(Announcement)
– NSF; October 15, 2018
Agency:
National
Science Foundation (NSF); October 15, 2018
Announcement
Number:
NSF
19-013
Letter
Body:
October
15, 2018
Dear
Colleagues:
Mid-Scale
Research Infrastructure (Mid-scale RI) is an NSF-wide Big
Idea designed to address the research community's growing needs
for contemporary research infrastructure to support the advancement of science
and engineering research, as well as science, technology, engineering and
mathematics education research. Mid-scale RI will fund the implementation of
experimental research capabilities in the mid-scale range (i.e., with a total
project cost of between $6 million and $70 million). The overall objective of
Mid-scale RI is to transform scientific and engineering research fields by
making available new capabilities, while simultaneously training researchers in
the acquisition, implementation, development, design, and/or construction of
cutting-edge infrastructure.
Mid-scale
research infrastructure has been identified as critical for scientific advances
in many research areas. In recognition of this scientific importance, the 2017
American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (AICA) directed NSF to "evaluate the
existing and future needs, across all disciplines supported by the Foundation,
for mid-scale projects" and to "develop a strategy to address the needs
identified." NSF issued a Dear Colleague Letter (NSF 18-0131)
and received responses whose execution would require $8 billion to $10 billion
in funding for projects in the $20 million to $100 million
range.
This
fall, NSF intends to announce Mid-scale RI funding opportunities. These will be
for research infrastructure that will advance the frontiers of discovery in any
of the research domains supported by NSF.2 These
forthcoming funding opportunities are intended to encompass research
infrastructure broadly defined, from the creation of mid-scale disciplinary
instrumentation to the implementation (including acquisition and construction)
of mid-scale facilities, cyberinfrastructure and other infrastructure that are
demonstrated to be necessary to support specific science, engineering or
education research objectives associated with current or future NSF-supported
research activities. This portfolio may also include mid-scale upgrades to
existing research infrastructure.
NSF
anticipates that one solicitation will include an opportunity to propose
Mid-scale RI projects with a total project cost of between approximately $6
million and approximately $20 million, pending the availability of funds. A
second solicitation is expected to include an opportunity to propose Mid-scale
RI projects with a total project cost of between approximately $20 million and
approximately $70 million, pending the availability of
funds.
Both
Mid-scale RI programs will emphasize strong scientific merit, responsiveness to
an identified need of the research community, technical readiness for
implementation, sound management, and a well-developed plan for training
students and involving a diverse workforce in mid-scale facility development
and/or data management.
Information
regarding the Mid-scale RI funding opportunities will be available this fall via
the NSF website. The funding opportunities will list NSF-wide and
directorate-specific points of contact. In the meantime, general questions about
this Dear Colleague Letter may be addressed to:
Sincerely,
Joanne
S. Tornow, Assistant Director (Acting), BIO
James
Kurose, Assistant Director, CISE
Karen Marrongelle, Assistant Director, EHR
Dawn M. Tilbury, Assistant Director, ENG
William E. Easterling, Assistant Director, GEO
Anne Kinney,
Assistant Director, MPS
C. Suzanne Iacono, Office
Head, OIA
Rebecca L. Keiser, Office Head, OISE
Arthur W. Lupia,
Assistant Director, SBE
Link
to Full Announcement
https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2019/nsf19013/nsf19013.jsp?org=NSF
Contact
Information
Joanne
S. Tornow