The Office of Research invites internal applications for the NSF Science and Technology Centers, due October 16, 2024. Applications may be submitted in InfoReady.
Award Amount and Terms: Proposed annual budgets may be up to $6M per year. NSF expects to make up to 5 awards, with an initial commitment for five years of support and five additional years possible.
Internal Applications due October 16, 2024 (Proposals are due to NSF by 5 PM PT on November 20, 2024.)
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Program: Science and Technology Centers: Integrative Partnerships
Solicitation Link: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/science-technology-centers-integrative/nsf24-594/solicitation
UCSC Contact: Molly McCarthy | Director of Research Development | moamccar@ucsc.edu
Description
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.
STCs foster excellence in education by integrating education and research, and by creating bonds between learning and inquiry so that discovery and creativity fully support the learning process. NSF expects STCs to involve individuals who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering at all levels within the
Center, as well as be a leader in broadening participation in STEM. Centers must also undertake activities that facilitate knowledge transfer, i.e., the exchange of scientific and technical information with the objective of disseminating and utilizing knowledge broadly in multiple sectors.
Award Amount and Terms
NSF expects to make up to 5 awards, with an initial commitment for five years of support and five additional years possible. Proposed annual budgets may be up to $6M per year. Limits on Number of Proposals: 3 preliminary proposals per lead institution. Full proposals are to be submitted only when invited by NSF. There is no limit on the number of proposals in which an organization participates as a partner
institution.
To apply
To be considered for nomination, materials should be submitted to the internal campus competition via InfoReady (https://ucsc.infoready4.com). After clicking on the competition, select “Apply” on the right-hand side,
complete the application form, and upload the following documents (11-point font, 1-inch margins, single spaced):
- Project Description that includes the following sections (2-page maximum):
- Center Rationale: Briefly outline the vision for the proposed Center, including the grand challenge(s)
being addressed, the breakthroughs being sought, the potential impacts, and intended legacies of the
Center. Why is this an important area of investment right now? Why is a Center the right mode? - Center Plan: Provide a brief overview of your research plan and describe the focus of the education, broadening participation, and knowledge transfer activities. What do you anticipate will be the major accomplishments over the first five years of the Center’s existence?
- Integration Strategies: Briefly describe how the proposed research areas/themes integrate with each other to realize the Center’s research vision. Outline how the integration of research, education, and knowledge transfer, in a center-level activity, will advance the proposed research.
- Team: List the names, departments, and institutions of the Lead PI and up to four co-PIs and briefly describe why the proposed team is well-suited to lead a Center and implement the proposed vision and plans.
- Center Rationale: Briefly outline the vision for the proposed Center, including the grand challenge(s)
- Lead PI resume/biosketch (3-page maximum)
Timeline
- October 16, 2024 by 11:59 pm PT: Internal deadline, application materials due in InfoReady.
- October 23, 2024: Internal nominees selected and notified.
- Nov. 20, 2024 by 5 pm PT: Pre Proposal due to NSF.
- June 2, 2025 by 5 pm PT: Full proposal due to NSF, if invited.
Special Instructions
If you are selected as a campus nominee, you will need to promptly submit your Start a Proposal Form prior to UCSC’s
Internal Institutional Deadlines. Individuals selected to move forward have the responsibility to submit. Please contact
Research Development (resdev@ucsc.edu) for proposal support.