Funding-Limited Submission - NSF Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity (PFI: BIC) NSF 13-587; September 24, 2013

 

Description: The Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity (PFI:BIC) program supports academe-industry partnerships, which are led by an interdisciplinary academic research team with a least one industry partner, to collaborate in building technological and human innovation capacity that will endure beyond the initial award. These partnerships will not only develop new technology but also foster the development of human capital that embraces a culture of change, nurtures the generation of new ideas, and considers feedback an integral part of the innovation processes. Partnership activities that drive sustained innovation include the targeted allocation of resources such as capital, time, facilities; and sharing of knowledge in a cross-organizational and interdisciplinary context.

 

The PFI:BIC partnership team should focus on technological innovations with potential for significant economic/societal impact. To attain this goal, these partnerships, which inherently require interdisciplinary research, must address what is needed to advance technology so as to enable a "smart" service system or systems to enter into the commercialization process, succeed in the marketplace, and achieve positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes. Such advancement involves not only engineering, computer science, and other fields of science, but also an understanding of the potential interaction of the technology with customers and the broader public affected by the technology, the "socio-technical system." A full understanding of the socio-technical system will require interdisciplinary teams that include social, behavior, and/or cognitive sciences. Finally, the team should demonstrate an understanding of potential commercial applications and markets, which should contribute to guiding the project activities.

 

Examples of technology applied to service systems include smart healthcare, smart cities, on-demand transportation, precision agriculture, smart infrastructure, and other technologies enabling self-service and customized service solutions.

 

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 1 

·         The PI cannot concurrently be a PI on more than one active Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity award.

·         A PI who submits a proposal in response to this program solicitation may not submit a proposal for funding consideration in the same fiscal year to the Partnerships for Innovation: Accelerating Innovation Research- Technology Translation program. (NSF 13-575).

 

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 2

See the full program solicitation for more information:  http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13587/nsf13587.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click

 

Because NSF limits the number of PFI: BIC proposals/letters of intent to two per lead institution, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process.  Researchers interested in submitting a proposal are to submit the following material electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at limitedsubmissions@uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Tuesday, September 24, 2013:

(1)       Names and departments of the PI and Senior Project Personnel

(2)       Title of the program and/or funding opportunity announcement number

(3)       Project description (2 pages maximum) including: 1) the participating organizations including the industry partner(s); 2) the platform technology; 3) the activities for advancing platform technology that enable “smart” service systems.

 

The Vice President for Research will appoint a committee to review the material and make recommendations as to the University’s applicant. Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

 

NSF Deadlines:

Letter of Intent (required, however not a screening device): November 18, 2013

Full Proposal: January 27, 2014