OpenFederal grant23-589

Community Infrastructure for Research in Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CIRC)

U.S. National Science FoundationCloses Sep 10, 2027(332 days left)$50,000 – $5,000,000

Does this fit your business?

This NSF program funds shared community research infrastructure in computer and information science, and only accredited US universities and US non-profit, non-academic organizations like museums, observatories, research labs, and professional societies can apply. If you run a for-profit business of any size, including a sole proprietorship or single-member LLC, do not apply; you are not eligible. It fits institutions that can host infrastructure serving broad research communities, not firms or

Best for
Accredited US two- and four-year colleges and universities, including community colleges, US non-profit research laboratories, Museums and observatories tied to educational or research activities, Professional societies running shared research infrastructure
Not for
For-profit businesses, including small businesses, Sole proprietors and single-member LLCs, Organizations outside computer and information science research infrastructure
Estimated fit by industry, best first
IndustryEstimated fit
Education & TrainingMatches your industry (education, learning, stem)
83
Strong Match
Social Services & NonprofitMatches your industry (community)
70
Good Match
Arts & CultureLimit: Nothing in this notice points to arts & culture
54
Possible Match
Environment & ConservationLimit: Nothing in this notice points to environment & conservation
54
Possible Match
Agriculture & FarmingLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Construction & InfrastructureLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Show all 15 industries
Estimated fit by industry, best first
IndustryEstimated fit
Energy & Clean TechLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Finance & BankingLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Food & BeverageLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Healthcare & BiotechLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Housing & Real EstateLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
ManufacturingLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Retail & E-CommerceLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Technology & SoftwareLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring
Transportation & LogisticsLimit: Only governments, nonprofits, tribes or universities may apply —…
0
Worth Exploring

These are our matcher’s estimates for a typical business in each industry. A real match depends on your size, your state and what you need the money for — check your own fit.

What this funds

Money can be used for
Infrastructure, Research, R&D, Planning, Equipment, Operating support
Who can apply
Nonprofits, Colleges and universities
Award range
$50,000 – $5,000,000

Questions about this grant

When is the application deadline?
September 10, 2027.
How much funding can an applicant receive?
Awards range from $50,000 to $5,000,000. The program has $24,000,000 in total funding and expects about 25 awards.
Who can apply for this grant?
Only accredited US institutions of higher education, including two- and four-year schools and community colleges, and US non-profit, non-academic organizations such as museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies. The principal investigator must hold a tenured, tenure-track, or primary research position at a US-based campus of an eligible organization.
Can a sole proprietor or single-member LLC apply?
No. For-profit businesses and small businesses are not eligible, and individuals with primary appointments at for-profit organizations cannot serve as PI.
Can a nonprofit apply?
Yes, if it is a non-profit, non-academic organization located in the US and directly associated with educational or research activities, such as an independent museum, observatory, research laboratory, or professional society.

Summary

NSF program funding the creation, enhancement, and operation of shared community research infrastructure in computer and information science and engineering, including planning, exploratory development, medium, and grand awards. Only accredited US institutions of higher education and US non-profit, non-academic organizations (museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies) may apply

About this grant

The Community Infrastructure for Research in Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CIRC) program drives discovery and learning in the core disciplines of the three participating CISE divisions [Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF), Computer and Network Systems (CNS), and Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS)] of the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) by funding the creation and enhancement of world-class research infrastructure. This research infrastructure will specifically support diverse communities of CISE researchers pursuing focused research agendas in computer and information science and engineering . This support involves developing the accompanying user services and engagement needed to attract, nurture, and grow a robust research community that is actively involved in determining directions for the infrastructure, as well as management of the infrastructure. This should lead to research infrastructure that can be sustained through community involvement and community leadership, and that will enable advances not possible with existing research infrastructure. Further, through the CIRC program, CISE seeks to ensure that researchers from a diverse range of institutions of higher education (IHEs), including minority-serving and predominantly undergraduate institutions, as well as researchers from non-profit, non-academic organizations, have access to such infrastructure.

The CIRC program supports four classes of awards:

- Planning Community Infrastructure (Planning) awards support planning efforts to engage research communities to develop new CISE community research infrastructures. Such an infrastructure could be eventually funded through the CIRC program (Planning-C) or the NSF Mid-scale Research Infrastructure (MsRI) program (Planning-M) . For the scope of Mid-scale RI proposals, see the Mid-scale RI-1 and Mid-scale RI-2 program pages.

- Exploratory Development (Dev) awards support activities that involve the validation of one or more unproven infrastructure designs and/or technologies, which, if validated, could enable transformative community research infrastructure in the future. Successful projects are expected to provide the technical foundations necessary to pursue subsequent CIRC ( New or Grand ), Mid-scale RI-1 , or Mid-scale RI-2 projects.

- Medium Community Infrastructure (Medium) awards support the creation of new CISE community research infrastructure or the enhancement of existing CISE community research infrastructure with integrated tools, resources, user services, and research community outreach to enable innovative CISE research opportunities to advance the frontiers of the CISE core research areas. The Medium award class includes New (New) and Enhance/Sustain (ENS) awards.

- Grand Community Infrastructure (Grand) awards support projects involving significant efforts to develop new CISE community research infrastructure or to enhance and sustain an existing CISE community research infrastructure to enable world-class CISE research opportunities for broad-based communities of CISE researchers that extend well beyond the awardee organization(s).

Each CIRC Medium or Grand award may include support for operation of the infrastructure, ensuring that the awardee organization(s) is (are) well positioned to provide a high quality of service to CISE community researchers expected to use the infrastructure to realize their research goals.

Who can apply

Our reading of the listing: for-profit businesses are not eligible for this one.

Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.

Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.

Who May Serve as PI:

By the submission deadline, any PI, co-PI, or other senior/key project personnel must hold either a tenured or tenure-track position, or a primary appointment in a research position at a US-based campus of an organization eligible to submit to this solicitation (see above), with exceptions granted for family or medical leave, as determined by the submitting organization.

Individuals with primary appointments at for-profit, non-academic organizations or at overseas branch campuses of US IHEs are not eligible.

Topics and uses of funds

Topics

  • Technology
  • Science
  • Research infrastructure

Program contact

U.S. National Science Foundationgrantsgovsupport@nsf.gov703-292-4203

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