Upcoming

Apply to Internal Competition: Limit: 1 // Available: 1

An organization may submit one proposal per submission window. An organization must wait for a determination from NSF (e.g., Award, Decline, or Returned Without Review) on the pending proposal before submitting a new proposal in the next window. Declined proposals require a new invitation to submit (via the Concept Outline process) and significant revision, while proposals Returned Without Review may be submitted using the same invited Concept Outline (assuming that the proposal is received within one year of the original Concept Outline invitation).

The Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships (ExpandAI) program is a multi-year program that aims to significantly diversify participation in AI research, education, and workforce development through capacity development and partnerships within the National AI Research Institutes ecosystem.

PROGRAM TRACKS

This program solicitation offers two Tracks corresponding to stages of readiness for partnerships in AI Institutes. These are “ExpandAI Capacity Building Pilots” and “ExpandAI Partnerships” as described below.

Track 1: ExpandAI Capacity Building Pilots

Capacity Building Pilots (CAP) are planning and growth efforts focused on the establishment of AI activities at the funded MSI and the early exploration of future synergistic partnerships that have the potential to be part of prospective ExpandAI Partnerships. Successful pilots will result in establishing new AI research capacity, education/workforce development in AI, and/or AI infrastructure capacity at the proposing institution and, potentially, a basis for future AI partnerships. CAP activities should plan for engaging appropriate communities to test the feasibility of partnerships as well as developing plans for continuing capacity development. Plans should consider required research infrastructure, plans to leverage established groups in related research areas, and inclusion of faculty training and research experiences that emphasize the diversification of investigators.

Proposals must articulate a clear vision motivating the capacity building activities, with a focus on long-term benefits to the MSI such as enhanced faculty capacity for foundational and/or use-inspired AI research or new effective models for increased education and career pathways in AI. Proposals to this track must include a strong Institutional Need and Support Statement (see proposal preparation instructions) containing an assessment of the current AI research and instructional capacity and infrastructure, a demonstration of institutional need for capacity building in AI, and a statement of the commitment of institutional support for the proposed activities. Proposals that substantiate a strong case in this need and support statement are likely to be most compelling for the funding opportunity. Further guidance for this supporting document can be found in Proposal Preparation Instructions.

Successful proposals will feature a Capacity Building Plan that features clear and measurable outcomes/benefits of capacity building. Suitable activities for such a plan are:

• establishment or significant enhancement of foundational or use-inspired AI research, marked by increased faculty research output;
• design of academic pathways or innovative models for teaching and learning in AI, incorporating how students learn effectively in AI activities, and bringing AI disciplinary advances into the undergraduate and graduate experience;
• establishment or significant expansion of AI career pathways for students resulting from new AI activities;
• enhanced AI research infrastructure;
• significant increase in the participation of investigators and students who have been traditionally underserved and underrepresented in AI; and
• a plan for objective process evaluation in support of the proposed efforts.

Note that this list is representative of suitable activities and outcomes for this track. CAP activities need not be limited to this list, and proposals do not have to include every type of outcome represented in that list. Proposers are encouraged to select and integrate the activities most appropriate for their institutional context and their vision for capacity building toward partnerships.

Early partnership development between the proposing MSI and one or more AI Institutes is neither required nor encouraged in a CAP proposal.

Track 2: ExpandAI Partnerships

The ExpandAI Partnership (PARTNER) track is an opportunity for MSIs to scale up already-established AI research and/or education programs and to initiate/leverage new collaborations with AI Institutes. These partnerships will be multi-organization collaborations submitted by an MSI and will include a subaward to an AI Institute. PARTNER projects are centered around shared, complementary goals. Proposals will be submitted as single-organizational collaborative proposals. PARTNER proposals may only be submitted by a qualifying MSI as indicated in Eligible Institutions in this solicitation.

PARTNER proposals should scale up and make fully productive an appropriate existing capacity in AI research, education/workforce development, and/or infrastructure capacity. The proposing MSI in this track is not required to have previously been awarded a CAP project under this program. PARTNER proposals must constitute a significant new partnership that has the clear potential to build on the institution’s current AI capacity as well as leverage the intrinsic strengths and talents of the MSI for mutual benefit in collaborative AI activities.

MSIs applying for this track must demonstrate readiness to leverage external expertise and financial resources to focus on medium- and long-range plans to leverage this funding opportunity and new partnerships to develop AI capacity within the MSI, including but not limited to further development of the MSI’s envisioned methodological thrusts, use cases, educational and/or workforce development activities, and the potential for the MSI to expand and scale these efforts through formal, mutually beneficial partnerships. Proposals should include at least one (and if appropriate, more) established AI Institutes in developing a roadmap for collaborative work in some unifying theme or focus.

PARTNER proposals must feature a compelling Partnership Roadmap for collaborative work in some unifying theme or focus. Roadmaps are the beginning of a joint strategy between organizations for collaborative work. These roadmaps may also include community building activities (e.g., workshops) to further develop common interests, objectives, and goals for the growth of collaborative activities. Effective roadmaps are both depicted visually (e.g., conceptual diagram, logic model, table, etc.) and fully explained by a descriptive narrative. The roadmap should address all proposed projects involving research, education/workforce development, infrastructure, and any other types that are applicable to the collaboration. Roadmaps might address:

• enhancement of existing projects by virtue of new collaboration;
• initiation of new projects made possible by the collaboration;
• community building activities (e.g., workshops) to further develop common interests, objectives, and further growth of the partnership;
• potential and plans for scaling nascent programs;
• an evaluation plan for measuring the growth and mutual benefit of activities in all projects.

Note that this list is representative of suitable features of a Partnership Roadmap. Proposers may adapt this list and depict the roadmap in the way that best suits the unique vision of the PARTNER proposal.

Proposals to this track must include a strong Institutional Need and Support Statement from the proposing MSI (see proposal preparation instructions) containing an assessment of the current AI research and instructional capacity and infrastructure, progress in AI capacity development and how that relates to the outlook for partnership development, and a demonstration of the commitment of institutional support for the proposed activities. In addition, each proposal to this track must include an Institute Integration Plan submitted by the collaborating institute demonstrating thoughtful and well-resourced commitment to coordination mechanisms that will bring together the various participants of the project. Further guidance for these supporting documents can be found in Proposal Preparation Instructions.

Institutionally Coordinated Limit: 5* // Available: 5

The submission for this funding program is coordinated by the Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing.Please contact Dan Moseke, Project Director, for more information.

Applications such as high performance computing and lowpower electronics, both needed for artificial intelligence (AI), require leap-ahead advances in semiconductor advanced packaging. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) seeks proposals for R&D activities that will establish and accelerate domestic semiconductor advanced packaging through investments in five (5) R&D Areas: (1) Equipment, Tools, Processes, and Process Integration; (2) Power Delivery and Thermal Management; (3) Connector Technology, including Photonics and Radio Frequency (RF); (4) Chiplets Ecosystem; and (5) Co-design/Electronic Design Automation (EDA).

The submission of a concept paper is required. Eligible applicants may submit only one concept paper per R&D Area. Each concept paper may only include one R&D Area. Applicants may submit separate concept papers on different R&D Areas.

Tickets: 1 / Available: 1

The Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program supports the research and teaching careers of talented early career faculty in the chemical sciences. The Award, which requires an institutional nomination, is based on an independent body of scholarship attained in the early years of their appointment, and a demonstrated commitment to education, signaling the promise of continuing outstanding contributions to both research and teaching.
 

• Eligibility:
  • From academic institutions in the States, Districts, and Territories of the United States of America that grant a bachelor’s or higher degree in the chemical sciences, including chemistry, biochemistry, materials chemistry, and chemical engineering.
  • Hold a full-time tenure-track academic appointment focused on the chemical sciences.
  • From Ph.D. granting departments in which scholarly research is a principal activity and undergraduate education is an important component.
  • Are within the first six years of their independent academic careers at the time of submission of the nomination. Experience has shown that awardees tend to be close to the end of their eligibility window, but all eligible candidates are welcome to apply.

U of A may submit one proposal.

This notice solicits applications for the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). NDNP is a partnership between NEH and the Library of Congress (LOC) to create a national digital resource of historically significant newspapers published between 1690 and 1963 from all 56 states and U.S. jurisdictions. LOC will permanently maintain this freely accessible, searchable online database (Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers). An accompanying national newspaper directory of bibliographic and holdings information on the website directs users to newspaper titles available in all types of formats. During its partnership with NEH, LOC will digitize and contribute a significant number of newspaper pages drawn from its own collections to Chronicling America.

If your application is successful, you will select newspapers—published in states or jurisdictions between 1690 and 1963—and over a period of two years, convert approximately 100,000 pages into digital files (preferably from microfilm), according to the technical guidelines outlined by LOC. You may select titles published in any language with a valid ISO 639-2 language code (or ISO 630-3, if appropriate). For newspapers published after 1928, you may select only those in the public domain (i.e., published without copyright or for which the copyright was not registered or renewed by 1963). If you wish to select titles for digitization published after 1928, you must indemnify LOC and NEH.

U of A may submit one proposal.

NSF seeks proposals to create an NSF National Resource Coordination Center on Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) (IUSE Center) that will be an intellectual partner to the IUSE: EDU community and NSF. Working in concert with the IUSE: EDU program, the goal of the IUSE Center is to serve as a focal point and intellectual partner for the IUSE: EDU community. The objectives of the IUSE Center are to:

• Enhance the reach and influence of IUSE investments by facilitating communication, engagement, and networking among IUSE: EDU award recipients, prospective recipients, and other stakeholders; and
• Provide support and resources for development and maintenance of IUSE: EDU projects, especially for prospective recipients and those underrepresented in the IUSE: EDU award recipient community.

The IUSE Center will be expected to work collaboratively with NSF and the IUSE: EDU community to design, implement, and execute its activities and ensure the inclusion of diverse educators and education researchers representing the full range of the nation's talent pool, of eligible institutions and organizations, and of STEM education efforts funded through the IUSE: EDU Program.

The U of A may submit up to three (3) proposals.

The Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program provides financial assistance to organizations and entities working to preserve historic Japanese American confinement sites and their history, including: private nonprofit organizations; educational institutions; state, local, and tribal governments; and other public entities, for the preservation and interpretation of U.S. confinement sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II.

Projects funded through the Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program must benefit one or more historic Japanese American confinement sites. The term historic confinement sites is defined as the ten War Relocation Authority sites (Gila River, Granada, Heart Mountain, Jerome, Manzanar, Minidoka, Poston, Rohwer, Topaz, and Tule Lake), as well as other historically significant locations, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. These sites are specifically identified in Confinement and Ethnicity: An Overview of World War II Japanese American Relocation Sites, published by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Western Archaeological and Conservation Center, in 1999. This document may be seen at www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/anthropology74 and at other internet sites.

Limit: 3 // Available: 0

C. Walker (Astronomy)
J. Thangavelautham (Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering) 
D. Lauretta (Planetary Sciences)

U of A may submit three pre-proposals.

Each STC must:

• Be focused on exceptionally innovative, complex research and education projects that require large-scale, long-term funding;
• Be based at an institution of higher education which assumes responsibility for oversight of sub-awards to all other partner institutions;
• Be directed by a faculty member with experience in leading research teams;
• Demonstrate institutional commitment to achieving strategic goals that are shared by the lead and other partnering institutions;
• Establish multi-institutional collaborations or linkages with other universities/colleges, national laboratories, research museums, private sector research laboratories, state and local government organizations, and international collaborations, as appropriate;
• Develop a management plan that integrates the research, education, broadening participation, and knowledge transfer activities across all partners and affiliates;
• Incorporate teams at all organizational levels of the Center that represent the full spectrum of diverse talent that society has to offer and include members of groups underrepresented in STEM;
• Provide research and education opportunities for U.S. graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and faculty that will result in outcomes consonant with the Center's goals;
• Facilitate knowledge transfer through significant intellectual exchange between the Center and various types of institutions and organizations (e.g., nonprofit organizations; national laboratories; industry; Federal, state, and local governments); and,
• Establish and convene at least annually an External Advisory Committee to provide guidance, advice, and oversight.

Required U of A pre-proposal elements

The UA pre-proposal contains the following required sections and will be entered into text boxes on the application. Only text is accepted (no images, figures, tables, etc.):

1. Summary
   250-word limit. Provide a summary of your proposed activities. This should be a self-contained description of the proposed work and outcomes that would result if funded. This should be understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader.
2. Significance
   250-word limit. Describe the compelling reasons for the proposal. How will the work be an original contribution or what problem will your proposal address?
3. Fit with Funder
   250-word limit. How does the proposed work fit the stated goals of the sponsor and the intentions of the funding program?
4. Approach
   500-word limit. Describe the proposed activities, procedures and methodology to be used. Note any potential problems or limitations that might arise.
5. Expected Outcomes
   250-word limit. What changes, impacts, results, or contributions to knowledge do you expect as an outcome of the proposed project?

Uploaded as a PDF:

1. NSF Project Summary page
   1-page limit; ensure that you address NSF's goals of broadening participation and impact clearly and distinctly
2. PDF List of all Project Personnel and List of all Institutions and Organizations
   Attempt to fit this on one-page, a table is preferred
3. PI NSF BioSketch
   NSF format BioSketch. There is a 3-page limit on BioSketches

Program Description

Full sponsor guidelines https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/science-technology-centers-in…

The Science and Technology Centers (STC): Integrative Partnerships program supports exceptionally innovative, complex research and education projects that require large-scale, long-term awards. STCs focus on creating new scientific paradigms, establishing entirely new scientific disciplines, and developing transformative technologies which have the potential for broad scientific or societal impact. STCs conduct world-class research through partnerships among institutions of higher education, national laboratories, industrial organizations, other public or private entities, and via international collaborations, as appropriate. They provide a means to undertake potentially groundbreaking investigations at the interfaces of disciplines and/or highly innovative approaches within disciplines. STCs may involve any area of science and engineering that NSF supports. STC investments support the NSF vision of creating and exploiting new concepts in science and engineering and providing global leadership in research and education.

Centers provide a rich environment for encouraging scientists, engineers, and educators to take risks in pursuing discoveries and new knowledge. STCs foster excellence in education by integrating education and research, and by creating connections between learning and inquiry so that discovery and creativity fully support the learning process.

U of A may submit eight (8) concept papers: four (4) in medical sciences and four (4) in science & engineering.

Required U or A pre-proposal elements

The UA pre-proposal contains the following required sections:

1. Overview
2. Methodology
3. Justification for Keck Funding
4. Key Personnel
5. Estimated Budget

A template is provided in the documents section of this limited submission. Use this template, complete it, and upload it as a PDF as part of this limited submission opportunity.

Uploaded as a PDF:

1. One-page Concept Paper based on attached template.
2. PI BioSketch or CV
   Agency-specific BioSketch preferred. There is a 5-page limit on CVs

Program Description

Full sponsor guidelines https://www.wmkeck.org/research-overview/

Post selection as one of the pre-proposals, a concept review Zoom will be held with the W.M. Keck Foundation, RDS, and the UA Foundation in January will determine which one medical research and one science and engineering concept paper will be moved to a Phase 1 Submission.

The W.M. Keck Foundation Research Program uses a three-step process for this opportunity. The first step is a Concept paper. The next steps are by the foundation’s invitation. U of A review criteria reflect previous interactions with the W.M. Keck Foundation. Proposals should focus on basic, fundamental science with broad applications. Grants range from $1 million to $5 million and are typically $2 million or less, and more specifically in the $1.2 to $1.3 million range.

The proposed work should show a significant leap forward rather than an extension of existing work.

To be considered by Keck, applicants must have a statement expressing that the project is not a good fit due to risk (rather than technical or theoretical fit) or a decline from a federal program where the summary statement or individual reviews highlight the incredible novelty, but the high-risk nature that makes it difficult to fund at the federal level.

The Science and Engineering Research Program seeks to benefit humanity by supporting high-risk/high-impact projects that are distinctive and novel in their approach to intractable problems, push the edge of their field, or question the prevailing paradigm. Past grants have been awarded to support pioneering science and engineering research and the development of promising new technologies, instrumentation, or methodologies.

The Medical Research Program seeks to advance the frontiers of medicine to benefit humanity by supporting high-risk/high-impact projects that are distinctive and novel in their approach to intractable problems, push the edge of their field, or question the prevailing paradigm. Past grants have supported pioneering biological research, basic research, and the development of promising new technologies. The Keck Foundation does NOT fund work that is clinical, applied, or translational; treatment trials; or research for the sole purpose of drug development.

Both senior and early career investigators are encouraged to apply. Team approaches, including interdisciplinary teams, are encouraged.

U of A may submit one proposal.

M. Rigdon (Center for PHilosophy of Freedom)

Required U or A pre-proposal elements

The UA pre-proposal contains the following required sections and will be entered into text boxes on the application. Only text is accepted (no images, figures, tables, etc.):

1. Summary
   250-word limit. Provide a summary of your proposed activities. This should be a self-contained description of the proposed work and outcomes that would result if funded. This should be understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader.
2. Significance
   250-word limit. Describe the compelling reasons for the proposal. How will the work be an original contribution or what problem will your proposal address?
3. Fit with Funder
   250-word limit. How does the proposed work fit the stated goals of the sponsor and the intentions of the funding program?
4. Approach
   500-word limit. Describe the proposed activities, procedures and methodology to be used. Note any potential problems or limitations that might arise.
5. Expected Outcomes
   250-word limit. What changes, impacts, results, or contributions to knowledge do you expect as an outcome of the proposed project?

Uploaded as a PDF:

1. PI BioSketch or CV
   Agency-specific BioSketch preferred. There is a 5-page limit on CVs

Program Description

Full sponsor guidelines https://www.mellon.org/article/sawyer-seminars

Purpose: The 30th anniversary of the Sawyer Seminars program arrives amid national turmoil over complex, existential topics that have the potential to affect university operations. Our present moment has created much uncertainty, but it also provides us with opportunities for deep thinking and intervention. Such opportunities are made possible through freedom of intellectual inquiry, which allows our society to think critically, dissent when necessary, and build more equitable, just futures.

In this vein, for the 2024 Sawyer Seminars, Mellon invites proposals that meaningfully engage faculty, other academic leaders, and visitors from a variety of fields in the study of academic freedom and democracy in the American university. We seek to support seminars that demonstrate through humanistic methods the ways in which a higher education system featuring a multiplicity of perspectives, thoughts, and voices is essential to a functional democracy.

Program Activities: Each seminar normally meets for one year, though some have continued for longer periods. To allow for planning, seminars need not be scheduled for the coming academic year. The seminar should be led or co-led by humanities faculty; however, the proposed seminar should be a collaborative effort involving participation by scholars and administrators from across disciplines and units, with varying perspectives on the problem being addressed. In addition, we encourage you to invite participants from nearby institutions, such as community colleges, liberal arts colleges, museums, research institutes, and local organizations to achieve interdisciplinary and community-engaged collaboration.

As Mellon reviews proposals, preference will be given to those that seek to:

• Bridge the gap between the socially equitable world envisioned in much humanities scholarship and the policies and practices characterizing today’s universities;
• Empower humanists to be active participants in the strategic conversations and planning that many universities are engaged in or preparing to undertake;
• Imagine new and revised university structures that would enhance the growth of the humanities and promote the realization of more just futures.

Grant recipients would be expected to highlight and disseminate findings across campus units using a medium that best fits their campus context, such as a white paper or town hall.

Budget: Funding requests should not exceed $300,000 for each seminar. The first budget period must begin with July 1, 2025. The first period may be longer or shorter than 12 months. Funds may support: one postdoc, up to two dissertation research fellows (in the form of graduate tuition or supplemental funding); travel and living expenses for short stays by visiting scholars; costs associated with coordinating seminars, including meals, honoraria, consulting fees, and stipends. Funds may not be used to cover release time for regular faculty participants, rentals of university space, or indirect costs.