Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) (nsf24504) | NSF

Replaces Doc(s):NSF 22-517

Nationwide Science Basis

Directorate for Pc and Info Science and Engineering     Division of Pc and Community Techniques     Division of Computing and Communication Foundations     Division of Info and Clever Techniques     Workplace of Superior Cyberinfrastructure

Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Financial Sciences     Division of Social and Financial Sciences     Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences

Directorate for Mathematical and Bodily Sciences     Division of Mathematical Sciences

Directorate for STEM Schooling     Division of Graduate Schooling

Directorate for Engineering     Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Techniques

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter’s native time):

     Proposals Accepted Anytime

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND REVISION NOTES

The outline of partnerships has been clarified to explain post-award dealing with.
Extra matters of curiosity have been added, together with open-source software program safety, quantum computing safety, generative AI safety, and provide chain safety.
Collaboration letters for CORE and EDU proposals could now be one web page, with any content material, topic to plain NSF guidelines for font and margins. Any proposal could embody not more than 5 (5) such letters.
The descriptions for Broadening Participation in Computing have been revised.
Directions for Medium tasks with no PIs or co-PIs from pc science-related departments have been added to the Broadening Participation in Computing part of the solicitation.

Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation needs to be submitted in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Insurance policies & Procedures Information (PAPPG) that’s in impact on the time the proposal is submitted. The NSF PAPPG is often revised and it’s the accountability of the proposer to make sure that the proposal meets the necessities specified on this solicitation and the relevant model of the PAPPG.

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Normal Info

Program Title:

Safe and Reliable Our on-line world (SaTC)

Synopsis of Program:

In at present’s more and more networked, distributed, and asynchronous world, cybersecurity entails {hardware}, software program, networks, knowledge, folks, and integration with the bodily world. Society’s overwhelming reliance on this complicated our on-line world, nevertheless, has uncovered its fragility and vulnerabilities that defy present cyber-defense measures; firms, businesses, nationwide infrastructure, and people proceed to undergo cyber-attacks. Reaching a very safe our on-line world requires addressing each difficult scientific and engineering issues involving many elements of a system, and vulnerabilities that stem from human behaviors and selections. Inspecting the basics of safety and privateness as a multidisciplinary topic can result in essentially new methods to design, construct, and function cyber techniques; defend present infrastructure; and inspire and educate people about cybersecurity.

The targets of the SaTC program are aligned with the Nationwide Science and Know-how Council’s (NSTC) Federal Cybersecurity Analysis and Growth Strategic Plan (RDSP) and Nationwide Privateness Analysis Technique (NPRS) to guard and protect the rising social and financial advantages of cyber techniques whereas guaranteeing safety and privateness. The RDSP recognized six areas essential to profitable cybersecurity analysis and improvement: (1) scientific foundations; (2) threat administration; (3) human elements; (4) transitioning profitable analysis into follow; (5) workforce improvement; and (6) enhancing the analysis infrastructure. The NPRS, which enhances the RDSP, identifies a framework for privateness analysis, anchored in characterizing privateness expectations, understanding privateness violations, engineering privacy-protecting techniques, and recovering from privateness violations. In alignment with the goals in each strategic plans, the SaTC program takes an multidisciplinary, complete, and holistic strategy to cybersecurity analysis, improvement, and schooling, and encourages the transition of promising analysis concepts into follow. SaTC targets are additionally aligned with the Roadmap for Researchers on Priorities Associated to Info Integrity Analysis and Growth, the Nationwide Technique to Advance Privateness-Preserving Information Sharing and Analytics, and the Nationwide Cyber Workforce and Schooling Technique.

The SaTC program welcomes proposals that tackle cybersecurity and privateness, drawing on experience in a number of of those areas: computing, communication, and knowledge sciences; engineering; schooling; arithmetic; statistics; and social, behavioral, and financial sciences. Proposals that advance the sector of cybersecurity and privateness inside a single self-discipline or interdisciplinary efforts that span a number of disciplines are each welcome.

The SaTC program spans the pursuits of NSF’s Directorates for Pc and Info Science and Engineering (CISE), Engineering (ENG), Mathematical and Bodily Sciences (MPS), Social, Behavioral and Financial Sciences (SBE), and STEM Schooling (EDU). Proposals have to be submitted pursuant to one of many following designations, every of which can have extra restrictions and administrative obligations as specified on this program solicitation.

CORE: This designation is the primary focus of the multidisciplinary SaTC analysis program.
EDU: The Schooling (EDU) designation is used to label proposals specializing in cybersecurity and privateness schooling and coaching.
TTP: The Transition to Observe (TTP) designation will probably be used to label proposals which are targeted completely on transitioning present analysis outcomes to follow.

CORE and TTP proposals could also be submitted in one of many following venture measurement courses:

Small tasks: as much as $600,000 in complete finances, with durations of as much as three years; and
Medium tasks: $600,001 to $1,200,000 in complete finances, with durations of as much as 4 years.

EDU proposals are restricted to $400,000 in complete finances, with durations of as much as three years. EDU proposals that show a collaboration, mirrored within the PI, co-PI, and/or Senior Personnel composition, between a cybersecurity material professional (researcher or practitioner) and an schooling researcher could request as much as $500,000 for 3 years.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

Please word that the next data is present on the time of publishing. See program web site for any updates to the factors of contact.

Jeremy J. Epstein, Lead Program Director, CISE/CNS, phone: (703) 292-8338, electronic mail: [email protected]
Cindy Bethel, Program Director, CISE/IIS, phone: (703) 292-4420, electronic mail: [email protected]
Robert Beverly, Program Director, CISE/OAC, phone: 703-292-7068, electronic mail: [email protected]
Daniel R. Cosley, Program Director, CISE/IIS, phone: (703) 292-8832, electronic mail: [email protected]
Sol Greenspan, Program Director, CISE/CCF, phone: (703) 292-8910, electronic mail: [email protected]
Timothy Hodges, Program Director, MPS/DMS, phone: (703) 292-5359, electronic mail: [email protected]
Karen Karavanic, Program Director, CISE/CNS, phone: (703) 292-2594, electronic mail: [email protected]
Sara Kiesler, Program Director, SBE/SES, phone: (703) 292-8643, electronic mail: [email protected]
Rosa A. Lukaszew, Program Director, ENG/ECCS, phone: (703) 292-8103, electronic mail: [email protected]
Daniela Oliveira, Program Director, CISE/CNS, phone: (703) 292-4352, electronic mail: [email protected]
Victor P. Piotrowski, Program Director, EDU/DGE, phone: (703) 292-5141, electronic mail: [email protected]
Andrew D. Pollington, Program Director, MPS/DMS, phone: (703) 292-4878, electronic mail: [email protected]
Phillip A. Regalia, Program Director, CISE/CCF, phone: (703) 292-2981, electronic mail: [email protected]
Ambareen Siraj, Program Director, EDU/DGE, phone: (703) 292-8182, electronic mail: [email protected]
Anna Squicciarini, Program Director, CISE/CNS, phone: (703) 292-5177, electronic mail: [email protected]
Xiaogang (Cliff) Wang, Program Director, CISE/CNS, phone: (703) 292-2812, electronic mail: [email protected]
ChunSheng (Sam) Xin, Program Director, EDU/DGE, phone: (703) 292-7353, electronic mail: [email protected]
Li Yang, Program Director, EDU/DGE, phone: (703) 292-2677, electronic mail: [email protected]

Relevant Catalog of Federal Home Help (CFDA) Quantity(s):

47.041 — Engineering
47.049 — Mathematical and Bodily Sciences
47.070 — Pc and Info Science and Engineering
47.075 — Social Behavioral and Financial Sciences
47.076 — STEM Schooling

Award Info

Anticipated Sort of Award: Commonplace Grant or Persevering with Grant

Estimated Variety of Awards: 90

NSF anticipates roughly 15 EDU awards, 35 Small awards, and 25 Medium awards.

Anticipated Funding Quantity: $69,000,000

per yr, depending on the supply of funds.

Eligibility Info

Who Might Submit Proposals:

Proposals could solely be submitted by the next:

Establishments of Larger Schooling (IHEs) – Two- and four-year IHEs (together with group faculties) accredited in, and having a campus positioned within the US, performing on behalf of their college members. Particular Directions for Worldwide Department Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal contains funding to be offered to a world department campus of a US establishment of upper schooling (together with by means of use of subawards and advisor preparations), the proposer should clarify the profit(s) to the venture of efficiency on the worldwide department campus, and justify why the venture actions can’t be carried out on the US campus.
Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Impartial museums, observatories, analysis laboratories, skilled societies and comparable organizations positioned within the U.S. which are immediately related to academic or analysis actions.

Who Might Function PI:

As of the date the proposal is submitted, any PI, co-PI, or different senior venture personnel should maintain both:

a tenured or tenure-track place,
or
a major, full-time, paid appointment in a analysis or educating place

at a US-based campus of a corporation eligible to undergo this solicitation (see above), with exceptions granted for household or medical depart, as decided by the submitting group. People with major appointments at for-profit non-academic organizations or at abroad department campuses of U.S. establishments of upper schooling are usually not eligible.

Proposals from Minority Serving Establishments (MSIs) are notably inspired.

Restrict on Variety of Proposals per Group:

There aren’t any restrictions or limits.

Restrict on Variety of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 4

A person can take part as PI, co-PI, or senior personnel on not more than 4 SaTC proposals. There’s a restrict of:

two proposals designated as CORE (throughout Small and Medium);
one proposal designated as TTP (throughout Small and Medium); and
one proposal designated as EDU.

These limits apply for the interval from October 1st to September thirtieth of the next yr to all proposals in response to this solicitation and are unrelated to any limits imposed in different NSF solicitations.

To deal with everybody pretty and constantly, these eligibility constraints will probably be strictly enforced. If a person exceeds these limits, solely proposals acquired throughout the limits will probably be accepted, primarily based on earliest date and time of proposal submission. No exceptions will probably be made.

Proposals which are withdrawn or returned with out overview is not going to rely towards this proposal restrict.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Directions

A. Proposal Preparation Directions

Letters of Intent: Not required
Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required
Full Proposals:

B. Budgetary Info

Value Sharing Necessities:

Inclusion of voluntary dedicated value sharing is prohibited.

Oblique Value (F&A) Limitations:

Not Relevant

Different Budgetary Limitations:

Different budgetary limitations apply. Please see the total textual content of this solicitation for additional data.

C. Due Dates

Proposal Assessment Info Standards

Benefit Assessment Standards:

Nationwide Science Board permitted standards. Extra benefit overview standards apply. Please see the total textual content of this solicitation for additional data.

Award Administration Info

Award Situations:

Extra award circumstances apply. Please see the total textual content of this solicitation for additional data.

Reporting Necessities:

Extra reporting necessities apply. Please see the total textual content of this solicitation for additional data.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract of Program Necessities

Introduction
Program Description
Award Info
Eligibility Info
Proposal Preparation and Submission Directions
Proposal Preparation Directions
Budgetary Info
Due Dates
Analysis.gov/Grants.gov Necessities

NSF Proposal Processing and Assessment Procedures
Benefit Assessment Rules and Standards
Assessment and Choice Course of

Award Administration Info
Notification of the Award
Award Situations
Reporting Necessities

Company Contacts
Different Info

I. INTRODUCTION

Making our on-line world safe and reliable is a essential problem confronting society. The fragility and vulnerability of our on-line world has uncovered societies and people to untold dangers with extreme penalties. Reaching a safer our on-line world calls for overcoming main scientific challenges and realizing privateness and belief in our on-line world requires reconciling expertise with human and societal wants. New advances in expertise for our on-line world, modifications in society, and adoption in new domains will even necessitate a rethinking of the interaction between safety, privateness, and belief in our on-line world. The multi-disciplinary SaTC program seeks essentially new, principled approaches to guard and defend our on-line world towards dangerous actions by decided adversaries, and to evaluate their effectiveness. The SaTC program additionally seeks to discover progressive approaches for rising a succesful, next-generation cyber workforce, and for accelerating the transition of profitable cybersecurity analysis into follow and helpful services.

The NSTC launched the Federal Cybersecurity RDSP, a broad, coordinated Federal strategic plan for cybersecurity analysis and improvement, so as to protect the rising social and financial advantages by thwarting adversaries and strengthening public belief of cyber techniques. The plan requires sound mathematical and scientific foundations, principled design methodologies, and metrics for evaluating success or failure for securing our on-line world. Highlighted within the plan is the necessity for socio-technical approaches that contemplate human, social, organizational, financial, and technical elements, and the complicated interplay amongst them, within the creation, upkeep, and operation of safe techniques and infrastructure. The plan underscores the necessity for fast switch of analysis outcomes to potential customers, together with the dissemination of finest practices, outreach actions, and analysis infrastructure. Lastly, the plan requires analysis in cybersecurity schooling to fulfill the current and future workforce calls for for certified cybersecurity professionals.

The NSTC additionally introduced the NPRS with the objective of enabling people, firms, and the federal government to learn from cyber techniques whereas successfully balancing these advantages with their dangers to privateness. The technique requires characterizing key socio-technical points that problem privateness, and articulating targets for analysis in social, behavioral, and financial sciences wanted for designing, utilizing, and evaluating these socio-technical techniques. The NPRS highlights the necessity for networking and knowledge expertise analysis for underlying privacy-enhancing applied sciences and associated matters.

This solicitation helps these NSTC methods for a safe and reliable our on-line world with privateness imperatives, that are essential to our nationwide priorities in commerce, schooling, vitality, monetary companies, healthcare, manufacturing, and protection. In robust alignment with the goals in these plans, the SaTC program, in collaboration with industrial and worldwide companions, takes a multidisciplinary, complete, and holistic strategy to cybersecurity and privateness analysis, improvement, expertise switch, and schooling.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Our on-line world is a fancy ecosystem that entails pc {hardware}, software program, networks, knowledge, folks, and integration with the bodily world. Society’s overwhelming reliance on this complicated our on-line world, nevertheless, has uncovered its fragility and vulnerabilities that defy present cyber-defense measures: firms, businesses, nationwide infrastructure, and people proceed to undergo cyber-attacks. Reaching cybersecurity whereas defending the privateness of people requires not solely understanding the technical weaknesses of the elements of a system and the way they are often addressed, but additionally understanding the human-centric elements of safe cyber techniques. Inspecting the basics of safety and privateness from many various views can, in flip, result in essentially new and holistic methods to design, construct, and function cyber techniques, defend present infrastructure, and inspire and educate people about safety and privateness.

The SaTC program welcomes proposals that tackle cybersecurity and privateness, and that draw on experience in a number of of those areas: computing, communication, and knowledge sciences; engineering; schooling; arithmetic; statistics; and social, behavioral, and financial sciences. Proposals that advance the sector of cybersecurity and privateness inside a single self-discipline or interdisciplinary efforts that span a number of disciplines are each welcome.

The SaTC program spans the pursuits of NSF’s Directorates for Pc and Info Science and Engineering (CISE), Engineering (ENG), Mathematical and Bodily Sciences (MPS), Social, Behavioral and Financial Sciences (SBE), and STEM Schooling (EDU). Proposals have to be submitted pursuant to one of many following designations, every of which can have extra restrictions and administrative obligations:

CORE: This designation is the primary focus of the SaTC analysis program.
EDU: The Schooling (EDU) designation is used to label proposals focusing fully on cybersecurity and privateness schooling and coaching.
TTP: The Transition to Observe (TTP) designation is used to label proposals which are targeted completely on transitioning present analysis outcomes to follow.

Core and TTP proposals could also be submitted in both of the next venture measurement courses:

Small tasks: as much as $600,000 in complete finances, with durations of as much as three years; and
Medium tasks: $600,001 to $1,200,000 in complete finances, with durations of as much as 4 years.

EDU proposals are restricted to $400,000 in complete finances, with durations of as much as three years. EDU proposals that show a collaboration, mirrored within the PI, co-PI, and/or Senior Personnel composition, between a cybersecurity material professional (researcher or practitioner) and an schooling researcher could request as much as $500,000 for 3 years.

PROJECT CLASSES

Any proposal submitted to the CORE designation for this solicitation have to be in keeping with the Small or Medium venture courses outlined beneath. Proposals submitted to the TTP designation for this solicitation have to be in keeping with the Small or Medium venture courses outlined beneath. Proposals will probably be thought of for funding inside their venture class. EDU Tasks have their very own finances class, described beneath within the EDU Designation part.

SMALL Tasks: Small tasks, with complete budgets as much as $600,000 for durations of as much as three years, are nicely suited to at least one or two investigators (PI and one co-PI or different Senior Personnel) and at the very least one scholar and/or postdoc.

MEDIUM Tasks: Medium tasks, with complete budgets starting from $600,001 to $1,200,000 for durations of as much as 4 years, are nicely suited to a number of investigators (PI, co-PI and/or different Senior Personnel) and a number of other college students and/or postdocs.

Medium venture descriptions have to be complete, well-integrated, and make a convincing case that the collaborative contributions of the venture workforce will probably be better than the sum of every of their particular person contributions. Rationale have to be offered to clarify why a finances of this measurement is required to hold out the proposed work.
As a result of the success of collaborative analysis efforts is understood to rely upon considerate coordination mechanisms that often convey collectively the assorted contributors of the venture, Medium proposals with multiple investigator should embody a Collaboration Plan of up two pages as a Supplementary Doc. The size of, and stage of element offered in, the Collaboration Plan needs to be commensurate with the complexity of the proposed venture. If a Medium proposal with multiple investigator doesn’t embody a Collaboration Plan, that proposal will probably be returned with out overview. Please see Proposal Preparation Directions Part V.A for added tips on collaboration plans.
Collaboration plans, budgets, and finances justifications ought to show that key personnel, and particularly lead PIs, have allotted enough time for each their particular person technical contributions and the management of collaborative actions needed to understand the synergistic results of larger-scale analysis.

DESIGNATIONS

All SaTC proposals have to be submitted to one of many following designations: CORE, EDU, or TTP. The main focus of every designation is described beneath, together with any extra restrictions and administrative obligations. Irrespective of the designation, all proposals should have a separate part within the venture description titled “Relevance to Safe and Reliable Our on-line world” that discusses the potential affect of the analysis with respect to the targets of the SaTC program, and clearly justifies the key phrases chosen within the Challenge Abstract with respect to the analysis plan. (Extra data on key phrase choice is accessible in Part V.A; key phrases roughly align with the analysis matters described beneath.)

Safe and Reliable Our on-line world core analysis (CORE) designation

This solicitation focuses solely on analysis immediately supporting a protected, privacy-aware, safe, resilient, and reliable our on-line world, carried out ethically with the very best scientific requirements. Of particular curiosity are proposals which are transformative, forward-looking, and provide progressive or clean-slate approaches that present defenders a definite benefit. Proposals whose safety science exposes underlying ideas having predictive worth that extends throughout totally different safety domains are particularly inspired. This system discourages proposals that tackle a sole vulnerability or gadget with out advancing safety science or contemplating the broader penalties of the proposed treatment. This system discourages proposals that merely tackle fast fixes or ad-hoc options with out a lot scientific benefit. This system likewise discourages analysis targeted totally on the design, improvement, or use of offensive methods when it could be dangerous to the operation of present cyberinfrastructure and/or are at odds with moral, authorized, and diplomatic issues and US guidelines and laws. Proposers ought to give appreciable thought to unintended penalties of offensive analysis.

All proposals ought to (a) embody a transparent and concise description of the menace mannequin(s) or particular threat(s) to privateness, safety, or reliable our on-line world that the proposed analysis addresses; (b) talk about the generalizable theories and analysis strategies that will probably be developed; and (c) talk about the trade-offs and dangers concerned within the analysis plan.

Some particular analysis matters of curiosity for CORE proposals embody, however are usually not restricted to:

Authentication and Entry Management: Proposals addressing progressive and sturdy id administration and authentication approaches are of curiosity. Matters embody however are usually not restricted to: steady authentication; multi-factor authentication; biometric authentication; device-level authentication; id and credential administration; federated id; privacy-preserving authentication; protection approaches and verification methods for authentication techniques; and usable authentication. Additionally of curiosity are entry management and authorization options which are important for shielding techniques, networks, and purposes; matters of curiosity embody, however are usually not restricted to: fashions of entry management and authorization; cryptographic methods for entry management (e.g., attribute-based encryption); and formal coverage evaluation strategies, fashions, and frameworks for privacy-preserving and safe inter-operation. Additionally of curiosity are foundational methods for constructing belief in our on-line world; matters equivalent to fashions and frameworks for belief in computing, belief metrics, zero-trust structure, trusted execution environments, and belief by means of transparency and accountability.

Cryptography (Utilized and Theoretical): Matters of curiosity embody all purposes of cryptography, particularly in networks, edge and cloud computing, Web of Issues (IoT), digital commerce, or in some other real-world setting. Modern design and utility of cryptography and associated methods equivalent to attribute-based encryption, practical encryption, light-weight low-latency encryption, error correction by means of message authentication codes, unified light-weight options for encryption, authentication and error correction, environment friendly schemes for homomorphic encryption, program obfuscation, data theoretic safety, steganography, cryptanalysis, and post-quantum cryptography are of curiosity. Analysis on facet channel and leakage resilience, memory-hard capabilities, verifiable computation, non-malleable codes, computer-aided cryptographic proofs, and digital currencies are additionally in scope, as are environment friendly schemes for safe multi-party computation (together with querying and machine studying over distributed datasets), notably when there are clear contributions towards the cryptographic elements of the issue.

Cyber-Bodily Techniques (CPS): Matters of curiosity embody analysis on safety and privateness of cyber-physical techniques that combine sensing, computation, management, and networking into bodily objects and infrastructure, connecting them to different techniques, to customers, and to one another. Techniques of curiosity could or could not embody people within the loop. Additionally of curiosity are methods for leveraging basic bodily properties to enhance safety or privateness; system vulnerabilities and mitigations; system fashions; measuring and assessing safety or privateness traits of techniques; and human-centric design of safety mechanisms.

Information Science, Machine Studying (ML), and Synthetic Intelligence (AI): Matters of curiosity embody advances in methods and instruments for modeling, evaluation, and visualization of knowledge and metadata to foretell, detect, and mitigate safety and privateness dangers. This contains advances in safe and/or privacy-preserving infrastructure for knowledge science, together with dataset administration, provenance, validation, and linking; safe and privacy-preserving strategies for publishing precise or artificial datasets together with however not restricted to differential privateness; and strategies for retrieval, querying, and textual content and community evaluation over datasets that successfully commerce off safety, privateness, and utility. It additionally contains robustness and dangers of the strategies themselves, together with adversarial ML threats in mannequin coaching, deployment, and reuse; privateness dangers together with mannequin inversion, membership inference, attribute inference, re-identification, and de-anonymization; and forensic and formal strategies for analyzing, auditing, and verifying security- and privacy-related elements of AI elements. Additionally of curiosity are safety, privateness, and belief in knowledge science and AI/ML, with respect to transparency and interpretability/explainability of fashions and algorithms, and related problems with equity and bias.  Use of generative AI techniques for bettering safety, the dangers of generative AI techniques to safety, and the safety of generative AI techniques are all of curiosity.

Formal Strategies and Language-based Safety: Matters of curiosity embody formal definitions, fashions, and frameworks for safety, privateness, and belief; safety and privateness preserving composition; and principled, safe design, evaluation, verification, and synthesis methods that bridge the hole between high-level safety fashions and software program improvement. Additionally of curiosity are data stream, programming language-based approaches, safe compilation, verification methods for cryptography and different safety protocols, and secure-by-construction methods. All purposes of formal methods for safety and/or privateness, particularly these utilized in distributed, working, networked and {hardware} techniques, are of particular curiosity.

{Hardware} Safety Structure: Matters of curiosity embody architectural assist for authenticating gadgets and firmware, safe booting, safe firmware/software program updates, safe execution environments, multi-party computation, data stream monitoring, privateness safety, and acceleration of safety primitives and protocols. Additionally of curiosity are detection and mitigation of cache/reminiscence facet channels, covert channels, instruction-set structure (ISA) to assist safety and privateness, identification/mitigation of safety vulnerabilities in rising applied sciences and paradigms, and hardware-assisted methods for the safety of techniques together with the Web of Issues (IoT) and software program.

{Hardware} Safety Design: Matters of curiosity embody methods for the event of safe and tamper-resistant {hardware}; identification, detection, and mitigation of Trojans; watermarking; facet channel assaults; reverse engineering of {hardware} designs; and {hardware} obfuscation. Additionally of curiosity are {hardware} implementations of cryptography, acceleration of safety primitives, agile {hardware} implementations, modeling assaults and countermeasures, proximity verification, safety metrics, trusted manufacturing, tamper proofing, and securing the {hardware} provide chain.

Human-Centric Computing: Matters of curiosity embody the evaluation, design, implementation, and analysis of user-facing elements of on-line techniques which have vital privateness and safety parts. These embody design analysis and desires analyses round purposes, gadgets, and instruments that assist finish customers and different stakeholders accomplish privacy- and security-related targets; the applying of knowledge science and social science methods and theories to the design of those instruments; methods targeted on the safety, privateness, and belief issues that come up from the instruments themselves, and the evaluation and analysis of their usability, utility, and results round privateness and safety on the stage of people, dyads, teams, organizations, and societies. Additionally of curiosity is analysis on entry to and accessibility of safety and privateness supporting applied sciences and interfaces for particular populations, broadly construed as folks or teams with various traits that may have an effect on their cybersecurity dangers and desires.

Info Integrity: Matters of curiosity embody rising menace fashions stemming from unverifiable data and knowledge provenance; strategies for detecting, countering, or mitigating data manipulation (e.g., altered, false, injected, and hidden content material) and manipulators throughout media together with textual content, audio, photographs, video, and digital/augmented/blended/prolonged actuality; multimedia forensics; steganalysis; assessing, predicting, and demonstrating how folks determine that data is reliable; finding out and modeling the strategies and motivations of actors within the creation, dissemination, consumption, sharing, and evolution of (mis/dis)data on-line; imbalance and polarization as a result of misinformation and/or lack of accountability; computational methods, techniques, and interfaces, and/or behavioral, social, or financial interventions for mitigating dangers of manipulated data in particular domains, particularly essential domains equivalent to elections and voting, public well being, and little one security the place potential hurt may be vital; and enhancing authenticity and reliable data and dissemination to forestall or mitigate hurt in our on-line world as an entire.

Intrusion Detection: Matters of curiosity embody detection of malicious assaults on techniques, networks, datasets, algorithms, software program, sensors, or different system-critical parts. Additionally of curiosity are methods for profiling regular or irregular system behaviors, the function of human cognition within the detection of assaults, methods for bettering human usability of intrusion detection techniques, metrics of assault severity or attacker effort, and strategies for evaluating effectiveness of intrusion detection methods.

Arithmetic and Statistics: SaTC encourages the participation of mathematical scientists. Matters of curiosity embody analysis on the mathematical foundations of cryptography, specifically, analysis into the questions arising out of the event of safe post-quantum cryptographic strategies equivalent to these primarily based on lattices, codes, multivariate capabilities, and super-singular isogenies; cryptographically efficient multi-linear maps; and novel purposes of statistics and chance to safety and privateness issues equivalent to non-public data retrieval, information-theoretic privateness, intrusion detection and differential privateness.

Networking, Wired and Wi-fi: Matters of curiosity embody analysis on communication and community system safety, together with however not restricted to safety and privateness for wi-fi techniques; jamming assault and protection; safety of fifth-generation (“5G”) and past wi-fi networks; covert channel detection; anonymization and privateness strategies; safe localization and placement privateness; cross-layer strategies for enhancing safety and privateness; distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) assault and protection; key administration and public key infrastructure (PKI) for networks; safety and privateness within the dwelling; enterprise, knowledge middle, edge, and cloud networks; software-defined networking (SDN); optical networks; Web and IoT-scale networks; in addition to safety and privateness in cell sensing techniques, future Web architectures and next-generation mobile networks, cognitive radio, and dynamic spectrum entry techniques. Additionally of curiosity are anonymizing (e.g., onion routing) networks, anti-censorship, community forensics, community threat administration, community measurement and modeling for advancing safety and privateness, and networked techniques and cell purposes that depend on a safe communication substrate. Analysis on evaluation methods and large-scale measurement of safety and privateness issues related to social networking purposes, instruments, and infrastructures are additionally in scope.

Privateness (Utilized and Theoretical): Matters of curiosity embody a spread of privacy-related topics: from theoretical to experimental, from computational to social and behavioral, from usability to accountability, and from understanding the human notion of privateness to devising sensible instruments and techniques that mitigate privateness issues whereas retaining excessive utility. There are various forms of non-public data that could be of concern, starting from private well being information to on-line actions and social media postings, from the anonymity of community communications to the anonymity of monetary transactions, and from structured relational information to spatial-temporal knowledge to unstructured textual content. The broad spectrum of personal knowledge in flip requires all kinds of scientific strategies which are usually multidisciplinary in nature, spanning mathematical, statistical, computational, social, behavioral, and financial sciences. Analysis on privateness that addresses not solely the right understanding, administration, and safety of personal data, but additionally the interaction of privateness with complicated social, technical, and regulatory challenges in constructing a safe and reliable our on-line world can be of curiosity. Examples embody privateness points arising from id administration, cloud and edge computing, huge knowledge and AI/ML purposes, surveillance, forensics, censorship, crowd-sourcing, social networks, and behavioral focusing on, amongst many others.

Social, Behavioral, and Financial Sciences: SaTC helps analysis on the moral, political, authorized, cultural, and societal dimensions of safety and privateness. Matters of curiosity embody trolling and cyber-bullying, spamming, phishing, and ransoming cyber-crime and digital markets for criminality, manipulations of polling and voting knowledge, and different damaging behaviors and knowledge; understanding basic social, financial, behavioral, and/or cognitive dimensions of privateness, safety, and trustworthiness related to creating, sharing, disseminating, and filtering of knowledge; meant and unintended penalties of safety or privateness practices and insurance policies; predicting, understanding, and countering efficient responses by people or organizations to misinformation and manipulation of on-line content material and processes, and cyber-attacks and threats; cybersecurity organizational methods together with cyber insurance coverage and threat administration, investments, or governance; and dangers and advantages for safety, privateness, or belief arising from rising on-line applied sciences and algorithms.

Approaches to those and different matters could embody financial analyses of incentive buildings and mechanisms, sociological analysis on demographic, structural, and cultural dimensions; behavioral science analysis on particular person, group, and organizational conduct; cognitive, statistical, or computational modeling and analyses of the conduct of people, teams, organizations, or networks, together with growing and making use of linguistic evaluation, pure language processing, social community evaluation, and ML in addition to different computational modeling strategies to know safety and privacy-related behaviors. Proposals addressing the social, behavioral, authorized, coverage, organizational, financial, or governance dimensions of cybersecurity, privateness, and belief ought to construct on the present scientific literature, and contribute to basic ideas and insights on the human elements of cybersecurity and privateness.

Software program: Matters of curiosity embody methods, strategies, and instruments for detecting and mitigating software program vulnerabilities and malware by means of software program evaluation and testing; strategies and instruments for programmers and programming environments to foster safety and privateness by design throughout software program improvement; and enhancements to safety and privateness in ubiquitous computing environments equivalent to cell, internet, and domain-specific platforms. Additionally of curiosity is the incorporation of safety and privateness necessities and validation into the software program improvement course of, principled methods for composing safety and privateness mechanisms, and strategies to design safety and privateness properties into elements and techniques. Approaches to securing software program provide chains and points referring to open-source software program ecosystems are of curiosity.

Techniques: Matters of curiosity embody analysis on safety and privateness of techniques for computation or storage of knowledge. Techniques of curiosity vary from small, stand-alone gadgets by means of sensible telephones, general-purpose computer systems, and networked techniques on the enterprise or cross-enterprise ranges, in addition to browsers, application-based platforms, cloud and edge computing techniques, virtualized techniques, and databases giant or small. Additionally of curiosity are system vulnerabilities and mitigations; coverage enforcement; accountability (e.g., logging, audit, provenance); system fashions; methods supporting safe system design or implementation; and methods for measuring and assessing safety or privateness traits of techniques and human usability of system safety mechanisms. Forensic methods for figuring out, preserving, recovering, and analyzing digital artifacts in host and digital computing techniques, reminiscence, storage techniques, pc and communications networks, cell techniques, cloud- and edge-based techniques, and purposes equivalent to social networks and media are of curiosity. Safety of rising techniques architectures (e.g., quantum computing techniques) is of curiosity.

Transition to Observe (TTP) Designation

The target of the TTP designation is to assist the event, implementation, and deployment of later-stage and utilized safety or privateness analysis into an operational atmosphere. The TTP program seeks to mature applied sciences which have been validated in a lab or have proven promise as a proof of idea however haven’t been evaluated or deployed in operation. A TTP-designated proposal should describe how expertise from prior profitable analysis outcomes will probably be deployed into a corporation, system, or group. The result of a TTP venture needs to be demonstrable development within the expertise’s readiness, robustness, validation, or performance.

Collaborations with {industry} are strongly inspired; nevertheless, a TTP venture could transition later-stage analysis by different means equivalent to licensing to industrial or authorities finish customers, or deployment into scientific analysis cyberinfrastructure or Analysis and Schooling Networks. A TTP venture ought to bridge the hole between analysis and manufacturing through expertise maturation and isn’t meant for pure operational assist.

A TTP proposal should embody a venture plan that addresses main duties and system improvement milestones in addition to an analysis plan with quantifiable metrics for the working system. The eligibility constraints described in Part IV apply to proposals throughout the SaTC TTP designation.

As well as, TTP proposals will probably be evaluated with cautious consideration to the:

Description of the issue or want being addressed;
Description of the expertise being transitioned, together with substantiating proof from prior analysis of the expertise’s potential to materially affect the issue;
Novelty of the meant system, software program, or structure;
Identification of an meant inhabitants or group that may function an early adopter of the expertise;
Deployment plan for implementing the pilot or prototype system into an operational atmosphere;
Composition of the proposal workforce, which ought to show not solely technical experience in areas equivalent to software program engineering, but additionally expertise in venture administration and techniques improvement;
Rationalization of the post-grant, long-term software program and/or system sustainability;
The extent to which manufacturing expertise will feed again into analysis, if relevant; and
Appropriateness of the finances for the hassle.

Software program developed underneath the TTP designation is just not required to be open-source. Nevertheless, if open supply software program is developed, it needs to be launched underneath an open supply license listed by an Open Supply Initiative. If software program is not going to be open supply, a robust case have to be offered justifying this strategy.

Questions concerning the TTP designation needs to be addressed on to SaTC Program Officer Cliff Wang ([email protected]).

Cybersecurity Schooling (EDU) Designation

The Nationwide Cyber Workforce and Schooling Technique highlights the significance of cyber schooling and workforce improvement, that are important for maintaining with fast technological developments and guaranteeing U.S. competitiveness. The EDU designation is concerned about inquiry into and the event of evidence-based and evidence-generating approaches that may enhance cybersecurity schooling and workforce improvement on the Ok-12, undergraduate, graduate, {and professional} schooling ranges. EDU helps tasks that: enhance cybersecurity studying and studying environments (each in formal and casual settings), conduct schooling analysis, develop new academic supplies and strategies of instruction, develop new evaluation instruments to measure scholar studying, promote trainer recruitment and coaching within the subject of cybersecurity, and enhance the variety of the cybersecurity workforce. Along with progressive work on the frontier of cybersecurity schooling, this system additionally encourages purposes of efficient analysis research at several types of establishments and with totally different scholar our bodies to provide novel information concerning the efficacy and transferability of findings.

Aggressive proposals submitted to the EDU designation will leverage outcomes from primary and/or utilized analysis in cybersecurity and analysis on scholar studying, each by way of mental benefit and broader impacts, and can articulate how they’ll tackle the problem of increasing present academic alternatives and assets in cybersecurity and/or privateness. This may occasionally embody, however is just not restricted to, the next efforts:

Conduct analysis that advances enhancements in educating and scholar studying in cybersecurity and/or privateness;
Based mostly on the outcomes of primary analysis in cybersecurity, outline a cybersecurity physique of information and set up curricular actions for brand new programs, diploma packages, and academic pathways resulting in broad dissemination and adoption;
Examine approaches to make cybersecurity and/or privateness schooling and workforce improvement broadly various and inclusive, together with the consequences of educational methods on the tradition of the STEM classroom;
Design and execute progressive methods to extend enrollment in graduate packages, geared toward nurturing cybersecurity professionals with analysis experience in essential areas equivalent to safe software program design and improvement (together with use of reminiscence protected languages), the safe use of AI, quantum computing, superior manufacturing, and rising wi-fi applied sciences;
Implement progressive methods to extend cybersecurity college numbers by supporting these proficient in cyber curricula integration, providing college improvement alternatives, and equipping college with pertinent cybersecurity assets;
Enhance educating strategies for delivering cybersecurity content material to Ok-12 college students that promote appropriate and protected on-line conduct, and understanding of the foundational ideas of cybersecurity;
Develop and implement actions to assist Ok-12 lecturers combine cybersecurity into formal and casual studying settings;
Help institutional collaborations between group faculties and four-year faculties and universities;
Develop academic approaches or pathways to foster industry-relevant expertise for cybersecurity jobs of the longer term;
Develop efficient evidence-based co-curricular actions for college students finding out cybersecurity on the Ok-12, undergraduate, or graduate stage; and
Consider the effectiveness of cybersecurity competitions and different engagement, outreach, and retention actions.

Proposals should have clear and particular plans for evaluation and analysis. The analysis ought to embody formative analysis for venture enchancment and summative analysis to evaluate and doc venture outcomes, accomplishments, and classes discovered. Funds to assist an evaluator unbiased of the venture have to be requested. The evaluator, exterior to the venture, could also be employed by a venture’s dwelling establishment so long as they work in a separate organizational unit that has a distinct reporting line from that of the venture’s dwelling unit. The evaluator can’t function a PI, co-PI, or Senior Personnel on the venture. The proposal should establish acceptable evaluation and analysis plans for venture enchancment, in addition to plans for programmatic analysis on the finish of the venture for accountability functions. The analysis plans should clearly align with the acknowledged targets of the venture. Significant evaluation and analysis of NSF-funded tasks needs to be primarily based on acceptable metrics, holding in thoughts the doubtless correlation between the impact of broader impacts and the assets offered to implement tasks. For details about efficient approaches to analysis, see the next assets:

EDU tasks are anticipated to contribute to the cybersecurity schooling information base. Along with translating analysis outcomes into the classroom, the tasks will assist to know how folks study the ideas, practices, and methods of pondering in cybersecurity and perceive the character and improvement of experience in cybersecurity. All EDU proposals ought to formulate and search to reply analysis questions. Some examples of analysis questions which are throughout the scope of the EDU designation are: how cybersecurity curricula and instruction are designed to enhance studying; how pedagogical strategies are applied within the classroom; how cognitive, behavioral, social, and affective elements affect studying and educating in cybersecurity; and the way interventions enhance scholar persistence, grit, commencement, and studying outcomes. The complexity, scope, and measurement of these contributions needs to be commensurate with the related expertise and experience of the venture workforce and the establishment. Challenge groups are inspired to incorporate an investigator with experience in schooling analysis. For tips for bettering in addition to future instructions for STEM schooling analysis, see the next assets:

All EDU proposals should embody a dissemination technique that’s tied to broader affect targets and a transparent plan to report on the venture and its successes and classes discovered to acceptable audiences.

EDU proposal budgets are restricted to $400,000 and their durations are restricted to 3 years. Proposals that show a collaboration, mirrored within the venture workforce as PI, co-PI, or Senior Personnel, between a cybersecurity material professional (researcher or practitioner) and an schooling researcher could request as much as $500,000 for 3 years with cheap justification of extra fund use. With a view to qualify for the elevated finances cap, proposals ought to describe how the contribution of every space – cybersecurity and schooling – will contribute to mental benefit and broader impacts. Ideally, the analysis will probably be interdependent, built-in, and can contribute novel understanding and affect on cybersecurity studying, pedagogy, and fairness and inclusion in academic settings. Proposals should describe how the collaboration will work within the planning, analysis, and dissemination levels.

Questions on Cybersecurity Schooling proposals needs to be addressed on to EDU Program Officers ([email protected]) within the Directorate for Schooling and Human Sources.

BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN COMPUTING (Medium proposals solely)

CISE has lengthy been dedicated to Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC). This dedication means addressing the underrepresentation of many teams in CISE relative to their participation in postsecondary schooling (https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20223/knowledge). Broadening participation would require a spread of measures, together with institutional packages and actions in addition to tradition modifications throughout faculties, departments, courses, and analysis teams.

With this solicitation, CISE is constant the BPC effort began in 2018 that encourages the analysis group to interact in significant BPC actions. The CISE BPC effort builds on lots of the packages, analysis, and assets created by means of CISE’s previous and ongoing investments in BPC, and it aligns with the suggestions of the Strategic Plan for Broadening Participation produced by the CISE Advisory Committee in 2012. Particularly, every Medium venture with a lead or non-lead group (division, faculty, or institute) that primarily carries out analysis and schooling in pc science, pc engineering, data science, and/or different closely-related subject, should embody a BPC plan (see particulars in Proposal Preparation). CISE encourages the usage of the assets accessible on the NSF-funded BPCnet Useful resource Portal (https://bpcnet.org). BPCnet offers BPC venture and departmental plan templates, recommended actions, and alternatives for advisor companies, and publicly accessible knowledge to assist PIs and Departments in creating their BPC Plans. CISE encourages PIs to leverage departmental plans verified by BPCnet to coordinate efforts inside their establishment. BPC plans should embody roles for all PIs and co-PIs and be included as a Supplementary Doc, following the rules as described within the Proposal Preparation Directions.

For Medium tasks the place not one of the PIs or co-PIs are from computing organizations as described above, a BPC plan is just not required. To emphasise this level, PIs are inspired to incorporate a press release titled “Broadening Participation in Computing Plan” and the textual content “no PIs on this venture are in computing organizations, so no BPC plan is required”.

A significant BPC plan can reply positively to the next questions:

Aim and Context: Does the plan describe a objective and the information out of your establishment(s) or local people that justifies that objective?
Meant inhabitants(s): Does the plan establish the traits of contributors, together with faculty stage?
Technique: Does the plan describe actions that tackle the acknowledged objective(s) and meant inhabitants(s)?
Measurement: Is there a plan to measure the end result(s) of the actions?
PI Engagement: Is there a transparent function for every PI and co-PI? Does the plan describe how the PI is ready (or will put together or collaborate) to do the proposed work?

All PIs and co-PIs who’re from computing organizations (as described above) are anticipated to take part in BPC actions in a way aligned with their private contexts, pursuits, and expertise. Extra data concerning the BPC effort may be discovered at https://www.nsf.gov/cise/bpc.

SaTC PI MEETINGS

The SaTC program plans to host PI conferences each different yr with participation from all lively SaTC tasks. This assembly will probably be a community-wide occasion with representatives from federal businesses, academia, {industry}, and worldwide establishments. Principal investigators from all solicitation designations are anticipated to take part in these conferences. The subsequent PI assembly is anticipated to be held in Fall 2024, and roughly each two years thereafter.

For all awards, a number of venture representatives (PI/co-PI/senior researcher or NSF-approved alternative) should attend the primary PI assembly held after the award date. For multi-institution tasks, just one PI must attend, not one per establishment (although that is welcomed).

SaTC FORUM

The SaTC program sponsors the SaTC Discussion board, a group discussion board for SaTC researchers, builders, and educators. All SaTC funded PIs are inspired to take care of the venture web page comparable to their SaTC venture on the SaTC Discussion board. For the SaTC PI conferences, PIs or different venture representatives should additionally present a poster for the poster session and a slide describing their venture(s), which will probably be made accessible on the SaTC Discussion board. The Discussion board offers a possibility for potential PIs to acquire details about ongoing SaTC analysis.

CO-FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS SOLICITATION:

NSF could enter into partnerships with different businesses, foundations, and organizations concerned about co-funding tasks submitted to this solicitation. PIs on proposals that meet the overall eligibility necessities of a number of of those companions could also be contacted by the cognizant NSF program director following submission of their proposals and be given the choice of getting their proposals thought of collectively by NSF and the companion(s). If a PI so chooses, a given companion’s representatives could have entry to the corresponding proposal, could also be invited to take a seat in on the NSF overview panel’s dialogue of that proposal and might be able to talk about the evaluations with the NSF SaTC program administrators. This consideration by a number of companions will probably be strictly optionally available; PIs who select to not avail themselves of this selection can have their proposals reviewed solely by NSF.

The CISE CNS Division will probably be liable for receiving submitted proposals, figuring out compliance of proposals with the rules laid out in this system solicitation, deciding on proposals for NSF funding, and negotiating the award budgets. As soon as NSF’s selections on funding have been made, related companion(s) will be capable of select to co-fund any of the awards submitted for his or her consideration.

In some circumstances, NSF will decide after overview that partial funding by one other company, basis, or different group could also be helpful to all events. In such circumstances, NSF will request approval from the PI earlier than any data is shared with the opposite occasion. This consideration is strictly optionally available; PIs who decline to have their proposal shared can have their proposals thought of for funding solely by NSF.

In circumstances the place a proposal is co-funded by NSF and a companion group, PIs will probably be required to share their NSF annual and closing experiences with the companion group, and will probably be requested to ask representatives of companion organizations to often scheduled conferences of the analysis workforce. Companions could present extra funding to assist different involvement with the analysis workforce.

An up to date checklist of companions, together with partner-specific eligibility necessities, will probably be maintained on the SaTC program webpage.

START DATES

To keep away from overdue experiences blocking award actions through the finish of a fiscal yr, establishments are discouraged from in search of venture begin dates between July 2 and September 30 of a given yr. Awardee establishments could incur allowable pre-award prices throughout the 90-day interval instantly previous the beginning date of the grant topic to the circumstances specified within the PAPPG; it will enable assist for college students or different related actions to start over this era.

COLLABORATION LETTERS

Core and EDU proposals: Letters of collaboration from tutorial or {industry} companions are welcome, however are usually not anticipated. Letters ought to explicitly describe the assets (e.g., {hardware}, software program, check amenities, knowledge, analysis experience) to be offered by the collaborating entity. Any collaboration letter could also be now not than a single web page, with fonts and margins in keeping with PAPPG requirements. Not more than 5 (5) letters could also be included.

TTP proposals: Letters of collaboration from transition companions and the PI’s college Know-how Switch Workplace (TTO) or comparable group are inspired. Letters could embody particulars indicating the worthiness of the hassle, stage of anticipated collaboration, and particular transition or expertise maturation advantages anticipated from the work. Any collaboration letter could also be now not than a single web page.

ACCESS TO EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE

PIs could contemplate using NSF-supported analysis infrastructure (such because the Platforms for Superior Wi-fi Analysis, FABRIC, Chameleon, CloudLab) when formulating their analysis plans and submitting proposals. Descriptions of the capabilities of every system and their availability may be discovered at their web sites: https://advancedwireless.org/, https://fabric-testbed.internet/, https://www.chameleoncloud.org/, https://cloudlab.us/.

III. AWARD INFORMATION

Anticipated Sort of Award: Persevering with Grant or Commonplace Grant

Estimated Variety of Awards: 90

NSF anticipates roughly 15 EDU awards, 35 Small awards, and 25 Medium awards.

Anticipated Funding Quantity: $69,000,000 per yr, depending on the supply of funds.

IV. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Who Might Submit Proposals:

Proposals could solely be submitted by the next:

Establishments of Larger Schooling (IHEs) – Two- and four-year IHEs (together with group faculties) accredited in, and having a campus positioned within the US, performing on behalf of their college members. Particular Directions for Worldwide Department Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal contains funding to be offered to a world department campus of a US establishment of upper schooling (together with by means of use of subawards and advisor preparations), the proposer should clarify the profit(s) to the venture of efficiency on the worldwide department campus, and justify why the venture actions can’t be carried out on the US campus.
Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Impartial museums, observatories, analysis laboratories, skilled societies and comparable organizations positioned within the U.S. which are immediately related to academic or analysis actions.

Who Might Function PI:

As of the date the proposal is submitted, any PI, co-PI, or different senior venture personnel should maintain both:

a tenured or tenure-track place,
or
a major, full-time, paid appointment in a analysis or educating place

at a US-based campus of a corporation eligible to undergo this solicitation (see above), with exceptions granted for household or medical depart, as decided by the submitting group. People with major appointments at for-profit non-academic organizations or at abroad department campuses of U.S. establishments of upper schooling are usually not eligible.

Proposals from Minority Serving Establishments (MSIs) are notably inspired.

Restrict on Variety of Proposals per Group:

There aren’t any restrictions or limits.

Restrict on Variety of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 4

A person can take part as PI, co-PI, or senior personnel on not more than 4 SaTC proposals. There’s a restrict of:

two proposals designated as CORE (throughout Small and Medium);
one proposal designated as TTP (throughout Small and Medium); and
one proposal designated as EDU.

These limits apply for the interval from October 1st to September thirtieth of the next yr to all proposals in response to this solicitation and are unrelated to any limits imposed in different NSF solicitations.

To deal with everybody pretty and constantly, these eligibility constraints will probably be strictly enforced. If a person exceeds these limits, solely proposals acquired throughout the limits will probably be accepted, primarily based on earliest date and time of proposal submission. No exceptions will probably be made.

Proposals which are withdrawn or returned with out overview is not going to rely towards this proposal restrict.

Extra Eligibility Data:

Subawards are usually not permitted to abroad campuses/workplaces of US-based proposing organizations.

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Proposal Preparation Directions

Full Proposal Preparation Directions: Proposers could decide to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation through Analysis.gov or Grants.gov.

Full Proposals submitted through Analysis.gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation needs to be ready and submitted in accordance with the overall tips contained within the NSF Proposal and Award Insurance policies and Procedures Information (PAPPG). The whole textual content of the PAPPG is accessible electronically on the NSF web site at: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=pappg. Paper copies of the PAPPG could also be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, phone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from [email protected]. The Put together New Proposal setup will immediate you for this system solicitation quantity.
Full proposals submitted through Grants.gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation through Grants.gov needs to be ready and submitted in accordance with the NSF Grants.gov Utility Information: A Information for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Functions through Grants.gov. The whole textual content of the NSF Grants.gov Utility Information is accessible on the Grants.gov web site and on the NSF web site at: (https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide). To acquire copies of the Utility Information and Utility Varieties Bundle, click on on the Apply tab on the Grants.gov web site, then click on on the Apply Step 1: Obtain a Grant Utility Bundle and Utility Directions hyperlink and enter the funding alternative quantity, (this system solicitation quantity with out the NSF prefix) and press the Obtain Bundle button. Paper copies of the Grants.gov Utility Information additionally could also be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, phone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from [email protected].

In figuring out which technique to make the most of within the digital preparation and submission of the proposal, please word the next:

Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from a number of organizations have to be submitted through Analysis.gov. PAPPG Chapter II.E.3 offers extra data on collaborative proposals.

See PAPPG Chapter II.D.2 for steerage on the required sections of a full analysis proposal submitted to NSF. Please word that the proposal preparation directions offered on this program solicitation could deviate from the PAPPG directions.

The next data SUPPLEMENTS (word that it does NOT change) the rules offered within the PAPPG and NSF Grants.gov Utility Information. See additionally Part II, Program Description, on this solicitation for added steerage.

All proposals have to be submitted to the CNS division, whatever the proposal’s designation.

Proposal Titles:

Proposal titles should start with the acronym SaTC, adopted by a colon, and the acronym that signifies the designation. Choose an acronym from the next checklist:

SaTC core analysis designation: CORE;
Transition to Observe designation: TTP; or
Cybersecurity Schooling designation: EDU.

CORE proposals may be Small or Medium. The acronym, CORE, needs to be adopted by a colon, then the venture measurement class (Small or Medium) adopted by a colon, after which the title of the proposed venture. For instance, if you’re submitting a CORE Small proposal, the title of your proposal can be SaTC: CORE: Small: Title. Equally, since TTP proposals may be Small or Medium, the acronym TTP needs to be adopted by a colon, the venture class (Small or Medium) adopted by a colon after which the title of the proposed venture.

If you happen to submit a proposal as a part of a set of collaborative proposals, the phrases “Collaborative Analysis” adopted by a colon ought to seem originally of the title, earlier than the “SaTC” acronym. For instance, if you’re submitting a collaborative set of proposals for a Medium venture to the SaTC TTP designation, the title of every proposal can be Collaborative Analysis: SaTC: TTP: Medium: Title. Please word that if submitting through Analysis.gov, the system will robotically insert the prepended title “Collaborative Analysis” when the collaborative set of proposals is created.

Challenge Abstract:

SaTC proposals are grouped into “overview panels” of associated proposals for benefit overview and dialogue. Panelists are chosen for his or her experience within the panel matter space. The recommended matter areas point out the areas of panelist experience which are most necessary for understanding the progressive elements of the proposal.

To facilitate this grouping, all proposals should embody a prioritized checklist of 1-3 key phrases separated by “;”. The key phrases have to be drawn from the checklist of matter areas listed beneath, described intimately in Part II, that finest characterizes the venture. Proposals submitted to the EDU designation should select Cybersecurity Schooling as one of many key phrases; proposals submitted to the TTP designation should select Transition to Observe as one of many key phrases.

Authentication and Entry Management
Cryptography, Utilized
Cryptography, Theoretical
Cyber-Bodily Techniques
Cybersecurity Schooling
Information Science, ML and AI
Formal Strategies and Language-based Safety
{Hardware} Safety Structure
{Hardware} Safety Design
Human-Centric Computing
Info Integrity
Intrusion Detection
Arithmetic and Statistics
Networking, Wired
Networking, Wi-fi
Privateness, Utilized
Privateness, Theoretical
Social, Behavioral and Financial Sciences
Software program
Techniques
Transition to Observe

Challenge Description:

Describe the analysis and schooling actions to be undertaken in as much as 15 pages. See additionally Part II, Program Description, on this solicitation for added steerage.

Supplementary Paperwork:

Within the Supplementary Paperwork Part, add the next:

1. (required) An inventory of Challenge Personnel and Associate Establishments (required. Observe: in collaborative proposals, the lead establishment ought to present this data for all contributors):

Present present, correct data for all personnel and establishments concerned within the venture. NSF employees will use this data within the benefit overview course of to handle reviewer choice. The checklist should embody all PIs, co-PIs, Senior Personnel, paid/unpaid Consultants or Collaborators, Subawardees, Postdocs, and project-level advisory committee members. This checklist needs to be numbered and embody (on this order) Full identify, Group(s), and Function within the venture, with every merchandise separated by a semi-colon. Every particular person listed ought to begin a brand new numbered line. For instance:

Mei Lin; XYZ College; PI
Jak Jabes; College of PQR; Senior Personnel
Jane Brown; XYZ College; Postdoctoral Researcher
Rakel Ademas; ABC Inc.; Paid Advisor
Maria Wan; Welldone Establishment; Unpaid Collaborator
Rimon Greene; ZZZ College; Subawardee
2. Collaboration Plan (required for Medium tasks with multiple PI):

As a result of the success of collaborative analysis efforts is understood to rely upon considerate coordination mechanisms that often convey collectively the assorted contributors of the venture, all Medium proposals with multiple investigator should embody a Collaboration Plan of as much as 2 pages. The size of and diploma of element offered within the Collaboration Plan needs to be commensurate with the complexity of the proposed venture. The place acceptable, the Collaboration Plan may embody: 1) the precise roles of the venture contributors in all organizations concerned; 2) data on how the venture will probably be managed throughout all of the investigators, establishments, and/or disciplines; 3) identification of the precise coordination mechanisms that may allow cross-investigator, cross-institution, and/or cross-discipline scientific integration (e.g., yearly conferences, graduate scholar change, venture conferences at conferences, use of the grid for video conferences, software program repositories, and so on.), and 4) particular references to the finances line objects that assist collaboration and coordination mechanisms. If a Medium proposal with multiple investigator doesn’t embody a Collaboration Plan of as much as 2 pages, that proposal will probably be returned with out overview.

Collaboration plans are optionally available for Small and EDU proposals with a number of investigators and/or establishments.

3. Information Administration Plan (required):

Proposals should embody a Supplementary Doc of not more than two pages labeled “Information Administration Plan.” The info administration plan have to be substantive and particular to the venture and will tackle all project-relevant elements of knowledge privateness and safety. Along with addressing how the venture will conform to NSF’s coverage on the dissemination and sharing of analysis outcomes, the Information Administration Plan ought to tackle the next matters if they’re related to the venture:

Dealing with of delicate knowledge: sensitivity of the information to be collected, ethics of knowledge assortment and identification of harms that would come up from its assortment or inadvertent dissemination, methods that will probably be used to guard the privateness of people and organizations related to the information, and plans to request Institutional Assessment Board (IRB) approval for knowledge assortment, aggregation, and evaluation.
Information sharing: strategies for offering different researchers with managed entry to datasets and the time interval throughout which knowledge will probably be accessible. If the venture will develop software program or {hardware}, the Information Administration Plan ought to talk about not solely what entry different researchers should supply code or {hardware} design artifacts (e.g., particular open supply licenses) and the bodily location of the information repository (e.g., industrial cloud, non-public server, campus server), but additionally the tactic by which different researchers could entry these merchandise of the venture (e.g., GitHub repository).
Authorization for knowledge entry and safety of knowledge: insurance policies for authorizing entry to the information and methods (together with safety protections) that will probably be used to forestall the unauthorized dissemination of the information.

For added data on the Dissemination and Sharing of Analysis Outcomes, see: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/coverage/dmp.jsp.

4. Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Plans for Medium tasks:

Every Medium venture with a lead or non-lead group (division, faculty, or institute) that primarily carries out analysis and schooling in pc science, pc engineering, data science, and/or different closely-related subject should embody a BPC plan as a supplementary doc on the time of submission. Every plan ought to start with the heading “Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Plan –” adopted by both “Standalone” or “Related”.

A Standalone BPC Plan doesn’t embody Departmental BPC Plans. As a substitute, the BPC actions of all PIs are listed in a single doc that’s as much as 3 pages for the entire venture and particularly addresses all 5 parts of a BPC plan: (1) the objective and context of the proposed exercise, (2) meant inhabitants(s), (3) technique, (4) measurement, and (5) PI engagement. This selection have to be used if a number of of the collaborating establishments should not have a Departmental BPC Plan verified by BPCnet.
A Related BPC Plan could also be used when every PI and co-PI will have interaction in an exercise listed in a Verified Departmental BPC Plan from their establishment. Observe that the (1) objective and context, (2) meant inhabitants, (3) technique, and (4) measurement are already addressed in Verified Departmental BPC Plans. Subsequently, a Related BPC Plan is a doc that solely has to deal with the next, organized as:

as much as 2 pages that describe (5) what methods within the departmental plan the PI and co-PIs will deal with, their particular roles, and their preparation for his or her work;
adopted by the verified Departmental BPC Plans from every establishment.

The BPC plans needs to be submitted as one doc (together with departmental plans for Related BPC plans) underneath the “Supplementary Paperwork” part by the lead establishment. The BPC plan shouldn’t be utilized as an area to elaborate on different broader affect actions unrelated to addressing members of teams underrepresented in computing.

Any organizational assets that assist BPC actions must also be described within the Amenities, Tools and Different Sources part of the proposal (for added details about Amenities, Tools and Different Sources, see PAPPG Chapter II.D.2) if not already described in a linked departmental plan.

For Medium tasks the place not one of the PIs or co-PIs are from computing organizations as described above, a BPC plan is just not required. To emphasise this level, PIs are inspired to incorporate a press release titled “Broadening Participation in Computing Plan” and the textual content “no PIs on this venture are in computing organizations, so no BPC plan is required”.

No different Supplementary Paperwork, besides as permitted by the NSF Proposal & Award Insurance policies & Procedures Information (equivalent to RUI Certifications and RUI Influence Statements), are allowed.

Single Copy Paperwork:

Collaborators and Different Affiliations Info: Proposers ought to observe the steerage laid out in PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.

Observe the excellence to merchandise (1) underneath Supplementary Paperwork above: the itemizing of all venture contributors is collected by the venture lead and entered as a Supplementary Doc, which is then robotically included with all proposals in a venture. The Collaborators and Different Affiliations are entered for every participant inside every proposal and, as Single Copy Paperwork, can be found solely to NSF employees.

Submission Guidelines:

In an effort to help proposal preparation, the next guidelines is offered as a abstract reminder of the objects that needs to be checked earlier than submitting a proposal to this solicitation. For the objects marked with (RWR), the proposal could also be returned with out overview if the required merchandise is non-compliant as of the date of proposal submission.

The final line of the Challenge Abstract should include the phrase “Key phrases” adopted by a colon and between 1-3 key phrases, separated by semi-colons, comparable to the checklist of matter areas listed above.
(RWR) The Challenge Description should have a bit labeled “Relevance to Safe and Reliable Our on-line world” (or “Relevance to SaTC”) that discusses the potential affect of the analysis with respect to the targets of the SaTC program and justifies the choice of the key phrases.
(RWR) The utmost finances proven on the Cowl Sheet and on the finances sheets should not exceed $600,000 for Small proposals, $1,200,000 for Medium proposals, and $400,000 ($500,000 if particular circumstances listed above are met) for EDU proposals.
(RWR) If multiple PI is concerned, a collaboration plan (as much as 2 pages) have to be offered for Medium tasks as a Supplementary Doc, even when all investigators are affiliated with the identical establishment.
(RWR) For Medium proposals, when a BPC plan is required, the BPC plan have to be submitted as a Supplementary Doc with a title clearly figuring out it as such. Collaborative proposals ought to submit one BPC plan, as described within the proposal preparation directions.
A Challenge Personnel and Associate Establishments checklist as a Supplementary Doc needs to be included.

Proposals that don’t adjust to the necessities marked as RWR will probably be returned with out overview.

B. Budgetary Info

Value Sharing:

Inclusion of voluntary dedicated value sharing is prohibited.

Different Budgetary Limitations:

Challenge budgets should embody funding for a number of venture representatives (PI/co-PI/senior researcher or NSF-approved alternative) to attend the primary SaTC PI assembly held after the start of the award. The primary PI assembly for awards made underneath this solicitation is anticipated to be held in Fall 2024, and roughly each two years thereafter. These necessities for PI assembly attendance apply to collaborative proposals as an entire, to not every a part of a venture.

C. Due Dates

D. Analysis.gov/Grants.gov Necessities

For Proposals Submitted By way of Analysis.gov:

To arrange and submit a proposal through Analysis.gov, see detailed technical directions accessible at: https://www.analysis.gov/research-portal/appmanager/base/desktop?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=research_node_display&_nodePath=/researchGov/Service/Desktop/ProposalPreparationandSubmission.html. For Analysis.gov person assist, name the Analysis.gov Assist Desk at 1-800-381-1532 or e-mail [email protected]. The Analysis.gov Assist Desk solutions common technical questions associated to the usage of the Analysis.gov system. Particular questions associated to this program solicitation needs to be referred to the NSF program employees contact(s) listed in Part VIII of this funding alternative.

For Proposals Submitted By way of Grants.gov:

Earlier than utilizing Grants.gov for the primary time, every group should register to create an institutional profile. As soon as registered, the applicant’s group can then apply for any federal grant on the Grants.gov web site. Complete details about utilizing Grants.gov is accessible on the Grants.gov Applicant Sources webpage: https://www.grants.gov/internet/grants/candidates.html. As well as, the NSF Grants.gov Utility Information (see hyperlink in Part V.A) offers directions concerning the technical preparation of proposals through Grants.gov. For Grants.gov person assist, contact the Grants.gov Contact Heart at 1-800-518-4726 or by electronic mail: [email protected]. The Grants.gov Contact Heart solutions common technical questions associated to the usage of Grants.gov. Particular questions associated to this program solicitation needs to be referred to the NSF program employees contact(s) listed in Part VIII of this solicitation.

Submitting the Proposal: As soon as all paperwork have been accomplished, the Approved Organizational Consultant (AOR) should submit the applying to Grants.gov and confirm the specified funding alternative and company to which the applying is submitted. The AOR should then signal and submit the applying to Grants.gov. The finished utility will probably be transferred to Analysis.gov for additional processing.

The NSF Grants.gov Proposal Processing in Analysis.gov informational web page offers submission steerage to candidates and hyperlinks to useful assets together with the NSF Grants.gov Utility Information, Grants.gov Proposal Processing in Analysis.gov how-to information, and Grants.gov Submitted Proposals Continuously Requested Questions. Grants.gov proposals should move all NSF pre-check and post-check validations so as to be accepted by Analysis.gov at NSF.

When submitting through Grants.gov, NSF strongly recommends candidates provoke proposal submission at the very least 5 enterprise days upfront of a deadline to permit enough time to deal with NSF compliance errors and resubmissions by 5:00 p.m. submitting group’s native time on the deadline. Please word that some errors can’t be corrected in Grants.gov. As soon as a proposal passes pre-checks however fails any post-check, an applicant can solely appropriate and submit the in-progress proposal in Analysis.gov.

Proposers that submitted through Analysis.gov could use Analysis.gov to confirm the standing of their submission to NSF. For proposers that submitted through Grants.gov, till an utility has been acquired and validated by NSF, the Approved Organizational Consultant could examine the standing of an utility on Grants.gov. After proposers have acquired an e-mail notification from NSF, Analysis.gov needs to be used to examine the standing of an utility.

VI. NSF PROPOSAL PROCESSING AND REVIEW PROCEDURES

Proposals acquired by NSF are assigned to the suitable NSF program for acknowledgement and, in the event that they meet NSF necessities, for overview. All proposals are rigorously reviewed by a scientist, engineer, or educator serving as an NSF Program Officer, and normally by three to 10 different individuals outdoors NSF both as advert hoc reviewers, panelists, or each, who’re consultants within the specific fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are chosen by Program Officers charged with oversight of the overview course of. Proposers are invited to recommend names of individuals they imagine are particularly nicely certified to overview the proposal and/or individuals they would like not overview the proposal. These ideas could function one supply within the reviewer choice course of on the Program Officer’s discretion. Submission of such names, nevertheless, is optionally available. Care is taken to make sure that reviewers haven’t any conflicts of curiosity with the proposal. As well as, Program Officers could receive feedback from web site visits earlier than recommending closing motion on proposals. Senior NSF employees additional overview suggestions for awards. A flowchart that depicts all the NSF proposal and award course of (and related timeline) is included in PAPPG Exhibit III-1.

A complete description of the Basis’s benefit overview course of is accessible on the NSF web site at: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/coverage/merit_review/.

Proposers must also concentrate on core methods which are important to the achievement of NSF’s mission, as articulated in Main the World in Discovery and Innovation, STEM Expertise Growth and the Supply of Advantages from Analysis – NSF Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2022 – 2026. These methods are built-in in this system planning and implementation course of, of which proposal overview is one half. NSF’s mission is especially well-implemented by means of the combination of analysis and schooling and broadening participation in NSF packages, tasks, and actions.

One of many strategic goals in assist of NSF’s mission is to foster integration of analysis and schooling by means of the packages, tasks, and actions it helps at tutorial and analysis establishments. These establishments should recruit, practice, and put together a various STEM workforce to advance the frontiers of science and take part within the U.S. technology-based economic system. NSF’s contribution to the nationwide innovation ecosystem is to supply cutting-edge analysis underneath the steerage of the Nation’s most artistic scientists and engineers. NSF additionally helps improvement of a robust science, expertise, engineering, and arithmetic (STEM) workforce by investing in constructing the information that informs enhancements in STEM educating and studying.

NSF’s mission requires the broadening of alternatives and increasing participation of teams, establishments, and geographic areas which are underrepresented in STEM disciplines, which is crucial to the well being and vitality of science and engineering. NSF is dedicated to this precept of variety and deems it central to the packages, tasks, and actions it considers and helps.

A. Benefit Assessment Rules and Standards

The Nationwide Science Basis strives to spend money on a strong and various portfolio of tasks that creates new information and allows breakthroughs in understanding throughout all areas of science and engineering analysis and schooling. To establish which tasks to assist, NSF depends on a benefit overview course of that includes consideration of each the technical elements of a proposed venture and its potential to contribute extra broadly to advancing NSF’s mission “to advertise the progress of science; to advance the nationwide well being, prosperity, and welfare; to safe the nationwide protection; and for different functions.” NSF makes each effort to conduct a good, aggressive, clear benefit overview course of for the choice of tasks.

1. Benefit Assessment Rules

These ideas are to be given due diligence by PIs and organizations when getting ready proposals and managing tasks, by reviewers when studying and evaluating proposals, and by NSF program employees when figuring out whether or not or to not advocate proposals for funding and whereas overseeing awards. Provided that NSF is the first federal company charged with nurturing and supporting excellence in primary analysis and schooling, the next three ideas apply:

All NSF tasks needs to be of the very best high quality and have the potential to advance, if not rework, the frontiers of information.
NSF tasks, within the mixture, ought to contribute extra broadly to reaching societal targets. These “Broader Impacts” could also be completed by means of the analysis itself, by means of actions which are immediately associated to particular analysis tasks, or by means of actions which are supported by, however are complementary to, the venture. The venture actions could also be primarily based on beforehand established and/or progressive strategies and approaches, however in both case have to be nicely justified.
Significant evaluation and analysis of NSF funded tasks needs to be primarily based on acceptable metrics, holding in thoughts the doubtless correlation between the impact of broader impacts and the assets offered to implement tasks. If the scale of the exercise is restricted, analysis of that exercise in isolation is just not more likely to be significant. Thus, assessing the effectiveness of those actions could finest be accomplished at the next, extra aggregated, stage than the person venture.

With respect to the third precept, even when evaluation of Broader Impacts outcomes for specific tasks is finished at an aggregated stage, PIs are anticipated to be accountable for finishing up the actions described within the funded venture. Thus, particular person tasks ought to embody clearly acknowledged targets, particular descriptions of the actions that the PI intends to do, and a plan in place to doc the outputs of these actions.

These three benefit overview ideas present the premise for the benefit overview standards, in addition to a context inside which the customers of the factors can higher perceive their intent.

2. Benefit Assessment Standards

All NSF proposals are evaluated by means of use of the 2 Nationwide Science Board permitted benefit overview standards. In some situations, nevertheless, NSF will make use of extra standards as required to focus on the precise goals of sure packages and actions.

The 2 benefit overview standards are listed beneath. Each standards are to be given full consideration through the overview and decision-making processes; every criterion is important however neither, by itself, is enough. Subsequently, proposers should totally tackle each standards. (PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.d(i). accommodates extra data to be used by proposers in improvement of the Challenge Description part of the proposal). Reviewers are strongly inspired to overview the factors, together with PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.d(i), previous to the overview of a proposal.

When evaluating NSF proposals, reviewers will probably be requested to contemplate what the proposers wish to do, why they wish to do it, how they plan to do it, how they’ll know in the event that they succeed, and what advantages might accrue if the venture is profitable. These points apply each to the technical elements of the proposal and the best way during which the venture could make broader contributions. To that finish, reviewers will probably be requested to guage all proposals towards two standards:

Mental Benefit: The Mental Benefit criterion encompasses the potential to advance information; and
Broader Impacts: The Broader Impacts criterion encompasses the potential to learn society and contribute to the achievement of particular, desired societal outcomes.

The next parts needs to be thought of within the overview for each standards:

What’s the potential for the proposed exercise to
Advance information and understanding inside its personal subject or throughout totally different fields (Mental Benefit); and
Profit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)?

To what extent do the proposed actions recommend and discover artistic, unique, or probably transformative ideas?
Is the plan for finishing up the proposed actions well-reasoned, well-organized, and primarily based on a sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to evaluate success?
How nicely certified is the person, workforce, or group to conduct the proposed actions?
Are there enough assets accessible to the PI (both on the dwelling group or by means of collaborations) to hold out the proposed actions?

Broader impacts could also be completed by means of the analysis itself, by means of the actions which are immediately associated to particular analysis tasks, or by means of actions which are supported by, however are complementary to, the venture. NSF values the development of scientific information and actions that contribute to achievement of societally related outcomes. Such outcomes embody, however are usually not restricted to: full participation of girls, individuals with disabilities, and different underrepresented teams in science, expertise, engineering, and arithmetic (STEM); improved STEM schooling and educator improvement at any stage; elevated public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and expertise; improved well-being of people in society; improvement of a various, globally aggressive STEM workforce; elevated partnerships between academia, {industry}, and others; improved nationwide safety; elevated financial competitiveness of the USA; and enhanced infrastructure for analysis and schooling.

Proposers are reminded that reviewers will even be requested to overview the Information Administration Plan and the Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan, as acceptable.

Extra Solicitation Particular Assessment Standards

For multi-investigator Medium proposals, reviewers will probably be requested to:

Touch upon the extent to which the venture scope justifies the extent of funding requested, and the diploma to which the Collaboration Plan adequately demonstrates that the collaborating investigators will work synergistically to perform the venture goals.
Touch upon whether or not key personnel, and particularly lead PIs, have allotted enough time for each their particular person technical contributions and the management of collaborative actions needed to understand the synergistic results of larger-scale analysis.

For all Medium proposals, touch upon whether or not the Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) plan meaningfully addresses the 5 parts of a BPC Plan: (1) the context of the proposed exercise, (2) meant inhabitants(s), (3) technique, (4) preparation, and (5) measurement.

Proposals submitted with the Transition to Observe (TTP) designation will probably be evaluated with cautious consideration to the next:

The diploma to which the venture plan addresses system improvement milestones and an analysis plan for the working system;
The diploma to which a goal person group or group who (that) will function an early adopter of the expertise is recognized;
The deployment plan for implementing the potential or prototype system into an operational atmosphere;
The novelty of the meant system, software program, or structure;
The composition of the proposal workforce, which ought to show not solely technical experience but additionally expertise in venture administration and techniques improvement;
The appropriateness of the finances for the hassle; and
The extent of collaboration with the college TTO or comparable group from the PI’s establishment.

B. Assessment and Choice Course of

Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will probably be reviewed by Advert hoc Assessment and/or Panel Assessment.

Reviewers will probably be requested to guage proposals utilizing two Nationwide Science Board permitted benefit overview standards and, if relevant, extra program particular standards. A abstract score and accompanying narrative will probably be accomplished and submitted by every reviewer. The Program Officer assigned to handle the proposal’s overview will contemplate the recommendation of reviewers and can formulate a suggestion.

After scientific, technical and programmatic overview and consideration of acceptable elements, the NSF Program Officer recommends to the cognizant Division Director whether or not the proposal needs to be declined or really helpful for award. NSF strives to have the ability to inform proposers whether or not their proposals have been declined or really helpful for funding inside six months. Massive or notably complicated proposals or proposals from new recipients could require extra overview and processing time. The time interval begins on the deadline or goal date, or receipt date, whichever is later. The interval ends when the Division Director acts upon the Program Officer’s suggestion.

After programmatic approval has been obtained, the proposals really helpful for funding will probably be forwarded to the Division of Grants and Agreements or the Division of Acquisition and Cooperative Help for overview of enterprise, monetary, and coverage implications. After an administrative overview has occurred, Grants and Agreements Officers carry out the processing and issuance of a grant or different settlement. Proposers are cautioned that solely a Grants and Agreements Officer could make commitments, obligations or awards on behalf of NSF or authorize the expenditure of funds. No dedication on the a part of NSF needs to be inferred from technical or budgetary discussions with a NSF Program Officer. A Principal Investigator or group that makes monetary or personnel commitments within the absence of a grant or cooperative settlement signed by the NSF Grants and Agreements Officer does so at their very own threat.

As soon as an award or declination determination has been made, Principal Investigators are offered suggestions about their proposals. In all circumstances, evaluations are handled as confidential paperwork. Verbatim copies of evaluations, excluding the names of the reviewers or any reviewer-identifying data, are despatched to the Principal Investigator/Challenge Director by the Program Officer. As well as, the proposer will obtain a proof of the choice to award or decline funding.

VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Notification of the Award

Notification of the award is made to the submitting group by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer. Organizations whose proposals are declined will probably be suggested as promptly as potential by the cognizant NSF Program administering this system. Verbatim copies of evaluations, not together with the id of the reviewer, will probably be offered robotically to the Principal Investigator. (See Part VI.B. for added data on the overview course of.)

B. Award Situations

An NSF award consists of: (1) the award discover, which incorporates any particular provisions relevant to the award and any numbered amendments thereto; (2) the finances, which signifies the quantities, by classes of expense, on which NSF has primarily based its assist (or in any other case communicates any particular approvals or disapprovals of proposed expenditures); (3) the proposal referenced within the award discover; (4) the relevant award circumstances, equivalent to Grant Normal Situations (GC-1)*; or Analysis Phrases and Situations* and (5) any announcement or different NSF issuance that could be integrated by reference within the award discover. Cooperative agreements are also administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Settlement Monetary and Administrative Phrases and Situations (CA-FATC) and the relevant Programmatic Phrases and Situations. NSF awards are electronically signed by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer and transmitted electronically to the group through e-mail.

*These paperwork could also be accessed electronically on NSF’s Web site at https://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/award_conditions.jsp?org=NSF. Paper copies could also be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, phone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from [email protected].

Extra complete data on NSF Award Situations and different necessary data on the administration of NSF awards is contained within the NSF Proposal & Award Insurance policies & Procedures Information (PAPPG) Chapter VII, accessible electronically on the NSF Web site at https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=pappg.

Administrative and Nationwide Coverage Necessities

Construct America, Purchase America

As expressed in Government Order 14005, Making certain the Future is Made in All of America by All of America’s Staff (86 FR 7475), it’s the coverage of the chief department to make use of phrases and circumstances of Federal monetary help awards to maximise, in keeping with legislation, the usage of items, merchandise, and supplies produced in, and companies supplied in, the USA.

In step with the necessities of the Construct America, Purchase America Act (Pub. L. 117-58, Division G, Title IX, Subtitle A, November 15, 2021), no funding made accessible by means of this funding alternative could also be obligated for an award except all iron, metal, manufactured merchandise, and building supplies used within the venture are produced in the USA. For added data, go to NSF’s Construct America, Purchase America webpage.

Particular Award Situations:

For all awards, particular award circumstances would require that at the very least one consultant (PI/co-PI/senior researchers or NSF-approved alternative) from every SaTC venture attend the primary SaTC PI assembly held after the start of the award. The primary PI assembly for awards made underneath this solicitation is anticipated in Fall 2024.

CISE plans to conduct an analysis of the BPC pilot. This analysis could also be carried out by a third-party, working in coordination with and on behalf of NSF. Awardees of Medium tasks should take part on this analysis and supply details about venture outcomes to assist it.

C. Reporting Necessities

For all multi-year grants (together with each normal and persevering with grants), the Principal Investigator should submit an annual venture report back to the cognizant Program Officer no later than 90 days previous to the top of the present finances interval. (Some packages or awards require submission of extra frequent venture experiences). No later than 120 days following expiration of a grant, the PI is also required to submit a closing venture report, and a venture outcomes report for most of the people.

Failure to supply the required annual or closing venture experiences, or the venture outcomes report, will delay NSF overview and processing of any future funding increments in addition to any pending proposals for all recognized PIs and co-PIs on a given award. PIs ought to study the codecs of the required experiences upfront to guarantee availability of required knowledge.

PIs are required to make use of NSF’s digital project-reporting system, accessible by means of Analysis.gov, for preparation and submission of annual and closing venture experiences. Such experiences present data on accomplishments, venture contributors (particular person and organizational), publications, and different particular merchandise and impacts of the venture. Submission of the report through Analysis.gov constitutes certification by the PI that the contents of the report are correct and full. The venture outcomes report additionally have to be ready and submitted utilizing Analysis.gov. This report serves as a short abstract, ready particularly for the general public, of the character and outcomes of the venture. This report will probably be posted on the NSF web site precisely as it’s submitted by the PI.

Extra complete data on NSF Reporting Necessities and different necessary data on the administration of NSF awards is contained within the NSF Proposal & Award Insurance policies & Procedures Information (PAPPG) Chapter VII, accessible electronically on the NSF Web site at https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=pappg.

Awardees should report BPC actions and outcomes within the Particular Reporting Necessities part of annual experiences submitted to NSF. That part of the annual report ought to embody:

A abstract of what every PI and co-PI did, together with any modifications to the plan;
Numbers of occasions, contributors, and participant demographics (if there are boundaries to amassing this knowledge, describe these limitations and supply the most effective estimates potential); and
A mirrored image (supported by knowledge if accessible) on progress, an surprising challenges or outcomes, and something deliberate.

VIII. AGENCY CONTACTS

Please word that this system contact data is present on the time of publishing. See program web site for any updates to the factors of contact.

Normal inquiries concerning this program needs to be made to:

Jeremy J. Epstein, Lead Program Director, CISE/CNS, phone: (703) 292-8338, electronic mail: [email protected]
Cindy Bethel, Program Director, CISE/IIS, phone: (703) 292-4420, electronic mail: [email protected]
Robert Beverly, Program Director, CISE/OAC, phone: 703-292-7068, electronic mail: [email protected]
Daniel R. Cosley, Program Director, CISE/IIS, phone: (703) 292-8832, electronic mail: [email protected]
Sol Greenspan, Program Director, CISE/CCF, phone: (703) 292-8910, electronic mail: [email protected]
Timothy Hodges, Program Director, MPS/DMS, phone: (703) 292-5359, electronic mail: [email protected]
Karen Karavanic, Program Director, CISE/CNS, phone: (703) 292-2594, electronic mail: [email protected]
Sara Kiesler, Program Director, SBE/SES, phone: (703) 292-8643, electronic mail: [email protected]
Rosa A. Lukaszew, Program Director, ENG/ECCS, phone: (703) 292-8103, electronic mail: [email protected]
Daniela Oliveira, Program Director, CISE/CNS, phone: (703) 292-4352, electronic mail: [email protected]
Victor P. Piotrowski, Program Director, EDU/DGE, phone: (703) 292-5141, electronic mail: [email protected]
Andrew D. Pollington, Program Director, MPS/DMS, phone: (703) 292-4878, electronic mail: [email protected]
Phillip A. Regalia, Program Director, CISE/CCF, phone: (703) 292-2981, electronic mail: [email protected]
Ambareen Siraj, Program Director, EDU/DGE, phone: (703) 292-8182, electronic mail: [email protected]
Anna Squicciarini, Program Director, CISE/CNS, phone: (703) 292-5177, electronic mail: [email protected]
Xiaogang (Cliff) Wang, Program Director, CISE/CNS, phone: (703) 292-2812, electronic mail: [email protected]
ChunSheng (Sam) Xin, Program Director, EDU/DGE, phone: (703) 292-7353, electronic mail: [email protected]
Li Yang, Program Director, EDU/DGE, phone: (703) 292-2677, electronic mail: [email protected]

For questions associated to the usage of NSF techniques contact:

NSF Assist Desk: 1-800-381-1532
Analysis.gov Assist Desk e-mail: [email protected]

For questions referring to Grants.gov contact:

Grants.gov Contact Heart: If the Approved Organizational Representatives (AOR) has not acquired a affirmation message from Grants.gov inside 48 hours of submission of utility, please contact through phone: 1-800-518-4726; e-mail: [email protected].

SaTC Questions: [email protected]

IX. OTHER INFORMATION

The NSF web site offers probably the most complete supply of knowledge on NSF Directorates (together with contact data), packages and funding alternatives. Use of this web site by potential proposers is strongly inspired. As well as, “NSF Replace” is an information-delivery system designed to maintain potential proposers and different events apprised of latest NSF funding alternatives and publications, necessary modifications in proposal and award insurance policies and procedures, and upcoming NSF Grants Conferences. Subscribers are knowledgeable by means of e-mail or the person’s Internet browser every time new publications are issued that match their recognized pursuits. “NSF Replace” additionally is accessible on NSF’s web site.

Grants.gov offers an extra digital functionality to seek for Federal government-wide grant alternatives. NSF funding alternatives could also be accessed through this mechanism. Additional data on Grants.gov could also be obtained at https://www.grants.gov.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

The Nationwide Science Basis (NSF) is an unbiased Federal company created by the Nationwide Science Basis Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC 1861-75). The Act states the aim of the NSF is “to advertise the progress of science; [and] to advance the nationwide well being, prosperity, and welfare by supporting analysis and schooling in all fields of science and engineering.”

NSF funds analysis and schooling in most fields of science and engineering. It does this by means of grants and cooperative agreements to greater than 2,000 faculties, universities, Ok-12 faculty techniques, companies, casual science organizations and different analysis organizations all through the US. The Basis accounts for about one-fourth of Federal assist to tutorial establishments for primary analysis.

NSF receives roughly 55,000 proposals annually for analysis, schooling and coaching tasks, of which roughly 11,000 are funded. As well as, the Basis receives a number of thousand purposes for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. The company operates no laboratories itself however does assist Nationwide Analysis Facilities, person amenities, sure oceanographic vessels and Arctic and Antarctic analysis stations. The Basis additionally helps cooperative analysis between universities and {industry}, US participation in worldwide scientific and engineering efforts, and academic actions at each tutorial stage.

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities present funding for particular help or gear to allow individuals with disabilities to work on NSF-supported tasks. See Grant Proposal Information Chapter II, Part D.2 for directions concerning preparation of some of these proposals.

The Nationwide Science Basis has Telephonic Gadget for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Info Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that allow people with listening to impairments to speak with the Basis about NSF packages, employment or common data. TDD could also be accessed at (703) 292-5090 and (800) 281-8749, FIRS at (800) 877-8339.

The Nationwide Science Basis Info Heart could also be reached at (703) 292-5111.

The Nationwide Science Basis promotes and advances scientific progress in the USA by competitively awarding grants and cooperative agreements for analysis and schooling within the sciences, arithmetic, and engineering.

To get the most recent details about program deadlines, to obtain copies of NSF publications, and to entry abstracts of awards, go to the NSF Web site at https://www.nsf.gov

2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314

For Normal Info(NSF Info Heart):

(703) 292-5111

TDD (for the hearing-impaired):

(703) 292-5090

To Order Publications or Varieties:


 

Ship an e-mail to:

[email protected]

or phone:

(703) 292-8134

(703) 292-5111

PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS

The data requested on proposal kinds and venture experiences is solicited underneath the authority of the Nationwide Science Basis Act of 1950, as amended. The data on proposal kinds will probably be utilized in reference to the choice of certified proposals; and venture experiences submitted by proposers will probably be used for program analysis and reporting throughout the Government Department and to Congress. The data requested could also be disclosed to certified reviewers and employees assistants as a part of the proposal overview course of; to proposer establishments/grantees to supply or receive knowledge concerning the proposal overview course of, award selections, or the administration of awards; to authorities contractors, consultants, volunteers and researchers and educators as needed to finish assigned work; to different authorities businesses or different entities needing data concerning proposers or nominees as a part of a joint utility overview course of, or so as to coordinate packages or coverage; and to a different Federal company, courtroom, or occasion in a courtroom or Federal administrative continuing if the federal government is a celebration. Details about Principal Investigators could also be added to the Reviewer file and used to pick out potential candidates to function peer reviewers or advisory committee members. See System of Report Notices, NSF-50, “Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Related Information,” and NSF-51, “Reviewer/Proposal File and Related Information.” Submission of the data is voluntary. Failure to supply full and full data, nevertheless, could scale back the potential for receiving an award.

An company could not conduct or sponsor, and an individual is just not required to reply to, an data assortment except it shows a legitimate Workplace of Administration and Funds (OMB) management quantity. The OMB management quantity for this assortment is 3145-0058. Public reporting burden for this assortment of knowledge is estimated to common 120 hours per response, together with the time for reviewing directions. Ship feedback concerning the burden estimate and some other facet of this assortment of knowledge, together with ideas for lowering this burden, to:

Suzanne H. Plimpton
Stories Clearance Officer
Coverage Workplace, Division of Establishment and Award Help
Workplace of Funds, Finance, and Award Administration
Nationwide Science Basis
Alexandria, VA 22314