Physical Sciences & Engineering

No applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

An entity may only submit one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA. UofA is only eligible for Topic Area 2: Smart Grid Grants

The BIL is a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure, designed to modernize and upgrade American infrastructure to enhance U.S. competitiveness, driving the creation of good-paying union jobs, tackling the climate crisis, and ensuring stronger access to economic, environmental, and other benefits for disadvantaged communities (DACs). 

This FOA seeks applications to address these three goals:
1. Transform community, regional, interregional, and national resilience, including in consideration of future shifts in generation and load
2. Catalyze and leverage private sector and non-federal public capital for impactful technology and infrastructure deployment
3. Advance community benefits

Topic Area 2: Smart Grid Grants (40107)
Objectives Topic Area 2 seeks to deploy and catalyze technology solutions that increase the flexibility, efficiency, reliability, and resilience of the electric power system, with particular focus on enhancing the system’s capabilities to meet the following objectives:

• increase the capacity of transmission facilities or the capability of the transmission system to reliably transfer increased amounts of electric energy; 
• prevent faults that may lead to wildfires or other system disturbances;
• integrate variable renewable energy resources at the transmission and distribution levels; and, 
• facilitate the aggregation and integration (edge-computing) of electric vehicles and other grid-edge devices or electrified loads.

E. Corral
E. Madenci
A. Craig

P. Satam (Systems and Industrial Engineering)

This solicitation is a reissue of NSF 22-574 with a new external deadline. NSF has an institutional limit of one full proposal per institution.

The overarching goal of this solicitation is to democratize access to NSF’s advanced cyberinfrastructure (CI) ecosystem and ensure fair and equitable access to resources, services, and expertise by strengthening how Cyberinfrastructure Professionals (CIP) function in this ecosystem. It aims to achieve this by (1) deepening the integration of CIPs into the research enterprise, and (2) fostering innovative and scalable education, training, and development of instructional materials, to address emerging needs and unresolved bottlenecks in CIP workforce development. Specifically, this solicitation seeks to nurture, grow and recognize the national CIP [1] workforce that is essential for creating, utilizing and supporting advanced CI to enable and potentially transform fundamental science and engineering (S&E) research and education and contribute to the Nation's overall economic competitiveness and security. Together, the principal investigators (PIs), technology platforms, tools, and expert CIP workforce supported by this solicitation operate as an interdependent ecosystem wherein S&E research and education thrive. This solicitation will support NSF’s advanced CI ecosystem with a scalable, agile, diverse, and sustainable network of CIPs that can ensure broad adoption of advanced CI resources and expert services including platforms, tools, methods, software, data, and networks for research communities, to catalyze major research advances, and to enhance researchers' abilities to lead the development of new CI.

All projects are expected to clearly articulate how they address essential community needs, will provide resources that will be widely available to and usable by the research community, and will broaden participation from underrepresented groups. Prospective PIs are strongly encouraged to contact the Cognizant Program Officers in CISE/OAC and in the participating directorate/division relevant to the proposal to ascertain whether the focus and budget of their proposed activities are appropriate for this solicitation. Such consultations should be completed at least one month before the submission deadline. PIs should include the names of the Cognizant Program Officers consulted in a Single Copy Document as described in Section V.A. Proposal Preparation Instructions. The intent of the SCIPE program is to encourage collaboration between CI and S&E domain disciplines. (For this purpose, units of CISE other than OAC are considered domain disciplines.) To ensure relevance to community needs and to facilitate adoption, those proposals of interest to one or more domain divisions must include at least one PI/co-PI with expertise relevant to the targeted research discipline. All proposals shall include at least one PI/co-PI with expertise pertinent to OAC.

The project description should explicitly address the following additional items with emphasis suitable to the proposed work and goal(s) of the solicitation (note that this information will also be employed as additional solicitation-specific review criteria; see Section VI.A. for details):

1. Broadening Adoption of Advanced CI infrastructure and methods;
2. Integration with the Computational Science Support Network (CSSN);
3. Challenges recognizing and democratizing research CIP workforce development;
4. Building scalable and sustainable communities of CIP;
5. Recruitment and evaluation; and
6. "Collective Impact" Strategy: Coordination network and Backbone organization (or an alternative strategy).

No applicants // Limit: 1* // Tickets Available: 1 

*UA may submit one proposal under the Research Partnerships track. There is no institutional limitation on the Technology Translation track.

If you don’t have a demonstrated and substantial industry relationship as required for a PFI submission, please reach out to Brian Adair or Lindsay Ridpath, to help develop those connections so that your proposal is competitive. PFI proposals are accepted three times per year and you may be better served by strengthening your industry relationship and waiting for the next cycle.

The Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program within the Division of Translational Impacts (TI) 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.

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. A PFI-RP project requires the creation of partnerships between academic researchers and third-party organizations such as industry, non-academic research organizations, federal laboratories, public or non-profit technology transfer organizations or other universities. Such partnerships are needed to conduct use-inspired research on a stand-alone larger project toward commercialization and societal impact. In the absence of such synergistic partnership, the project’s likelihood for success would be minimal.

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.

The please be aware of important revisions in the PFI program recently announced in solicitation NSF 23-538, as outlined below:

NSF Lineage Requirement
Innovation Corps (NSF I-CorpsTM) Teams awards no longer convey the lineage required to submit a PFI proposal.
All proposals submitted to the PFI program must meet a lineage requirement by having NSF-supported research results in any field of science and engineering: Principal Investigator (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.

Award Information
The funding amounts in both tracks of the PFI program have significantly increased. Specifically:

• PFI-Technology Translation (PFI-TT) projects will be funded for up to $550,000 for 18-24 months per award; and

• PFI-Research Partnerships (PFI-RP) projects will be funded for up to $1,000,000 for 36 months.
   

H. Rastgoftar
J. Su

UArizona may submit two nominations. The November 14, 2022, nominations are an administrative step and will be submitted by RDS. Full Application materials are due to the sponsor from the nominees by December 13, 2022. Contact RDS with questions

Required UA pre-proposal elements

Uploaded as a PDF:

1. Statement of Invention
   Two-page maximum. See the full guidelines for required information to include.
2. PI CV or BioSketch
   Two-page maximum current CV or BioSketch
3. Letter from Department Head acknowledging $50,000 direct support requirement. An email confirmation and acknowledgment of support is sufficient. (To be uploaded as a PDF)

Program Description for 2022

Full sponsor guidelines

The foundation seeks to identify outstanding inventors and innovators who harness science and technology to enhance the conduct of scientific research, strengthen environmental conservation, or improve the experience and outcomes of patient care.

The Moore Inventor Fellows program focuses on supporting scientist-inventors at a critical stage of research to capture opportunities that otherwise might be missed. We seek to provide freedom and support to promising inventors with the most compelling ideas to pursue creative work.

Gordon Moore’s contribution to the development of microelectronics helped produce the exponential growth of the digital revolution. In the spirit of Moore’s passion for science and penchant for inventing, the foundation seeks to support people who create new tools, technologies, processes, or approaches with a high potential to accelerate progress in the foundation’s three main areas of interest: scientific research, environmental conservation and patient care.

The foundation plans to allocate nearly $34 million through 2026 to support 50 Moore Inventor Fellows. In 2020, the competition will focus on early-career staff at major research universities, additional institutions from among the top 50 National Institutes of Health-funded medical schools and universities, and selected non-academic environmental research and patient care institutions. Each eligible institution may nominate two people.

Each fellow will receive funding for three years at a level of $200,000 per year from the foundation. In addition, the foundation will provide the host institution with $25,000 each year to cover costs associated with administering the grant award, resulting in a total three-year award amount of $675,000. Each host institution will be required to contribute $50,000 in annual direct support of the inventor’s work. This can be “in kind” as released time or access to special facilities for which there is normally a charge. We expect each fellow will be personally engaged in pursuing their invention and we require each fellow to devote at least 25 percent of their own time to their invention. Fellows may use the grant funds to support their own salary to create this opportunity. They may also hire undergraduates, graduate assistants or postdoctoral scholars and purchase services, equipment, or supplies.

We aim to support inventions at an early stage that could lead to proof-of-concept work on an invention or advance an existing prototype that tackles an important problem. We seek innovations with the promise of making a long-lasting impact by addressing underlying problems in their field, but a clear path toward commercialization is not a requirement. We are not interested in supporting projects that are already at a stage where significant venture capital is available. As with all our grants, we seek to measure progress toward a defined goal during the three years of support. The foundation’s policy is that intellectual property that results from a grant must be managed and disseminated in a manner that leads to the greatest impact. Each award will include IP terms to reflect the needs of that project.

We recognize that real invention can take surprising turns, so we seek creative individuals who have big ideas, deep knowledge and the courage to take smart risks. We recognize that inventors and innovators come from a diversity of backgrounds, disciplines and experiences, and seek creative individuals across a broad array of academic programs and research departments. Examples of such programs include, but are not limited to environmental science and conservation, oceanography, biology, engineering, physics, chemistry, materials science, neuroscience, public health and gerontology.

Eligibility

• Candidates must be faculty, research scientists, postdocs or other full-time staff who can receive funding through their institutions.
• Candidates must be no more than 10 years past receiving the terminal advanced degree in their field (M.S., Ph.D. or M.D.).

Ticket #1: I. Djordjevic
Ticket #2: B. Bash

UArizona may submit two preliminary proposals.

The Quantum Sensing Challenges for Transformational Advances in Quantum Systems (QuSeC-TAQS) program supports interdisciplinary teams of three (3) or more investigators to explore highly innovative, original, and potentially transformative research on quantum sensing. The QuSeC-TAQS program supports coordinated efforts to develop and apply quantum sensor systems, with demonstrations resulting in proof of principle or field-testing of concepts and platforms that can benefit society. The QuSeC-TAQS program aligns with recommendations articulated in the strategy report, Bringing Quantum Sensors to Fruition, that was produced by the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science, under the auspices of the National Quantum Initiative.

4. Decarbonizing Cement and Concrete: D. Apai

UArizona may submit only one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area as the lead applicant.  There are no limitations on partnerships or subrecipients on other applications.

This FOA will fund high-impact, applied research and development and prototype or pilot-scale technology validation and demonstration projects in order to expedite the adoption of transformational industrial technology necessary to increase energy efficiency across industry and in high GHG-emitting industrial subsectors, reducing both energy usage and GHG emissions. This includes cross-sector industrial decarbonization approaches via opportunities in energy efficiency; industrial electrification; low carbon fuels, feedstocks and energy sources; and industrial carbon capture and utilization. This FOA and its associated projects are separate from any forthcoming efforts to be funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including activities related to Industrial Emissions Demonstration Projects.

1. Decarbonizing Chemicals
2. Decarbonizing Iron and Steel
3. Decarbonizing Food and Beverage Products
4. Decarbonizing Cement and Concrete
5. Decarbonizing Paper and Forest Products
6. Cross-sector Decarbonization Technologies

UArizona is invited to submit up to three nominations, one for each of the three disciplinary categories: Life Sciences; Physical Sciences & Engineering; and Chemistry.

The Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists recognize the United States' most promising faculty-rank researchers in Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Chemistry. One Blavatnik National Awards Laureate in each disciplinary category will receive $250,000 in unrestricted funds, and additional nominees will be recognized as Finalists.

This is an Institutionally Coordinated nomination. Interested applicants or nominators should contact Marie Teemant, Associate, Research Development Services.

Ticket #1, Track 1: Confidential
Ticket #2, Track 1: Confidential
Ticket #3, Track 2: Confidential
Ticket #4, Track 3: Confidential (Contact RDS for more information. PI names will be posted after the sponsor's deadline.)

NEW to NSF 23-519:
Track 3: Track 3 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than or equal to $100,0001 and less than or equal to $4,000,000 that include the purchase, installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment and instrumentation to conserve or reduce the consumption of helium. Institutions may submit no more than one Track 3 proposal. Submission of a Track 3 proposal does not impact limits that apply for Track 1 and Track 2 proposals.

October 6, 2022 UPDATE: The deadline for TRACK 1 pre-proposals has been extended until 11:59p on Sunday, October 16. No additional Track 2 pre-proposals will be accepted under this extension. Contact RDS with questions

NOTE: RDS is holding the 2022-23 internal competition for the MRI program based on the existing solicitation and announced deadlines. Should NSF issue a new solicitation or make other program changes, our internal program and timeline will be adjusted and the new internal requirements will be announced on the Limited Submissions Table and in the Limited Submissions Newsletter.

UArizona may submit three total proposals, with no more than two submissions in Track 1 and no more than one submission in Track 2.

Contact RDS for more information

The Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program serves to increase access to multi-user scientific and engineering instrumentation for research and research training in our Nation's institutions of higher education and not-for-profit scientific/engineering research organizations. An MRI award supports the acquisition or development of a multi-user research instrument that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs.

MRI provides support to acquire critical research instrumentation without which advances in fundamental science and engineering research may not otherwise occur. MRI also provides support to develop next-generation research instruments that open new opportunities to advance the frontiers in science and engineering research. Additionally, an MRI award is expected to enhance research training of students who will become the next generation of instrument users, designers and builders.

Institutionally Coordinated confidential nomination process. Please contact Marie Teemant, Associate, Research Development Services for more information.

University of Arizona is invited to submit nominations for the Simons Investigators program in the following theoretical categories: Mathematics, Physics, Astrophysics and Computer Science. Within the Physics program, the foundation also invites nominations for Theoretical Physics in Life Sciences Investigators. The foundation strongly encourages the nomination of scientists from underrepresented groups.

The aim of the Simons Investigators program is to identify and support the most active and creative theoretical researchers during the years when they are developing into and serving as the intellectual leaders of the field and to provide them with resources to undertake new and creative investigations. The nominees are judged on their potential for innovative contributions to science over the coming years.

Nominations must be treated confidentially — the nominees should not know they are being nominated if possible.

For information on the typical profile of successful nominations, please visit the Simons Foundation website, where a list of current awardees may be found:
https://www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons-investigators/?tab=awardees.