Deadline: NSF Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI)

Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI):
Elements and Framework Implementations

The Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI) umbrella program seeks to enable funding opportunities that are flexible and responsive to the evolving and emerging needs in cyberinfrastructure. This program continues the CSSI program by removing the distinction between software and data elements/framework implementations, and instead emphasizing integrated cyberinfrastructure services, quantitative metrics with targets for delivery and usage of these services, and community creation.

The CSSI umbrella program anticipates four classes of awards:

• Elements: These awards target small groups that will create and deploy robust services for which there is a demonstrated need that will advance one or more significant areas of science and engineering.
• Framework Implementations: These awards target larger, interdisciplinary teams organized around the development and application of common services aimed at solving common research problems faced by NSF researchers in one or more areas of science and engineering, resulting in a sustainable community framework providing Cyberinfrastructure (CI) services to a diverse community or communities.
• Planning Grants for Community Cyberinfrastructure: Planning awards focus on the establishment of long-term cyberinfrastructure services, which would serve a research community of substantial size and disciplinary breadth.
• Community Cyberinfrastructure Implementations: These Community Software Cyberinfrastructure Implementations focus on the establishment of long-term hubs of excellence in cyberinfrastructure services, which will serve a research community of substantial size and disciplinary breadth.

This particular CSSI solicitation requests only Elements and Framework Implementations classes of awards.  

Prospective Principal Investigators (PIs) should be aware that this is a multi-directorate activity and that they are encouraged to submit proposals with broad, interdisciplinary interests. Further, not all divisions are participating at the same level and division-specific priorities differ. Thus, PIs interested in responding to this solicitation are encouraged to refer to core program descriptions, Dear Colleague Letters, and recently posted descriptions on directorate and divisional home pages to gain insight about the priorities for the relevant areas of science and engineering to which their proposals may be responsive. Prospective PIs should also refer to the directorate/division-specific descriptions contained in Section II of this solicitation.

Finally, it is strongly recommended that prospective PIs contact program officer(s) from the list of Cognizant Program Officers in the division(s) that typically support the scientists and engineers who would make use of the proposed work, to gain insight into the priorities for the relevant areas of science and engineering to which their proposals should be responsive. As part of contacting Cognizant Program Officers, prospective PIs are also encouraged to ascertain that the focus and budget of their proposed work are appropriate for this solicitation.