Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation
This funding opportunity supports U.S. colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations in developing and sustaining advanced cyberinfrastructure to enhance scientific research and education across various disciplines.
The National Science Foundation (NSF), through its Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC), administers the Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI) program. This funding opportunity is managed collaboratively across several NSF directorates and divisions, including those dedicated to Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Biological Sciences, STEM Education, Engineering, Geosciences, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences. The program was announced under solicitation NSF 22-632 and posted on September 19, 2022. The CSSI program aims to support projects that address the diverse and evolving needs of cyberinfrastructure (CI) for science and engineering research and education. The program provides funding across three distinct classes of awards: Elements, Framework Implementations, and Transition to Sustainability. Elements awards support smaller projects that create and deploy robust CI services with demonstrated need. Framework Implementations fund larger, interdisciplinary teams to develop community-based CI solutions. Transition to Sustainability awards focus on extending the impact of already established CI by executing well-defined sustainability plans. The CSSI solicitation emphasizes the importance of measurable outcomes, sustainability, community engagement, and broadening participation in STEM. Projects are evaluated based on their scientific merit, potential for innovation, community involvement, deliverables, sustainability, and quantitative metrics for impact assessment. All proposals must include sections that explicitly address these criteria and may request supplementary resources such as cloud computing (through CloudBank) or high-throughput computing. Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based institutions of higher education and nonprofit, non-academic organizations. NSF-sponsored Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) are also eligible provided they do not duplicate federally funded costs. Each Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI may participate in only one proposal across the three funding classes per solicitation cycle. Applicants must submit full proposals via Research.gov or Grants.gov. Letters of Intent and preliminary proposals are not required. Proposals must follow the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and include all mandatory components. The deadline for full proposal submission is annually on December 1, with upcoming deadlines including December 1, 2023. Review and selection of proposals involve NSF program officers and external reviewers assessing adherence to merit review criteria, which include intellectual merit and broader impacts. Award notifications and conditions are administered by the NSF Division of Grants and Agreements. Awardees must participate in annual PI meetings and submit required reports through Research.gov. For further assistance or to address specific queries, applicants are encouraged to contact the program via CSSIQueries@nsf.gov. Multiple program officers are listed for different directorates and divisions, each with contact numbers and emails available in the full solicitation document.
Award Range
Not specified - $600,000
Total Program Funding
$34,000,000
Number of Awards
Not specified
Matching Requirement
No
Additional Details
Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. Elements awards shall not exceed a total of $600,000 and 3 years of duration (up to $200,000 per year). Framework Implementations awards shall range between $600,001 and $5,000,000 for 3-5 years of duration ($200,000 to $1,000,000 per year). Transition to Sustainability awards shall not exceed a total of $1,000,000 and 2 years of duration (up to $500,000 per year). Projects in the upper portion of the ranges must be exceptional in terms of scientific impact, and as with all proposals, should be discussed with program officers from the divisions that fund the researchers that would be impacted. Proposed funding amounts should be commensurate with the work being proposed, the size of the community that will be affected, and the level of impact anticipated. It is strongly recommended that prospective PIs contact a program officer from the list of Cognizant Program Officers in the division(s) closest to the major disciplinary impact of the proposed work to ascertain that the scientific focus and budget of the proposed work are appropriate for this solicitation.
Eligible Applicants
Additional Requirements
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities. -Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus. - NSF-sponsored federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) may apply, provided that they are not including costs for which federal funds have already been awarded or are expected to be awarded.
Geographic Eligibility
All
Application Opens
April 24, 2025
Application Closes
December 1, 2025
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