May 29, 2020
Award Amount: $150,000/year for 2 years
 
The DOE Office of Science (SC) program in Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) hereby announces its interest in research applications to explore potentially high-impact approaches in the development and use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) for predictive scientific modeling and simulations.
 
Scientific Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (Scientific AI/ML) will have broad use and transformative effects across the research communities supported by DOE. Accordingly, a 2019 Basic Research Needs workshop report identified six Priority Research Directions. The first three PRDs describe foundational research themes that are common to the development of Scientific AI/ML methods and correspond to the need for domain-awareness, interpretability, and robustness. The other three PRDs describe capability research themes and correspond to the three major use cases of massive scientific data analysis (PRD #4), machine learning-enhanced modeling and simulation (PRD #5), and intelligent automation and decision-support for complex systems (PRD #6).
 
The principal focus of this FOA is on Scientific AI/ML for modeling and simulations (PRD #5). Foundational research (PRDs #1, 2, and 3) will be needed for strengthening the mathematical and statistical basis in developing predictive AI/ML-based computational models and adaptive algorithms for scientific advances. Also, new techniques, software tools, and approaches will likely be needed to reap scientific benefits from the extreme heterogeneity of scientific computing technologies (e.g, processors, memory and interconnect systems, sensors) that are emerging.

 DOE_ai
Sponsor Pre-Application Deadline (required): May 6, 2020
SEAS/FAS/OSP Deadline: May 29, 2020
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: June 5, 2020
Award Amount: $150,000-$400,000/year for 2-3 years
 
The DOE Office of Science program in Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) hereby announces its interest in research applications to explore potentially high-impact approaches in the development and use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the context of computational decision support for complex systems.
 
Scientific Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (Scientific AI/ML) will have broad use and transformative effects across the DOE. Accordingly, a 2019 Basic Research Needs workshop report identified six Priority Research Directions (PRDs). The first three PRDs describe foundational research themes that are common to the development of Scientific AI/ML methods and correspond to the need for domain-awareness, interpretability, and robustness. The other three PRDs describe capability research themes and correspond to the three major use cases of massive scientific data analysis (PRD #4), machine learning-enhanced modeling and simulation (PRD #5), and intelligent automation and decision-support for complex systems (PRD #6).
 
The principal focus of this Program Announcement is on Scientific AI/ML for intelligent automation and decision support for complex systems (PRD #6). Foundational research (PRDs #1, 2, and 3) will be needed for strengthening the mathematical and statistical basis in developing predictive AI/ML-based computational models and adaptive algorithms for scientific advances. Also, new techniques, software tools, and approaches will likely be needed to reap scientific benefits from the extreme heterogeneity of scientific computing technologies (e.g., processors, memory and interconnect systems, sensors) that are emerging.
 
 DOE_marine
Sponsor Concept Paper Deadline (required): May 11, 2020
SEAS/FAS/OSP Deadline: June 29, 2020
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: July 7, 2020
Award Amount: Varies by topic area. Cost sharing is required and the required percentage depends upon project participants.
 
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing on behalf of the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement titled "Marine Energy Foundational Research and Testing Infrastructure." Marine energy technologies provide renewable sources of electricity that support EERE goals of increasing energy affordability, domestic economic prosperity, and energy security while enhancing the reliability and resiliency of the U.S. power grid. This FOA addresses priorities in the following areas: marine energy foundational Research and Development (R&D) at non-federal research institutions, collaborative R&D efforts among research organizations and the marine energy industry, and expansion of marine energy testing capabilities.
 
This FOA addresses priorities in the following Topic Areas:
  • Topic Area 1: Foundational Research and Development
  • Topic Area 2: Atlantic Marine Energy Center
  • Topic Area 3: Foundational Research Network Facilitator
  • Topic Area 4: Current Energy Technology Testing Infrastructure
 DOE_connectedcomm
Response Deadline: May 12, 2020
 
The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from utilities, industry, academia, EV service providers, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings in Connected Communities. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is specifically interested in information on the draft Connected Communities FOA goals and design. This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). The goal of this potential FOA is to demonstrate, through regional pilots, the ability of groups of efficient buildings, including some level of EV charging infrastructure, to provide additive benefits to the electricity system including peak demand reduction, reduced capacity and energy needs, and other grid services through demand flexibility. This includes the ability to reduce, shift and modulate load or generate energy in both existing and new communities across diverse climates, geographies, building types and grid/regulatory structures, while maintaining (if not enhancing) occupant satisfaction and productivity.
 
EERE is compiling a Teaming Partner List to facilitate the widest possible participation for this anticipated FOA. The list allows organizations with expertise in the topic and wish to participate in an application, but may not wish to apply as the Prime applicant to the FOA, to express their interest to potential applicants and to explore potential partnerships. The Teaming Partner List will be available on https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov under this RFI (DE-FOA-0002291) until the FOA is posted.
DOE_directcapture
SEAS/FAS/OSP Deadline: May 21, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: May 29, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $2.5M for up to 36 months. Cost sharing of at least 20% is required.
 
DOE-Fossil Energy's program in Carbon Capture has been developing carbon capture technologies since 2001 with the goal of decreasing the cost of carbon capture systems. Technologies developed to date have focused on the capture of Carbon Dioxide directly from fossil fuel power plant gases. The Carbon Capture program is aiming to leverage this past research in materials and systems development for application to the conditions and process requirements of Direct Air Capture (DAC). However, there are several significant differences between these applications that will require applied research and the development of alternative capture media. The primary difference is the concentration of Carbon Dioxide.
 
This FOA is comprised of two Areas of Interest (AOI):
  • AOI-1 - Development of Novel Materials for Direct Air Capture of CO2: AOI-1 aims to fund research to develop carbon capture materials specifically tailored for DAC processes. The objective of AOI-1 is to research and develop novel DAC materials, such as, but not limited to:
    • solvents
    • membranes
    • sorbents
  • AOI-2 - Field Testing of Direct Air Capture: AOI-2 seeks applied research and development (R&D) to decrease the cost of DAC through the testing of existing DAC materials in integrated field units that capture CO2 and produce a concentrated CO2 stream of at least 95% purity. 
DOE wishes to encourage team-oriented approaches as part of their response to this announcement. Involvement of various stakeholders is seen as an important facet to providing a fully integrated solution. It is considered critical that analyses related to environmental performance, safety, technical and economic assessment be conducted by individuals or organizations with professional capabilities in these areas.

 DOE_sharks
Concept Paper Deadline: May 27, 2020
SEAS/FAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days in advance of sponsor full proposal deadline
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: TBD
Award Amount: $250,000-$10M for up to 36 months. Cost sharing may be required depending on project participants.
 
The SHARKS Program seeks to develop new designs for economically attractive Hydrokinetic Turbines (HKT) for tidal and riverine currents. Tidal and riverine energy resources are renewable, have the advantage of being highly reliable and predictable, and are often co-located with demand centers, while HKT devices can be designed with low visual profiles and minimal environmental impact. These energy-producing devices are also uniquely suited for micro-grid applications, supplying energy to remote communities and other "blue economy" or utility-scale applications. This Program is aimed at applying Control Co-Design (CCD), Co-Design (CD) and Designing-for-OpEx (DFO) methodologies to HKT design. These three design methodologies require the concurrent (rather than sequential) application of a wide range of disciplines, starting at the conceptual design stage. The technical challenges that inhibit the development of highly efficient HKT designs are mutually dependent, and require expertise from a range of scientific and engineering fields for optimization. These codependent technical challenges make HKT design a perfect candidate for CCD, CD and DFO, and will necessitate the formation of multi-disciplinary teams to resolve their inherently coupled design considerations.
DOE_coal
SEAS/FAS/OSP Deadline: July 7, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: July 14, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $2M for up to 2 years depending on area of interest. Cost sharing of at least 20% is required.
 
The overall objective of the FOA is to support the development of value-added products from coal. This will be accomplished through the research and development of coal-derived components for residential, commercial, and infrastructure applications. Another path to developing value-added products from coal is the production of high-value specialty products, as well as research and development of technologies capable of producing carbon-based building materials using a continuous, rather than batch, manufacturing process. The FOA will also support the design, R&D, and validation of a prototype carbon-based building.
 
The FOA includes the following Areas of Interest (AOIs)
  • AOI 1:  Coal-Derived Components for Residential or Commercial Buildings
  • AOI 2:  Coal-Derived Components for Infrastructure Applications
  • AOI 3:  Coal-Derived High-Value Carbon Products
  • AOI 4:  Coal-Derived Carbon Foam Produced via a Continuous Process

Other DOE Opportunities

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
NASA_heroE
Sponsor Deadline for Step-1 Proposals (required):  April 30, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline:  July 23, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Step-2 Proposals (if invited):  July 30, 2020
Award Information:  NASA intends to form the VSNCOR team comprised of up to 4 awards with each award funded up to $350,000 per year for four years, for a maximum amount of $1.4 million per award.
 
In the current Appendix, the Human Research Program (HRP) is soliciting research for the following topic: Identification, Development and Validation of a Mars Adaptive TRaining-Integrative Knowledge System (MATRIKS) for Pre- and In-Flight Crew Training for Long-Duration Missions, Virtual NASA Specialized Center of Research (VNSCOR). This training mission will serve as a team resource, providing a meaningful countermeasure activity that helps keep individual crew members motivated and engaged by maintaining brain areas and motor skills areas honed for readiness during post-landing mission requirements. The purpose of the Virtual NASA Specialized Center of Research (VNSCOR) approach to this research topic is to assemble a multidisciplinary team which will bring expertise in the neuroscience areas of mission-relevant training, skill acquisition, training retention, and sustainment, behavioral medicine/neurological basis of training, and adaptive team processes for motivational and meaningfulness components of the task (as well as individual) level analyses.
 
HRP is soliciting proposals in the following topic focus areas (proposers should focus on one or more of the identified focus areas, though efforts that attempt to address all areas within one proposal are discouraged):
  • Proposal Topic Focus #1: HRP seeks proposals focused on the development of a Mission-relevant Adaptive TRaining Integrative Knowledge System (MATRIKS). This MATRIKS should use an adaptive training approach for the adaptive acquisition of knowledge, maximizing the benefits of training on brain structure most at risk due to spaceflight stressors.
  • Proposal Topic Focus #2: Since there is a need for pre-flight and in-flight training countermeasures in the context of future exploration missions, this topic seeks proposals on the identification, development and validation of an exploration adaptive training system specific to the needs of future exploration crews.
  • Proposal Topic Focus #3: Proposals should address using animal models of motor skill training and acquisition with the knowledge and characterization of the potential role of targeted adaptive training to the brain plasticity changes in sensory, cognitive, & motor areas with long-duration missions. The proposal should address the use of an animal model for translation to human models of adaptive training and neuroplasticity.
NASA_heroF 
Sponsor Deadline for Step-1 Proposals (required):  April 30, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline:  July 23, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Step-2 Proposals (if invited):  July 30, 2020
Award Information:  $150,000 for one year
 
To expedite progress in various research areas in a short period of time, NASA is requesting proposals for short-term investigations or technology development projects that provide innovative approaches to any of the risks and associated knowledge gaps contained in the Human Research Program (HRP) Integrated Research Plan (IRP). Proposers may access the most current Web-based version of the IRP at the Human Research Roadmap (HRR) Web site at https://humanresearchroadmap.nasa.gov . The results of these short-term investigations are anticipated to deliver new tools, techniques, or knowledge that could lead to novel breakthroughs addressing one or more of the risks and gaps in the IRP. These short-term investigations may provide initial results testing a new scientific approach, or they may provide the initial proof-of-concept for a new technology or method that has not yet been proven as a means to address a risk or gap in the IRP. All short-term investigations are expected to produce novel scientific knowledge or technology development that can stand alone to address a risk or gap in the IRP, but these investigations may also provide the necessary preliminary results to justify a full proposal to a future NASA solicitation.
 
This Appendix also solicits proposals for basic research investigations for PIs new to NASA (those who have not had HRP, NSBRI, or TRISH funding as a PI in the last ten years). To explore novel research ideas that might not be directly aligned with HRP's identified risks, and to attract new investigators, HRP will accept Omnibus proposals in the Basic Investigations category on any aspect of human adaptation to spaceflight. HRP is particularly interested in innovative proposals and the potential for results to deliver new tools, techniques, or knowledge that could lead to novel breakthroughs addressing one or more risks and gaps in the HRR. The HRP internal review will determine programmatic relevance; hence, identification of the appropriate HRP risk or gap is not necessary upon submission. If appropriate, proposers may indicate a relevant HRP risk in their submission; however, projects not identifying an existing HRP risk or gap should justify their application to investigate the chosen aspect of spaceflight in their Step-1 proposal submission. Projects with low Countermeasure Readiness Level or high potential long-term payoffs are especially welcome.
NASADualMarshallCAN
Sponsor Deadlines for Step -1 White Papers (required): May 6, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadlines for Full Proposals (if invited): TBD (approximately 40 calendar days after Invitation to Propose is sent to invited Offerors)
Award Amount: MSFC awards will range from $10,000 to $250,000 (though the majority will range between $10,000 - $100,000) for up to 12 months, to be matched or exceeded by Offeror contributions. MSFC contributions to the Offeror can be cash, in-kind (non-cash) resources, or a combination of each. The participating partner is expected to contribute at least 50 percent of the total combined partner and NASA resources necessary to accomplish the project.

NASA seeks to award cooperative agreements for technology development partnerships with United States commercial businesses, colleges and universities with the goal of developing a technology that meets a specific NASA need at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), as well as a need of the partner. This goal will be accomplished by selecting Offerors that will cooperatively share in the development cost of the technology that meets the specified NASA need. NASA's MSFC, located in Huntsville, Alabama is one of NASA's largest and most diversified installations. The Marshall Center provides leadership in the complex engineering of space transportation and propulsion systems, large space structures and systems, and scientific research to make human space exploration a reality. For more information on the technology programs and capabilities at MSFC, please see the following:  http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/capabilities/index.html

MSFC has several technology development focus areas for this notice, including
  • Innovative/Advanced Propulsion Systems
  • Advanced Manufacturing; Structures and Materials
  • Technologies Supporting On-orbit and Surface Habitation Systems, including Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS)
  • Technologies Supporting Spacecraft Systems
  • Technologies Enabling Science Research
Multiple awards are anticipated.
NASA_can
Sponsor Deadline for Notices of Intent (required):  Rolling through July 31, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline:  5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposals (if invited):  Rolling through September 30, 2020
Award Information:  SSC resource contribution awards will range from $10,000 to $300,000, and must be matched or exceeded by Offeror contributions. SSC contributions to the Offeror can be cash, in-kind (non-cash) resources or a combination of each. The Period of Performance is up to 12 months.
 
This Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) supports identification and implementation of cost-sharing partnerships with commercial firms, academic institutions, and nonprofit institutions to develop technology to meet a specific NASA need at the John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC). SSC is the primary NASA rocket propulsion testing center. SSC tests items ranging from multi-engine stages to individual components of rocket engines. Propulsion test customers include NASA, the Department of Defense and the commercial space launch industry. SSC manages a large federal city that is home to over forty federal, state, university and industry entities. SSC manages a restricted airspace that is available for development, testing and operation of unmanned aerial vehicles. SSC engineering laboratories design and test electronics, sensors, algorithms and mechanical components.
 
SSC technology interests, include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Propulsion system test technology
  • Autonomous & intelligent systems
  • Advanced sensors & instruments
  • Image & signal processing
  • Innovative components & materials
  • Big data processing & analysis
  • Systems engineering & optimization
  • Computational modeling & simulation
  • Airspace management
  • Science Mission Support
  • Decision support tools & systems
  • Academic Rocket Propulsion Testing
Please note that organizations are limited to submitting one NOI per project/technology area. If you are interested in submitting an NOI, please contact Erin Hale in FAS Research Development at  erin_hale@fas.harvard.edu .
NASAUnsolicited
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline: Rolling through September 30, 2020
Award Amount: Proposed budget should be commensurate with the scope of the project.
 
NASA encourages the submission of unique and innovative proposals that will further the Agency's mission. While the vast majority of proposals are solicited, a small number of unsolicited proposals that cannot be submitted to those solicitations and yet are still relevant to NASA are reviewed and some are funded each year. Proposals should be submitted at least six months in advance of the desired starting date.
 
Before any effort is expended in preparing a proposal, potential proposers should:
  1. Review the current versions of the NASA Strategic Plan and documents from the specific directorate, office, or program for which the proposal is intended to determine if the work planned is sufficiently relevant to current goals to warrant a formal submission.
  2. Potential proposers must review current opportunities to determine if any solicitation already exists to which the potential project could be proposed. 
  3. Potential proposers should review current awards (e.g., by doing key word searches at Research.gov, or at the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) grant status page, and the NASA Life and Physical Sciences Task Book) to learn what, if any, related work is already funded by NASA. Such preparation reduces the risk of redundancy, improves implementation, and sometimes results in collaboration.
After those three things have been done, the proposer may contact an appropriate NASA person to determine whether NASA has any interest in the type of work being proposed and if any funding is currently available. Proposals should be submitted at least six months in advance of the desired starting date.

Other NASA Opportunities
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH_covid
 
NIH has compiled Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19):  Information for NIH Applicants and Recipients of NIH Funding at the link above. This includes guidance for proposal submission and award management, answers to frequently asked questions, and funding opportunities.
 
To get funding as quickly as possible to the research community, NIH is using Urgent and Emergency competing revisions and administrative supplements to existing grant awards.  This approach allows NIH to leverage resident expertise, getting additional funding to those researchers who are already working with other organisms, models, or tools so that they can quickly shift focus to the novel coronavirus. These Urgent and Emergency competitive revision Funding Opportunity Announcements allow NIH to fund applications quickly, often in under three months, sometimes much quicker than that, because evaluation for scientific and technical merit is done by an internal review panel convened by staff of the NIH awarding institute or center rather than by our traditional peer review process. These opportunities require applications to be submitted in response to an Emergency or Urgent Notice of Special Interest (NOSI).  In addition to the opportunities for revisions and supplements to existing awards, other notices of special interest seek full research project grant proposals to conduct research on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-2019 through an array of parent FOAs. NIH is maintaining a list of COVID-19 specific notices of special interest in the funding opportunities section at the link above. 
NIH_S10
NIH Shared Instrumentation Grant Programs (S10)
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: May 22­­, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: June 1, 2020­­­­
Award Amount: $50,000-$2,000,000
Target Applicants: Groups of three or more PIs on active, distinct NIH research awards
 
The S10 programs include the  Shared Instrumentation Grant Program  (for direct costs $50,000-$600,000), the  High End Instrumentation Grant Program  (for direct costs $600,001-$2,000,000), and the  Shared Instrumentation for Animal Research Grant Program (SIFAR)  (for direct costs $50,000-$750,000 for instrumentation to support research using animals or related materials). The objective of the NIH S10 Instrumentation Grant Programs is to make available to institutions expensive research instruments that can only be justified on a shared-use basis and that are needed for NIH-supported projects in basic, translational or clinical areas of biomedical/behavioral research. The program provides funds to purchase or upgrade a single item of expensive, specialized, commercially available instrument or an integrated instrumentation system.
 
Note: While there is no restriction on the number of applications an institution can submit for these opportunities, there are restrictions to applications submitted for similar equipment from the same institution. In order to determine if there are any overlapping requests within Harvard, potential applicants from FAS and SEAS are asked to submit a brief statement of intent to Erin Hale a at erin_hale@fas.harvard.edu
 
The statement of intent should include the following:

  • PI Name
  • Instrumentation Program (Shared Instrumentation, High End Instrumentation, or SIFAR)
  • Brief description of the proposed instrument (one brief paragraph)
  • Major user group (three or more investigators who are Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) on three distinct active NIH research grants)
  • Proposed location of the instrument, if funded
NIH_nibib
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days in advance of sponsor deadline
Sponsor Deadline: February 16, June 16, and October 16, annually
Award Amount: $400,000 in direct costs over 3 years
 
This Trailblazer Award is an opportunity for NIH-defined New and Early Stage Investigators ( https://grants.nih.gov/policy/early-investigators/index.htm ) to pursue research programs of high interest to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) that integrate engineering and the physical sciences with the life and/or biomedical sciences. A Trailblazer project may be exploratory, developmental, proof of concept, or high risk-high impact, and may be technology design-directed, discovery-driven, or hypothesis-driven. Importantly, applicants must propose research approaches for which there are minimal or no preliminary data. A distinct feature for this FOA is that no preliminary data are required, expected, or encouraged. However, if available, minimal preliminary data are allowed. Preliminary data are defined as material which the applicant has independently produced and not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal.
 
A Trailblazer project may be exploratory, developmental, proof of concept or have high risk-high impact goals. Importantly, the proposed research for this FOA may be technology design-directed and may or may not be hypothesis-driven. In the context of this FOA, innovation encompasses approaches to address well-defined, unmet biomedical research needs through the development of new methods, ideas, or technologies; early steps along the path toward delivery of a new capability or method; and the integration of existing components in a previously unproven format. High-impact projects should transform our understanding or practice by applying an innovative approach to an important biomedical challenge. For projects supported by a Trailblazer Award, successful results should provide a solid foundation for further research under other funding mechanisms, such as the R01. Applicants will be considered ineligible for this funding opportunity if they have submitted an R01, R15 or any other R21 application, with NIBIB as the primary IC within the same review cycle.
OtherNIHOpps
Other NIH Opportunities
National Science Foundation

National Science Foundation: Dear Colleague Letters
NSFdcl_covid19
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline: varies
Award Amount: varies
 
In light of the emergence and spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States and abroad, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is accepting proposals to conduct non-medical, non-clinical-care research that can be used immediately to explore how to model and understand the spread of COVID-19, to inform and educate about the science of virus transmission and prevention, and to encourage the development of processes and actions to address this global challenge. NSF encourages the research community to respond to this challenge through  existing funding opportunities . In addition, researchers are invited to use the Rapid Response Research (RAPID) funding mechanism, which allows NSF to receive and review proposals having a severe urgency with regard to availability of or access to data, facilities or specialized equipment as well as quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events. Requests for RAPID proposals may be for up to $200K and up to one year in duration. Well-justified proposals that exceed these limits may be entertained. All questions should be directed either to a program officer managing an NSF program with which the research would be aligned or to  rapid-covid19@nsf.gov .

Proposals in response to this DCL may also request the use of NSF-funded advanced computing resources such as  Frontera Stampede2, Bridges, Comet, and JetStream . To ensure availability of thes e computing resources, investigators must contact the NSF Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) at  rapid-covid19-oac@nsf.gov  prior to submission of the proposal.
NSFdcl_quantumeng
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: April 23, 2020 (for FY2020 proposals) or 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline: April 30, 2020 (to be considered for FY2020; rolling for FY2021)
Award Amount: detailed budget required;  if the budget exceeds $30,000, discuss the budget with the cognizant NSF program director of the original award prior to submission
 
NSF invites requests for supplemental funding from existing quantum information science and engineering research awardees to add a new--or strengthen an existing--international dimension to their award. International collaboration should advance fundamental knowledge and discovery in quantum fields and enhance the NSF Principal Investigator's (PI) own research and/or education objectives as outlined in the existing NSF award. Supplemental funding requests should represent mutual benefit and true intellectual collaboration with international partners. International collaborations may consist of short-term visits (up to 1 month) to establish relationships or mid- to long-term visits (up to 12 months) to engage in research activities. While collaboration with Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, and the UK are of particular interest, requests for international supplements to collaborate with other countries will also be considered.
 
This opportunity is open only to PIs and co-PIs of active NSF awards in quantum information science and engineering. For the purposes of this opportunity, quantum information science and engineering awards are considered those that aim to advance fundamental understanding of uniquely quantum phenomena and harness them to promote information processing, transmission, and measurement in ways that classical approaches do less efficiently, or not at all. The PI, co-PI(s), senior personnel, graduate students, and/or postdoctoral researchers currently funded under the existing NSF award may participate in the international collaboration. Supplemental funding is not intended to bring new personnel onto the grant. PIs are strongly advised to consult with their cognizant NSF program officer of the original award to confirm eligibility prior to submitting a supplemental funding request.

NSFdcl_opensci
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: April 24, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: May 1, 2020
Award Amount: up to $50,000 over 1-2 years (Conference Proposals); up to $300,000 for up to 2 years (EAGERs)
 
In alignment with the benefits of open science, NSF is undertaking an expansion of its Public Access Repository (NSF PAR) to include metadata records about the research data  that supports the journal and juried conference proceeding manuscripts resulting from NSF-funded research. Through this Dear Colleague Letter, NSF announces its intention to support conference proposals and EAGER proposals that explore and grow community readiness across all disciplinary areas served by the Foundation for this important advancement in open science as follows:
  • Proposals for Conferences: These are community workshops and other events that bring together stakeholders to explore and advance scientific community readiness in response to this advancement in open science.
  • Proposals for Early-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER): These are for high-risk/high-reward innovative concepts and pilot project proposals that contribute to community readiness in response to this advancement in open science. 
NSFdcl_future
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: N/A for RFI Response; May 11, 2020 (Conference Proposals)
Sponsor Deadline: April 30, 2020 (RFI Response Deadline); May 18, 2020 (Conference Proposal Deadline for FY2020)
Award Amount: N/A for RFI Response; up to $100,000 for Conference Proposals
 
The purpose of this RFI and call for future topics conference proposals is to seek input from global industry, institutions of higher education (IHEs), non-profits, government entities, and other interested parties on potential NSF Convergence Accelerator tracks for FY 2021. Potential NSF Convergence Accelerator tracks for FY 2021 can be related to  Industries of the Future (IotF) NSF's Big Ideas , or other topics, that may not relate directly to an IotF or Big Idea, but nonetheless have the potential for significant national impact. Ideas suggested in response to this RFI should be similar in breadth to  NSF 19-050   tracks, which are broad enough to each support a set of related research teams working together as a cohort. Note that this RFI does not invite research proposals, though the process itself may result in the identification of potential topics for future research funding opportunities. Respondents to this RFI may submit their ideas and they are highly encouraged to also submit conference proposals to develop and refine those ideas so as to incorporate convergence research, breadth, and collaboration among key stakeholders from industry, IHE's, non-profits, government entities, and other interested parties.
 
To submit a concept for future NSF Convergence Accelerator tracks, please visit  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2021RFI   and complete the online questionnaire no later than April 30, 2020. Use the email contact field provided to enable a courtesy copy of your response to be sent to your Authorized Organizational Representative or institutional leadership to ensure organizational awareness of your submission. Proposals for NSF Convergence Accelerator conferences (which may take the form of symposia or workshops) may be submitted as unsolicited proposals. Conference proposal titles should begin with "NSF Convergence Accelerator:" to help ensure identification and internal routing of proposals. Conference proposals may be submitted at any time, but only those that are received by May 18, 2020, and having a budget under $100,000 will be considered for support with FY 2020 funds.
NSFDC2020CHE
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline: Rolling through May 1, 2020
Award Amount: Budget and budget justification required. 

The  National Science Foundation (NSF) Strategic Plan "Building the Future: Investing in Discovery and Innovation" (2018 - 2022)  states, "NSF must continue to invest in a world-class research enterprise, support the development of a globally competitive scientific and engineering workforce, and foster greater understanding of science and technology among the American public" and "NSF will promote a research culture that is broadly inclusive in its demography and range of intellectual ideas, has access to cutting-edge infrastructure, and is globally engaged, with increased opportunities for exchanging ideas and collaborating on an international scale. NSF will increase opportunities for broadening the training of U.S. graduate students and early-career researchers through international exchanges and partnerships with industry." NSF's Division of Chemistry seeks to fulfill this vision by advancing research and education in chemistry and ensuring that the U.S. research community remains at the forefront of the field by providing access to the knowledge and resources that exist globally.

In this context, the Division of Chemistry is inviting requests for supplemental funding from its existing awardees who may wish to add a new, or strengthen an existing, international dimension of their award when such collaboration advances the field of chemistry and enhances the U.S. investigator's own research and/or education objectives.  Principal Investigators supported by NSF Division of Chemistry awards are advised to consult with their cognizant NSF program director prior to submitting a supplemental funding request. 

Supplemental funding requests must be received by 5 p.m., submitter's local time on May 1, 2020. Supplemental funding requests should address how the proposed international collaboration enhances intellectual merit and broader impacts in the following ways:
  • Mutual benefit of the collaboration for all partners;
  • True intellectual collaboration with the international partner(s);
  • Benefits to be realized from the expertise and specialized skills, facilities, sites and/or resources of the international counterpart; and
  • Active research engagement of U.S. students and early-career researchers.
NSFdcl_europe
Research Collaboration Opportunity in Europe for NSF Awardees *
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: May 8, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: May 15, 2020
Award Amount: up to $20,000
 
This letter invites current NSF grantees to submit supplemental funding requests for research visits to any identified, appropriate European Research Council (ERC)-funded European research group. NSF particularly encourages requests from NSF grantees who are early on in their careers or who are still actively building their careers. The European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA) has provided a list of ERC-funded principal investigators (PIs) and research teams interested in hosting NSF grantees. NSF grantees should request this list via email from Roxanne Nikolaus, Program Director, Office of International Science and Engineering, at rnikolau@nsf.gov , and then communicate directly with ERC PIs to ascertain areas of mutual interest and research goals for a visit. NSF grantees then must discuss plans for the visit(s) with the NSF Program Officer managing their award prior to submitting a supplemental funding request. If approved by NSF, the request is forwarded by NSF to ERCEA for review and confirmation with the ERC-funded project. The European hosts will provide funding to support in-country living expenses during the visits. NSF will provide travel funds to and from Europe.
 
 NSFdcl_cyberAI
Cybersecurity Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence *
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: not required for Research Concept Outline stage
Sponsor Deadline: May 15, 2020 (Round 1); August 31, 2020 (Round 2)
Award Amount: up to $300,000 over 2 years
 
NSF is announcing its intention to fund a small number of Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) to encourage advances in cybersecurity education, an area supported by the Foundation's Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace Education Designation (SaTC-EDU), CyberCorps®: Scholarships for Service, and Advanced Technological Education (ATE) programs. EAGER is a mechanism to support exploratory work, in its early stages, on untested but potentially transformative research ideas or approaches. This work may be considered especially "high risk - high payoff" in the sense that it, for example, involves radically different approaches, applies new expertise, or engages novel disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspectives. In particular, with this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), NSF announces its interest in using the EAGER mechanism to encourage new collaborations between the Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and education research communities. Responses to this DCL will be handled as a two-step process:
  • Step 1: Teams are required to send a research concept outline, including project title, team members, institutions involved, and a summary of the project concept (up to two pages) by email to satc-edu@nsf.gov. Two rounds of submissions are available with the deadline for the first round at midnight EDT on May 15, 2020, and for the second round at midnight EDT on August 31, 2020. To ensure proper processing, please begin the proposal title as well as the subject line of your initial email with: "EAGER: SaTC AI-Cybersecurity". NSF Program directors will review these research concept outlines and will invite the authors of those of most interest to submit full EAGER proposals.
  • Step 2: Those who have been invited will submit their EAGER proposal for review. Submissions received without an invitation from an NSF program director will be returned without review.
NSFdcl_midscale
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: May 15, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: May 22, 2020 for FY2020 consideration
Award Amount: generally limited to $50,000, but under exceptional circumstances up to $100,000
 
Through this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), the NSF Directorate for Engineering (ENG) plans to fund workshops to identify critical needs for unique research infrastructure that can serve a research community at a national needs level, and have the potential to significantly advance engineering research. Members of the engineering research community are invited to propose conferences that identify gaps in existing mid-scale research infrastructure and define the infrastructure that would be needed to address grand-challenge-level engineering research questions. Conference outcomes may help define either design or implementation projects for future mid-scale research infrastructure.
 
With this DCL, NSF anticipates funding up to 10 engineering research conferences on mid-scale research infrastructure. Each conference proposal should have strong science and engineering drivers with the aim of identifying potential projects that will identify and address national research infrastructure gaps. The conference should support 20 to 80 attendees. In addition to academic researchers, conference participants may include relevant scientists, engineers, and practitioners from industry, federal agencies, and international organizations. Conferences are encouraged to include individuals with experience in the management of research infrastructure at this scale for the purpose of mentoring investigators in the development of Project Management and Project Execution Plans . Conference proposals should include the deliverable of a report with recommendations that address the identified gap in research infrastructure. The report should position the engineering research community to respond to future opportunities for mid-scale research infrastructure projects. Prior to submitting a conference proposal, the PI must contact one of the individuals listed in the Dear Colleague Letter to ensure that the proposal fits the goals of the program .
NSFdcl_quantumcomp
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: June 11, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: June 18, 2020
Award Amount: up to $50,000

In light of the quantum-computing developments in the private sector as well as the opportunity for further innovation in the academic setting, the National Science Foundation and Amazon Web Services, IBM, and Microsoft Quantum are coordinating to make available cloud-based quantum-computing platforms to advance research and build capacity in the academic setting. More information about the platforms is available below.  
 
 
With this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), NSF's Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) and the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) wish to notify the community of their intention to support supplemental funding requests for active awards to enable use of these quantum-computing cloud platforms. NSF's supplemental funding will support graduate-student time to work on these platforms. In parallel, Amazon Web Services, IBM, and Microsoft Quantum intend to make platform use available to recipients of these supplemental awards at no financial cost, pending a mutually agreeable arrangement between the principal investigators (PIs) and a given company. Supplemental funding requests will be limited to research activities in one or more of the following research area(s):
 
  • Quantum algorithms and their experimental realization;
  • Quantum compiler and run-time infrastructure design;
  • Fault-tolerant computing and other methods to boost the performance of existing quantum-computing hardware; 
  • Benchmarking of architectures, systems, algorithms, and scalable error-correction techniques;
  • Quantum simulations, optimizations, cryptography, and machine learning; and
  • Demonstrations of feasibility for applications of quantum algorithms.
 
PIs are encouraged to contact one of the program officers listed in the Dear Colleague Letter prior to submitting a request for supplemental funding.
NSFdcl_manufacturing
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: June 23, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: June 30, 2020
Award Amount: up to $100,000 for up to 12 months
 
The National Science Foundation wishes to notify the community of its intention to support workshops for future manufacturing (FM) science and technology in support of the goals and vision of the report Strategy for American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing  by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). The conferences should identify areas and thrusts for fundamental research that will enable future manufacturing:  manufacturing that is either entirely new or that can be done today but not at a sufficient scale to make it viable . Conferences should explore new, potentially transformative, manufacturing capabilities rather than aiming to improve current manufacturing or make incremental improvements over existing Advanced Manufacturing technologies. Proposers are encouraged to contact one of the program directors listed in the Dear Colleague Letter to discuss their ideas before submitting a proposal.
NSFdcl_MNP
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline: varies
Award Amount: varies
 
This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) encourages the submission of proposals that tackle some of the fundamental scientific questions underlying micro- and nanoplastic characterization, behavior, and reactivity in the environment (including animal and human health), as well as their elimination from land and water systems. Sustainable solutions to the plastic waste problem require creative approaches from many scientific disciplines, to reduce the burden and harmful effects of micro- and nanoplastics and ensure our ability to track their fate in the environment. Several Directorates/Offices/Divisions participate in this DCL and welcome the submission of proposals on this topic, though each division will only accept proposals of a certain type, as described in detail within the DCL. All questions regarding proposals should be addressed to the cognizant Program Officers to whom submission is contemplated. Proposals involving international collaboration are welcome when the collaboration enhances the proposed research.

NSFdcl_plant
Plant Synthetic Biology
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline: Rolling
Award Amount: varies by program
 
This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) highlights existing programs in the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) and the Directorate for Engineering (ENG) offering support for proposals that advance the growing field of plant synthetic biology, including support for basic research, tool development, and applications; and proposals that emphasize the potential outcomes with benefits to society. Proposal titles should be prefaced with "PlantSynBio:" and submitted to the program most closely related to the proposed research. The three relevant programs are:
 
  • The Plant Genome Research Program (NSF 18-579) in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems.
  • The Systems and Synthetic Biology Cluster in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (NSF18-585).
  • The Cellular and Biochemical Engineering Program in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (NSF PD 20-1491).
 
This DCL is not intended to announce a special competition nor a new program, but simply highlight NSFs interest in an area of research that is funded through existing programs. The three relevant programs all accept proposals without deadline. Investigators interested in submitting a proposal are strongly encouraged to contact one of the program directors listed in the DCL.

NSFDCL_ai
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline: varies by program
Award Amount: varies by program
 
Synergy between research frontiers in AI and the projects sponsored by the Directorate for Engineering have the potential to stimulate further transformative progress and continued advancement in engineering processes and systems, addressing issues of national importance with potential for economic impact and quality-of-life improvements. The  National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan  (National Science and Technology Council, June 2019) provides a framework for the visioning activities and strategic objectives of investments in AI research in the United States. This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) highlights existing programs and other potential opportunities for ENG researchers to participate in the submission of proposals and supplemental funding requests for AI projects:
 
  • ENG core research, education and innovation programs (described in https://www.nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?org=ENG)
  • ENG centers and networks
  • Collaborative projects with other directorates and agencies
  • Conferences and workshops
  • Start-ups and small businesses focused on commercializing AI-enabled devices, systems and platforms
  • AI dedicated programs, including the National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes program 
 
The activities described in this DCL constitute neither a special competition nor a new program. Interested PIs should contact the cognizant Program Officer for the respective topic of the proposed project or for the active award they seek to supplement to discuss specific program requirements. 
NSFdcl_robotics
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline: Rolling starting August 1, 2020
Award Amount: unspecified
 
The National Science Foundation announces the creation of the Foundational Research in Robotics (Robotics) program as a program jointly managed by the Directorates for Engineering (ENG) and Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE). The Robotics program supports research on robotic systems that exhibit significant levels of both computational capability and physical complexity. For the purposes of this program, a robot is defined as intelligence embodied in an engineered construct, with the ability to process information, sense, and move within or substantially alter its working environment. Here intelligence includes a broad class of methods that enable a robot to solve problems or make contextually appropriate decisions. Research proposals are welcomed that consider inextricably interwoven questions of intelligence, computation, and embodiment. Projects may also focus on a distinct aspect of intelligence, computation, and/or embodiment, as long as the proposed research is clearly justified in the context of a class of robots. The goal of the Robotics program is to erase artificial disciplinary boundaries and provide a single home for foundational research in robotics. Robotics is a deeply interdisciplinary field, and proposals are encouraged across the full range of fundamental engineering and computer science research challenges arising in robotics. All proposals should convincingly explain how a successful outcome will enable transformative new robot functionality or substantially enhance existing robot functionality.

NSFdcl_pawr
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission
Sponsor Deadline: June 1, 2023
Award Amount: $50,000 with higher amounts requiring additional justification (must be less than one-fifth of the original award); supplements will provide support for up to two years but cannot exceed the existing award period
 
With this Dear Colleague Letter, NSF's Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) wishes to notify the community of its intention to support  supplemental funding requests for active research awards to conduct experimental research on the NSF-funded Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) . NSF's PAWR program ( https://advancedwireless.org/ ) is currently supporting the deployment and initial operations of three advanced wireless research platforms conceived by the U.S. academic and industrial wireless research community. Active NSF-funded wireless researchers may propose, as part of their supplemental funding requests, experiments that utilize the PAWR platforms as these platforms become 'generally available' for experimenter use. PIs interested in submitting supplemental funding requests (or with other questions pertaining to this DCL) are strongly encouraged to contact one of the NSF/CISE program directors listed in the DCL.

National Science Foundation: Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering (NSF: CISE)
NSFcise_csforall
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: April 20, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: April 27, 2020 (Deadline Extended)
Award Amount: up to $300,000 for up to 2 years (Small RPPs); up to $1M for up to 3 years (Medium RPPs); up to $2M for up to 4 years (Large RPPs); up to $500,000 for up to 3 years (Research proposals)
 
This program aims to provide all U.S. students with the opportunity to participate in computer science (CS) and computational thinking (CT) education in their schools at the preK-12 levels. With this solicitation, NSF focuses on both research and researcher-practitioner partnerships (RPPs) that foster the research and development needed to bring CS and CT to all schools. Specifically, this solicitation aims to provide (1) high school teachers with the preparation, professional development (PD) and ongoing support they need to teach rigorous computer science courses; (2) preK-8 teachers with the instructional materials and preparation they need to integrate CS and CT into their teaching; and (3) schools and districts with the resources needed to define and evaluate multi-grade pathways in CS and CT.

This program supports (1) researcher-practitioner partnerships (RPPs) and (2) research with the goal of building knowledge from research and development to support efforts that aim to provide opportunities for all students to participate in CS and CT formal STEM learning at the pre-k, elementary, middle, and high school grade levels. Proposals will be funded in four "strands" that foster design, implementation at scale, and/or research:

RPP Strands:
  • For the High School Strand, the focus is on preparing and supporting teachers to teach rigorous CS courses;
  • For the preK-8 Strand, the focus is on designing, developing, and piloting instructional materials that integrate CS and CT into preK-8 classrooms;
  • For preK-12 or preK-14 Pathways Strand, the focus is on designing pathways that support school districts in developing policies and supports for incorporating CS and CT across all grades and potentially into introductory levels at community or four-year colleges and universities.

For the Research Strand, the focus is on building strategically instrumental, or "high leverage" knowledge about the learning and teaching of introductory computer science to support key CS and CT understandings and abilities for all students.
NSFcise_expcomp
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline for Preliminary Proposal: June 9, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Preliminary Proposal: June 16, 2020
Award Amount:
up to $15,000,000 for durations of seven years
 
The Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering has established the Expeditions in Computing (Expeditions) program to provide the CISE research and education community with the opportunity to pursue ambitious, fundamental research agendas that promise to define the future of computing and information. In planning Expeditions projects, investigators are encouraged to come together within or across departments or institutions to combine their creative talents in the identification of compelling, transformative research agendas that promise disruptive innovations in computer and information science and engineering for many years to come. Together with the Science and Technology Centers that CISE supports, Expeditions projects form the centerpiece of the directorate's center-scale award portfolio. With awards funded at levels that promote the formation of large research teams, CISE recognizes that concurrent research advances in multiple fields or sub-fields are often necessary to stimulate deep and enduring outcomes. The awards made in this program will complement research areas supported by other CISE programs, which target particular computer and information science and engineering fields. 

Additionally, CISE offers Innovation Transition (InTrans) awards for teams nearing the end of their Expeditions as well as Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) Frontier projects. The goal of InTrans is to continue the long-term vision and objectives of CISE's center-scale projects. Through InTrans awards, CISE will provide limited funds to match industry support. InTrans proposals can be submitted on a rolling basis beginning on April 25.

National Science Foundation: Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences (NSF: MPS)
National Science Foundation: Directorate for Engineering (NSF: ENG)
 NSFeng_PFI
Harvard Pre-Proposal Deadline for Research Partnership Track: May 4, 2020 by 12 PM
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: June 30, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: July 8, 2020
Award Amount: Up to $250,000 for 18-24 months for the Technology Translation Track; Up to $550,000 for 36 months for the Research Partnership Track
 
The Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program within the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP) offers researchers from all disciplines of science and engineering funded by NSF the opportunity to perform translational research and technology development, catalyze partnerships and accelerate the transition of discoveries from the laboratory to the marketplace for societal benefit.  This solicitation offers two broad tracks:
  • The Technology Translation (PFI-TT) track offers the opportunity to translate prior NSF-funded research results in any field of science or engineering into technological innovations with promising commercial potential and societal impact. Concurrently, students and postdoctoral researchers who participate in PFI-TT projects receive education and leadership training in innovation and entrepreneurship. Successful PFI-TT projects generate technology-driven commercialization outcomes that address societal needs.
  • The Research Partnerships (PFI-RP) track seeks to achieve the same goals as the PFI-TT track by supporting instead complex, multi-faceted technology development projects that are typically beyond the scope of a single researcher or institution and require a multi-organizational, interdisciplinary, synergistic collaboration. The PFI-RP track requires the creation and implementation of new multidisciplinary, multi-organization partnerships between academia, industry and other public and private entities to pursue new innovative technology development projects. 
The intended outcomes of both PFI-TT and PFI-RP tracks are: a) the commercialization of new intellectual property derived from NSF-funded research outputs; b) the creation of new or broader collaborations with industry (including increased corporate sponsored research); c) the licensing of NSF-funded research outputs to third party corporations or to start-up companies funded by a PFI team; and d) the training of future innovation and entrepreneurship leaders.
 
All proposals submitted to the PFI program must meet a lineage requirement under one of the following two paths:

  1. NSF-supported research results: The PI or a co-PI must have had an NSF award that ended no more than seven (7) years prior to the full proposal deadline date or be a current NSF award recipient. The proposed technology development project must be derived from the research results and/or discoveries from this underlying NSF award.
  1. NSF-supported customer discovery results through the NSF I-Corps Teams Program: The PI or a co-PI must have been a member of an award under the NSF I-Corps Teams Program. The PI or co-PI must have fully completed the training provided under the I-Corps Team award within the past four (4) years. The customer discovery activities performed under the NSF-funded I-Corps award must be based on the technology that is proposed to be translated within the PFI proposal.
 
Please Note: There is no limit to the number of applications to the Technology Translation Track but    Harvard is limited to submitting only one application to the Research Partnerships Track . To be considered for the Harvard nomination, potential applicants must submit an internal pre-proposal via the link above. Additional information about this opportunity can be found in the   NSF RFP .

NSFeng_ERVA
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline for Letter of Intent: June 30, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Letter of Intent: July 8, 2020
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline for Full Proposal: August 5, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Full Proposal: August 12, 2020
Award Amount:
NSF anticipates funding a single award for 5 years, subject to the availability of funds, with the funding for each year of the award in the range of $1,000,000 to $2,000,000, not to exceed $2,000,000 in any one year. Proposers are encouraged to take into consideration when developing their proposed budget that expenses necessary to effect and sustain the organization will likely increase from establishment through maintenance phases, consistent with an increasing scope of activities with time.
 
The National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering (NSF/ENG) invites the engineering research community to establish an organization that will serve to identify and develop bold and societally impactful new engineering research directions and thereby catalyze the engineering research community's pursuit of innovative, high-impact research. Specifically, NSF/ENG calls on the engineering research community to establish an Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (ERVA) that ENG will support to facilitate the articulation of compelling research visions that align with national and global challenges. This organization will be charged with obtaining and integrating input from all stakeholders with interest in engineering research, including academia, industry, societies, government agencies and the public. A reciprocal goal of the organization will be to communicate coordinated information on nascent opportunities and priorities in engineering research to these stakeholders. It is anticipated that through its activities the ERVA will strengthen connectivity across these diverse stakeholders, and increase coordination among engineering disciplinary communities.

The ERVA should have membership/representation of academic, industrial and other stakeholders, and should be inclusive of all engineering disciplines. Through its proposed activities, the ERVA should provide the engineering community with a process for identifying future research challenges and enable the engineering research community to speak with a unified voice. An informational webinar will be presented on April 22, 2020 at 1:00pm Eastern to discuss the ERVA solicitation and answer questions. Details on how to join this webinar are provided here.

Please Note: This is a limited submission opportunity, and Harvard may submit only one proposal. Please contact Erin Hale at erin_hale@fas.harvard.edu if you are interested in applying.

NSFeng_UKRI
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: 5 business days prior to submission of a full proposal
Sponsor Deadline: Rolling; a Research Concept Outline (RCO) must be submitted to  ENGUKRI@nsf.gov  at least 60 days prior to the submission of a full proposal.
Award Amount: The overall funding for the program is established independently by each participating division. Budgets are not set aside separately but are, instead, parts of existing program budgets.

The Directorate for Engineering (ENG), Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET), the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI), and the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS) of the National Science Foundation and the Engineering, ICT and Manufacturing the Future Themes of the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) are pleased to announce the ENG-EPSRC Lead Agency Opportunity. The goal of this opportunity is to reduce some of the barriers that researchers currently encounter when working internationally. The ENG-EPSRC Lead Agency Opportunity will allow US and UK researchers to submit a single collaborative proposal that will undergo a single review process.

Proposals will be accepted for collaborative research in areas at the intersection of CBET, CMMI, and/or ECCS with the EPSRC Engineering, ICT and/or Manufacturing the Future Themes. Proposers choose either NSF or EPSRC to serve as the "lead" agency to review their proposal. The non-lead agency will honor the rigor of the review process and the decision of the lead agency. For research teams that would like EPSRC to act as lead agency, please see the instructions here . Proposers should review the CBET, CMMI, and ECCS Program Descriptions for research supported through these divisions and the EPSRC website for further information on what areas of research are eligible for support through this activity. Proposals are expected to adhere to typical proposal budgets and durations for the relevant NSF programs and EPSRC Themes from which funding is sought.

Please Note:  A Research Concept Outline (RCO) must be submitted to  ENGUKRI@nsf.gov  at least 60 days prior to the submission of a full proposal. A proposal that is submitted without a previously approved RCO will be returned without review (RWR).
NSF:ENG
Other NSF: ENG Opportunities
National Science Foundation: Crosscutting and Interdisciplinary
  nsfcross_conv
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline for Preliminary Proposal: May 4, 2020
Sponsor Deadline for Preliminary Proposal: May 11, 2020  
Award Amount: up to $1M over up to 9 months (Phase I);  P hase II proposals may request up to $3,000,000 for year 1 and up to $5,000,000 in total for the two-year Phase II project.

The goals of NSF's convergence accelerator effort are to support and accelerate use-inspired convergence research in areas of national importance within particular topics (tracks). NSF Convergence Accelerator tracks can be related to   Industries of the Future (IotF),   NSF's Big Ideas, or other topics that may not relate directly to an IotF or Big Idea; however, they must have the potential for significant national impact.   The 2020 NSF Convergence Accelerator is a two-phase program. Phase I awardees receive significant resources to further develop their convergence research ideas and identify crucial partnerships and resources to accelerate their projects, leading to deliverable research prototypes in Phase II.   This solicitation invites proposals for the following Tracks:  
  • Quantum Technology (Track C)
  • AI-Driven Innovation via Data and Model Sharing (Track D)

Proposers must first submit a Phase I preliminary proposal in order to be invited to submit a full Phase I proposal. Phase I proposals must describe a team, or a process to build a team, that includes personnel with the appropriate mix of disciplinary and institutional expertise needed to build a Phase II convergence research effort. Phase I proposals must describe one or more deliverables and how those research outputs could impact society by the end of Phase II. Phase I proposals should describe the deliverable and the research plan and team formation efforts that will refine it to a proof-of-concept. Phase I will include NSF-organized convenings for training and intra- and cross-cohort collaboration. Phase I awards are expected to be for up to 9 months and up to $1M each.

Only awardees of Phase I grants under this solicitation may submit a Phase II proposal. Phase II proposers must outline a two-year research and development plan in which research transitions to practice through collaboration with end-users. Phase II proposals must describe clear deliverables that will be produced in two years of effort and the metrics by which impacts will be assessed. The Phase II teams must include appropriate stakeholders (e.g., industry, Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), non-profits, government entities, and others), each with a specific role(s) in facilitating the transition of research outputs into practical uses. Successful proposals will be funded initially for one year. Each team's progress will be assessed during the year through approximately six virtual and in-person meetings with NSF program staff. The overall progress will be evaluated at the end of one year, based on a report and presentation that the team will make to a panel of reviewers. Teams that show significant progress during the first year, in accordance with the agreed timetable of milestones and deliverables, will receive funding for a second year. Teams should plan on completing the effort within two years; no-cost extensions will be authorized only in extraordinary circumstances.

NSF_soil
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: May 13, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: May 20, 2020
Award Amount: $600,000 - $1.2M over 3-5 years
 
The National Science Foundation and the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) encourage convergent research that transforms existing capabilities in understanding dynamic soil processes, including soil formation, through advances in sensor systems and modeling. The Signals in the Soil (SitS) program fosters collaboration among the two partner agencies and the researchers they support by combining resources and funding for the most innovative and high-impact projects that address their respective missions. To make transformative advances in our understanding of soils, multiple disciplines must converge to produce environmentally-benign novel sensing systems with multiple modalities that can adapt to different environments and collect and transmit data for a wide range of biological, chemical, and physical parameters. Effective integration of sensor data will be key for achieving a better understanding of signaling interactions among plants, animals, microbes, the soil matrix, and aqueous and gaseous components. New sensor networks have the potential to inform models in novel ways, to radically change how data is obtained from various natural and managed (both urban and rural) ecosystems, and to better inform the communities that directly rely on soils for sustenance and livelihood.

NSFcross_sense
Multimodal Sensor Systems for Precision Health Enabled by Data Harnessing, Artificial Intelligence, and Learning (SenSE) *
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: June 1, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: June 8, 2020
Award Amount:
up to $750,000 for three years
 
The National Science Foundation through its Divisions of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS); Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET); Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI); Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS); and Mathematical Sciences (DMS) announces a solicitation on Multimodal Sensor Systems for Precision Health enabled by Data Harnessing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Learning. Next-generation multimodal sensor systems for precision health integrated with AI, machine learning (ML), and mathematical and statistical (MS) methods for learning can be envisioned for harnessing a large volume of diverse data in real time with high accuracy, sensitivity and selectivity, and for building predictive models to enable more precise diagnosis and individualized treatments. It is expected that these multimodal sensor systems will have the potential to identify with high confidence combinations of biomarkers, including kinematic and kinetic indicators associated with specific disease and disability. This focused solicitation seeks high-risk/high-return interdisciplinary research on novel concepts, innovative methodologies, theory, algorithms, and enabling technologies that will address the fundamental scientific issues and technological challenges associated with precision health.
 
NSFcross_siicenter
Spectrum Innovation Initiative: National Center for Wireless Spectrum Research (SII-Center) *
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: June 5, 2020 (Planning Grant Proposals); not required for SII-Center Letters of Intent
Sponsor Deadline: June 12, 2020 (Planning Grant Proposals); February 1, 2021 (Letter of Intent: SII-Center Proposals)
Award Amount:
up to $300,000 for up to 12 months (Planning Grant Proposals); up to $5,000,000/year for 5 years (SII-Center Proposals)

The worldwide growth of wireless communication, navigation, and telemetry has provided immense societal benefits including mobile broadband data, Internet of Things (IoT), mobile healthcare, and intelligent transportation systems. These and other applications including 5G and beyond wireless systems call for innovations that can circumvent the challenges of radio spectrum scarcity and interference and foster the growth of ubiquitous, high speed, low latency connectivity. Commercial applications like the above must operate in harmony with scientific uses such as research on radio astronomy, Earth and atmospheric sciences, and must not inhibit weather prediction, polar research, and other nationally vital activities, all of which are dependent upon access to the radio spectrum. The National Science Foundation (NSF) continues to support wireless spectrum research and the scientific uses of the electromagnetic spectrum through multiple programs that enable fast, accurate, dynamic coordination and usage of our limited spectrum resource. These programs have created an opportune ground to build and create a large center-based ecosystem for spectrum research, which is the target of this SII-Center program.

Two types of proposals are solicited under this program:
  • SII-Center Planning Grant Proposals: 12-month Planning Grant proposals to develop networking and collaborations among potential partners to conduct research addressing spectrum-related open questions. Such proposals should foster partnerships across academia, industry, government, and non-profits, and describe the initial organizational structure of a future successful SII-Center; and
  • SII-Center Proposals: 5-year Center proposals that leverage partnerships across a wide-array of stakeholders to act as a national resource addressing far-reaching spectrum research, innovation, and workforce development challenges.
The focus of a spectrum research SII-Center must go beyond 5G, IoT, and other existing or forthcoming systems and technologies and chart out a trajectory to ensure United States leadership in future wireless technologies, systems, and applications in science and engineering through the efficient use and sharing of the radio spectrum. The SII-Center should also seek to foster scientific and technical collaboration and grow the spectrum workforce. The establishment of an SII-Center will have a transformational impact on wireless spectrum research by serving as a connecting point for the biggest and most challenging questions in spectrum management that the nation is facing.
NSFcross_civic
Civic Innovation Challenge: Planning Grants *
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: June 24, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: July 1, 2020
Award Amount: up to $50,000 for 4 months

The Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) is a research and action competition in the Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) domain designed to build a more cohesive research-to-innovation pipeline and foster a collaborative spirit. Building on the NSF S&CC program and the extensive S&CC ecosystem, CIVIC aims to accelerate the impact of S&CC research, and deepen cooperation and information sharing across sectors and regions. CIVIC will lay a foundation for a broader and more fluid exchange of research interests and civic priorities that will create new instances of collaboration and introduce new areas of technical and social scientific discovery. CIVIC will fund projects that can produce significant community impact within 12 months (following a four-month planning phase) - in contrast to many community-university partnerships that take years to provide tangible benefits to communities - and have the potential for lasting impact beyond the period of the CIVIC award.

CIVIC introduces several unique features that differentiate it from the NSF S&CC program: (1) CIVIC flips the community-university dynamic, asking  communities to identify civic priorities ripe for innovation and then to partner with researchers to address those priorities; (2) CIVIC focuses on research that is ready for piloting in and with communities on a short timescale, where real-world impact can be evaluated within 12 months; (3) CIVIC requires the inclusion of civic partners in the core project team, to emphasize civic engagement; and (4) CIVIC organizes and fosters "communities of practice" around high-need problem areas that allow for meaningful knowledge sharing and cross-site collaboration during both pre-development and piloting. For purposes of clarity, civic partners may include local, state, or tribal government officials; non-profit representatives; community organizers or advocates; community service providers; and/or others working to improve their communities. CIVIC is organized as a two-stage competition with two tracks centered around the following topic areas:
  • Track A. Communities and Mobility: Offering Better Mobility Options to Solve the Spatial Mismatch Between Housing Affordability and Jobs; and
  • Track B. Resilience to Natural Disasters: Equipping Communities for Greater Preparedness and Resilience to Natural Disasters.

In the first stage (Stage 1), up to 12 awards per track will be made for Planning Grants - each with a budget of up to $50,000 for four months to undertake pre-development activities, including solidifying the team, maturing the project plans, and preparing to submit a well-developed full proposal for Stage 2. Only awardees of Stage 1 will be eligible to submit proposals for Stage 2. In the second stage (Stage 2), up to four teams per track will be selected from Stage 1 award recipients to receive a full award- each with a budget of up to $1,000,000 for up to 12 months to execute and evaluate their research-centered pilot projects.

NSFcross_DISN
Disrupting Operations of Illicit Supply Networks (D-ISN) *
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: June 24, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: July 1, 2020
Award Amount: up to $1M over up to 5 years (Track I: Research Grants); up to $250,000 over up to 24 months (Track II: Planning Grants)

This solicitation supports fundamental research to enable transformative change in our ability to detect, disrupt and disable illicit supply networks that traffic in persons, and tangible and virtual goods. These transformations will require well-coordinated, multi-disciplinary approaches that complement long-standing law-enforcement, victim-centric and trafficking domain-focused research efforts with fundamental, innovative, and high-risk research that draws from multiple domains of engineering, computer and information science, and the social, behavioral and economic sciences. Trafficking networks comprise complex, interconnected collections of entities, sometimes under centralized control but with decentralized information sharing. Research proposals should take a holistic, system-focused approach to understanding the operations and dynamics of illicit supply networks, including such issues as mapping illicit supply chains, characterizing their elements and their use of communications, transportation, financial infrastructures; understanding geospatial data patterns and networks of transactions that provide actionable insight into their activity; understanding how illicit production co-mingles with legal production in commercial supply chains and the underlying value chain that creates wealth through illicit activities; and how individuals are incentivized and/or exploited to participate in these activities. Major goals of NSF's D-ISN include:
  • Improve understanding of the operations of illicit supply networks and strengthen the ability to detect, disrupt, and dismantle them. 
  • Enhance research communities that effectively integrate operational, computational, social, cultural and economic expertise to provide methods and strategies to combat this complex and elusive global security challenge.
  • Catalyze game-changing technological innovations that can improve discovery and traceability of illicitly sourced products and illicitly sourced labor inputs to products.
  • Provide research outcomes that inform U.S. national security, law enforcement and economic development needs and policies.

This solicitation is the first of what is envisioned to be a three-year program to support the research needed to inform the economy, security, and resilience of the Nation and the world in responding to the global threat posed by illicit supply networks. The solicitation calls for fundamental research across engineering, computer and information science, and social science with two proposal submission tracks. Track 1 research proposals should address at least one or more of the five focus domain areas listed below. 
  • Human trafficking, including sex and labor trafficking, and specific agricultural, manufacturing and other supply chains known to use labor exploitation.
  • Illicit drug trafficking, including natural and synthetic opioids.
  • Natural resources trafficking, including wildlife, minerals, fishing, logging.
  • Counterfeit and pirated goods trafficking, including falsified pharmaceuticals and safety-critical products.
  • Trafficking in virtual products, e.g. credit cards, online identities.
Under Track 2, D-ISN calls for proposals for planning grants to support activities leading to convergence research team formation and capacity-building within the research communities interested in addressing larger-scope challenges in the future.

NSFcross_NNA
Navigating the New Arctic Community Office (NNA-CO) *
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: July 2, 2020
Sponsor Deadline: July 10, 2020 (Updated Deadline)
Award Amount:  NSF anticipates funding for 5 years, with the funding for each year of any award determined by the scope of the proposal selected and availability of funds. A budget of approximately $500,000 per year is anticipated for the proposed community office to provide the suite of required duties described in this solicitation. Budgets above this amount may be considered if the additional duties proposed provide substantial, innovative, and/or creative enhancements for NNA coordination.
 
NSF invites proposals to establish a Navigating the New Arctic Community Office (NNA-CO). Launched in 2016, NNA has been building a growing portfolio of research and planning grants at the intersection of the built, social, and natural environments to improve understanding of Arctic change and its local and global effects. Each NNA-funded project is responsible for its own performance, including its core research and broader impacts. However, an NNA community office is required to coordinate the activities of funded NNA projects; engage new PIs; and promote research, education, and outreach activities. The NNA-CO will also provide centralized representation of ongoing NNA activities to the broader scientific community and the public. The lead PI of the successful NNA-CO proposal will serve as the Office Director and will work with the research community to develop and implement appropriate communication networks and support for investigators, stakeholders, and research teams pursuing NNA research. NNA research is inherently convergent, seeking new knowledge at the intersection of the natural, built, and social environments. NNA research also inherently involves diverse stakeholders, from local to international. The NNA-CO will need to demonstrate the ability to work with these types of research teams and audiences.
 
Please Note: This is a limited submission opportunity, and Harvard may submit only one proposal. Please contact Erin Hale at erin_hale@fas.harvard.edu if you are interested in applying.


Other NSF: Crosscutting and Interdisciplinary Opportunities
 

The FAS Research Development group publishes this monthly Funding Newsletter for SEAS faculty and researchers. The newsletter includes notable Federal, private, and internal Harvard funding opportunities.  You are receiving this newsletter because you are subscribed to our mailing list. All Harvard University faculty and administrators may subscribe here, and you may unsubscribe at any time. Visit our email archive to see our past newsletters.  

In addition, you may access the Science Division Funding Spotlight here Harvard affiliates also have access to Pivot, a funding opportunity database. You can also  receive personalized suggestions on research funding opportunities via   Harvard Link from  the Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning. 

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For assistance, please contact:

Erin Hale,  Senior Research Development Officer
erin_hale@fas.harvard.edu | 617-496-5252

Jennifer Corby, Research Development Officer
jcorby@fas.harvard.edu | 617-495-1590

Research Development | Research Administration Services | research.fas.harvard.edu