Opportunity Information: Apply for PD 20 139Y
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Cyberinfrastructure Centers of Excellence (CI CoE) opportunity is designed to strengthen the nations advanced research cyberinfrastructure ecosystem, meaning the shared computing, data, software, networking, and related services that power modern science and engineering research and education. NSF is aiming for an ecosystem that is agile, well integrated, robust, trustworthy, and sustainable, because research needs and technologies are changing quickly and becoming more complex. A central motivation behind the program is that researchers should be able to access and use state of the art cyberinfrastructure easily and effectively, without unnecessary barriers, and in a timeframe that matches the pace of research.
At its core, the program funds centers that act as hubs of expertise and innovation focused on specific needs, gaps, or stakeholder communities within the broader cyberinfrastructure landscape. Rather than building a single monolithic national resource, NSF is concentrating support into targeted centers that can improve how cyberinfrastructure is designed, operated, adopted, and used. These centers are expected to be strongly user focused and to promote interoperability, so that tools and services work well together and support end to end research workflows. Another major emphasis is broad dissemination: knowledge, guidance, and best practices should not stay within a small expert circle, but should be shared widely so more of the research community can fully benefit from national cyberinfrastructure investments.
CI CoEs are expected to deliver a mix of practical services and community leadership. Typical activities include scanning the horizon for emerging technologies and disruptions, identifying new opportunities and unmet needs, and developing proactive strategies for design and adoption. They are also expected to convene and nurture communities of stakeholders and experts around their focus area, with the long term aim of creating self sustaining communities of practice that can continue to evolve and share knowledge beyond the award period. In addition, centers commonly provide training, outreach, and hands on support services that help target user communities make effective use of cyberinfrastructure, whether that is through documentation, workshops, consultation, or other forms of technical assistance.
NSF anticipates that specific CI CoE topics will often be shaped by identified gaps in the ecosystem, and the agency may use Dear Colleague Letters to signal particular areas of interest and encourage proposals in those directions. The opportunity also allows for a pathway that starts with pilot efforts: NSF may make initial investments in two year pilot CI CoE projects intended to test concepts, build plans, and demonstrate feasibility through early activities. Successful pilots can then serve as stepping stones toward proposals for full scale centers. Support levels for pilots can vary depending on what is being proposed and the scope of work.
In terms of lifecycle, full CI CoEs are generally expected to operate for five years, with the possibility of renewal. Renewals depend on performance reviews, NSF priorities, whether there is still a demonstrated national need for the center, and the availability of funds, all consistent with NSF merit review principles. The opportunity is a discretionary grant program (CFDA 47.070) with proposals accepted at any time, and it is broadly open in eligibility (unrestricted), unless additional eligibility clarifications are stated elsewhere in the solicitation materials.
A particularly important procedural requirement is that prospective applicants must discuss their project concept with the relevant CI CoE Program Director(s) before submitting a proposal. The proposal must include documentation of that discussion as a supplementary document. Proposals submitted without this documented prior conversation are returned without review, so early engagement with NSF program staff is effectively mandatory.
Key published details include an award ceiling of $3,000,000 and an expectation of about three awards, though actual selections and amounts can vary by topic, scope, and available funding. NSF frames the CI CoE model as a way to concentrate resources where they can most improve national cyberinfrastructure capabilities and performance, and it points to existing examples such as Trusted CI (the NSF Cybersecurity Center of Excellence) to illustrate the kind of community serving, best practice driven role these centers can play.Apply for PD 20 139Y
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cyberinfrastructure Centers of Excellence" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.070.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 07, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Proposals accepted anytime. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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NSF Cyberinfrastructure Centers of Excellence (CI CoE) - FAQs
What is the NSF Cyberinfrastructure Centers of Excellence (CI CoE) opportunity?
The NSF CI CoE opportunity is a discretionary grant program that funds centers designed to strengthen the US advanced research cyberinfrastructure ecosystem. That ecosystem includes shared computing, data, software, networking, and related services that support modern science and engineering research and education.
What does NSF mean by "advanced research cyberinfrastructure"?
In this context, cyberinfrastructure refers to the shared resources and services that enable research and education at scale, including computing, data resources, software, networking, and the services and expertise needed to operate and use them effectively.
What problem is NSF trying to solve with CI CoEs?
NSF is responding to fast-changing, increasingly complex research needs and technologies. A central motivation is to reduce unnecessary barriers so researchers can access and use state-of-the-art cyberinfrastructure easily, effectively, and on timelines that match the pace of research.
What is NSF's overall vision for the cyberinfrastructure ecosystem?
NSF is aiming for an ecosystem that is agile, well integrated, robust, trustworthy, and sustainable, recognizing that both research demands and underlying technologies are evolving quickly.
What is a CI Center of Excellence (CI CoE) in practical terms?
A CI CoE is a hub of expertise and innovation focused on specific needs, gaps, or stakeholder communities within the broader cyberinfrastructure landscape. Instead of building one single national resource, NSF supports targeted centers that improve how cyberinfrastructure is designed, operated, adopted, and used.
Is NSF trying to create one big national cyberinfrastructure resource through this program?
No. The CI CoE model emphasizes targeted centers rather than a single monolithic national resource. The idea is to concentrate support where it can have the strongest impact on key gaps or communities.
What kinds of activities are CI CoEs expected to carry out?
Centers are expected to deliver a mix of practical services and community leadership. Typical activities include scanning the horizon for emerging technologies, identifying disruptions and unmet needs, developing strategies for design and adoption, convening stakeholder communities, and providing training, outreach, and hands-on support (such as documentation, workshops, consultations, and technical assistance).
How important is user focus in this program?
User focus is central. CI CoEs are expected to be strongly user focused and to help researchers and communities use cyberinfrastructure more effectively with fewer barriers.
What does NSF mean by "interoperability" in the CI CoE context?
Interoperability means tools and services should work well together across the ecosystem. CI CoEs are expected to promote interoperability so end-to-end research workflows are better supported rather than requiring users to patch together incompatible systems.
What is meant by "broad dissemination" of knowledge and best practices?
NSF expects guidance, expertise, and best practices developed by a CI CoE to be shared widely, not kept within a small expert group. The goal is to help a much larger portion of the research community benefit from national cyberinfrastructure investments.
Do CI CoEs provide services directly to researchers and user communities?
Yes. CI CoEs commonly provide training, outreach, and hands-on support services to help their target user communities make effective use of cyberinfrastructure. Examples mentioned include documentation, workshops, consultations, and other technical assistance.
Are CI CoEs expected to build communities of practice?
Yes. A major expectation is that centers convene and nurture communities of stakeholders and experts around their focus area, aiming to create self-sustaining communities of practice that can continue sharing knowledge and evolving beyond the award period.
How are CI CoE focus topics chosen?
NSF anticipates CI CoE topics will often be shaped by identified gaps in the cyberinfrastructure ecosystem. NSF may also use Dear Colleague Letters to signal particular areas of interest and encourage proposals aligned with those directions.
What are Dear Colleague Letters (DCLs) and how do they relate to CI CoEs?
In this opportunity, Dear Colleague Letters may be used by NSF to highlight specific areas of interest, emerging needs, or gaps in the ecosystem and to encourage the community to submit proposals in those areas.
Is there a pilot option before proposing a full center?
Yes. NSF may make initial investments in two-year pilot CI CoE projects to test concepts, build plans, and demonstrate feasibility through early activities. Successful pilots can serve as stepping stones toward proposals for full-scale centers.
How long do full CI CoEs typically operate?
Full CI CoEs are generally expected to operate for five years.
Can a CI CoE be renewed after the initial period?
Yes, renewal is possible. Renewals depend on performance reviews, NSF priorities, whether there is still a demonstrated national need for the center, and the availability of funds, consistent with NSF merit review principles.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The published award ceiling is $3,000,000.
How many awards does NSF expect to make?
NSF expects about three awards, though actual selections and award amounts can vary depending on the topic, scope, and available funding.
Are proposals accepted on a fixed deadline?
No. Proposals are accepted at any time.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The program is listed as CFDA 47.070.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as broadly open (unrestricted), unless additional eligibility clarifications are stated elsewhere in the solicitation materials.
Is there a required pre-proposal step involving NSF program staff?
Yes. Prospective applicants must discuss their project concept with the relevant CI CoE Program Director(s) before submitting a proposal.
What documentation is required to prove the pre-submission discussion happened?
The proposal must include documentation of the prior discussion as a supplementary document.
What happens if a proposal is submitted without documentation of the required discussion?
Proposals submitted without documented prior conversation with the relevant CI CoE Program Director(s) are returned without review.
How early should applicants engage with NSF program staff?
Early engagement is effectively mandatory because the pre-submission discussion must occur before proposal submission and must be documented in the proposal package.
Does NSF describe CI CoEs as service centers, leadership centers, or both?
Both. CI CoEs are expected to deliver practical services (training, support, technical assistance) and also provide community leadership (convening stakeholders, sharing best practices, shaping adoption strategies).
What does "horizon scanning" mean in the CI CoE description?
Horizon scanning refers to looking ahead for emerging technologies and disruptions, then translating those signals into proactive strategies for cyberinfrastructure design, adoption, and use.
What is an example of an existing CI CoE-style center mentioned by NSF?
NSF points to Trusted CI (the NSF Cybersecurity Center of Excellence) as an example of the kind of community-serving, best-practice-driven role these centers can play.
How does NSF define success or value for a CI CoE?
Based on the program description, value is tied to improving national cyberinfrastructure capabilities and performance by addressing gaps, supporting users, promoting interoperability, disseminating best practices broadly, and building sustainable communities of practice.
Do pilot CI CoE projects have a fixed budget level?
No fixed level is stated here. Support levels for pilots can vary depending on what is proposed and the scope of work.
What role do NSF priorities play over time?
NSF priorities are explicitly mentioned as a factor in renewal decisions, along with performance, national need, and fund availability, consistent with NSF merit review principles.
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