Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations (AccelNet)

Overview

AccelNet is aimed at fostering connections among research networks, rather than supporting primarily research or research infrastructure. The program will support development of networks of networks to share information and ideas, coordinate ongoing or planned research activities, foster synthesis and integration through new collaborations on theory building and innovative development of methods and tools. It calls for creative ways to advance science, engineering, and STEM education and prepare the U.S. workforce through interactions across scientific and geographic boundaries.

AccelNet supports new linkages among networks of researchers in the U.S. and complementary networks abroad that will leverage research and educational resources and assets for the purposes of:

• accelerating the process of scientific discovery; and
• preparing U.S. science and engineering students, postdoctoral scholars, and early-career researchers for success in conducting and leading multiteam international collaborations.

Funding Tracks

NSF recognizes that some research networks will need time and resources to formulate networks of networks, while others are ready to implement networks of networks.

1. Design Track: This track will support designs that enable networks to develop operational links among networks and to design collaborative approaches that would address knowledge gaps. These awards are for networks linked by a common research theme that have preliminary ideas on how to develop the network of network characteristics described herein, but are at an early stage of project design (e.g., identifying research and professional development needs, priorities, and goals, developing partnerships and collaboration strategies).  It is not expected that projects be funded first in the Design track prior to being considered in the Implementation track.
2. Implementation Track: This track will support more established networks of networks to implement coordination across networks on a research roadmap to advance theory, methods, tools, and/or integration across fields. These awards are to enable networks to coordinate research priorities and resources to address knowledge gaps and overcome research roadblocks. These awards are for networks with an operational core of communication on a common research theme in the U.S. and abroad that already have (a) established an understanding of knowledge gaps across the networks, (b) compelling vision for how synergies across the networks would lead to new research directions and innovation in solution of complex problems, (c) developed scalable team science strategies and logistics, and (d) designed an organizational structure that supports collaborative involvement in leadership and broad participation in activities by network members. Examples of supported activities to foster such connections include, but are not limited to, synthesis efforts to integrate and transfer knowledge, personnel exchanges, interdisciplinary international training, data exchanges, working groups, developing and disseminating products and practices, and the adoption of existing cyber tools to enable linkages between the U.S. network and counterpart networks in other countries or regions.

Research Themes Supported

Proposals are accepted in any field or combination of fields of science, engineering, or education research supported by NSF, or convergent fields that cut across NSF-supported disciplines (see the NSF definition of convergence). Proposed networks of networks must focus on a clear research area to give coherence to the international collaboration and integration of complementary expertise. Proposed research themes must be grand challenges that are either 

• identified by the research community as priorities for transformative discoveries or
• specified in NSF initiatives such as the NSF Big Ideas or in active program solicitations.

In the case of proposals involving more than one organization, submission of a collaborative proposal from multiple organizations, is no longer accepted in this solicitation. A single organization must be identified as the lead, and a single proposal describing the entire project must be submitted by that organization. Funds may be distributed among partner organizations via subawards from the lead organization.

• Estimated Number of Awards: 10 to 14
• Anticipated Funding Amount: $10,000,000, pending availability of funds
• Design Track: This track will support design efforts for durations of up to 2 years, and for up to a total of $250,000.
• Implementation Track: This track will support more established networks of networks for durations of 3 to 5 years.