Dear Colleague Letter: Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI)
Solicitation Title: Dear Colleague Letter: Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI)
Funding Amount: Up to $300,000, depending on proposal type - see Other Information.
Sponsor Deadline: Monday, November 30, 2020
Solicitation Link: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21019/nsf21019.jsp
Solicitation Number: NSF 21-019
Overview
<div>With this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), the NSF seeks to build research capacity that can address these and many other challenging infrastructure contexts that require a human- and-social-centered approach. NSF anticipates nurturing and growing a research community in SAI over the longer term. This DCL constitutes the first step in that direction. We invite conference and Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) proposals that will bring together experts across disciplines to support substantial and potentially pathbreaking, untested fundamental research grounded in user-centered concepts and offering the potential to substantially improve or transform the design, use, development, cost-effectiveness, or maintenance of U.S. infrastructure. These proposals should include a central focus on at least one SBE program area with the lead PI being an expert in social, behavioral, or economic science. Proposals must also demonstrate an interdisciplinary approach beyond that of any single Program or NSF Directorate.</div> <div></div> <div>NSF is particularly interested in proposals that integrate a deep understanding of human cognition, perception, information processing, decision making, social and cultural behavior, legal frameworks, governmental structures, and related areas into the design, development, and sustainability of infrastructure. Infrastructure may be of any kind, including cyber, economic, educational, physical, and social.</div> <div></div> <div>NSF is also interested in proposals that include development of new or improved performance metrics that can help stakeholders more effectively and efficiently assess infrastructure usability, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, resilience, and adaptability to changing circumstances.</div> <div>NSF welcomes proposals that include efforts to broaden participation of underrepresented groups (women, minorities, and persons with disabilities) in the development of the research agendas. Proposals from MSIs are encouraged, as are opportunities for participation by undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, K-12 students, industry representatives, and others. Public-private partnerships can also be proposed for conferences.</div> <div></div> <div>See Other Information for details related to funding amounts, deadlines, and procedures for submission.</div>
Solicitation Limitations: <p>See Other Information.</p> Other Information:<div>Proposals should reflect novel interdisciplinary and cross-Directorate approaches; however, each proposal submitted in response to this DCL must be grounded in a human- and/or social-centered approach to designing, building, and sustaining infrastructure.</div> <div>Conference proposals submitted in response to this DCL must be submitted by November 30, 2020. Initial inquiries to <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a> are encouraged to determine fit. Awards funded in this category will provide support for a period of one year and may be requested at a level not to exceed $50,000 for the total budget (including indirect costs). Proposers should clearly outline how the conference activity will contribute to developing novel potentially transformative interdisciplinary research, the participant groups, anticipated target audience to be engaged and the plan to disseminate the findings after the conference(s).</div> <div>EAGER proposals: Prior to submission, potential research teams are required to send a research concept outline, including project title, team members, institutions involved, and a summary of the project concept (up to two pages) by email to <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>. To ensure proper processing, the subject line of the initial email inquiry should begin with: "EAGER: SAI-E". Concept outlines should be submitted by December 11, 2020 (earlier if possible). NSF Program Directors will review the research concept outlines and will authorize those that fall within the scope of this DCL for submission of a full EAGER proposal. Proposals submitted without written authorization from an NSF Program Director will be returned without review. Full EAGER proposal submissions are due January 15, 2021 and will only be accepted if accompanied by written (email) authorization to submit (obtained in response to the research concept outline).</div>Last Updated:
RODA ID: 1156