Programs Involving
Industry
NSF-wide Programs
Grant Opportunities
for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI),
NSF 98-142
(NSF-wide program, ENG-lead)
INTRODUCTION
A major objective of the National Science Foundation (NSF) is
to improve the nation's capacity for intellectual and economic
growth. It does this by supporting the discovery of new knowledge
and the enhancement of a skilled workforce. Industry can outline
new technical challenges and assist in the support of academic
institutions. By serving as a catalyst for industry-university
partnerships, NSF helps ensure that intellectual capital and emerging
technologies are brought together in ways that promote economic
growth and an improved quality of life.
The GOALI initiative aims to synergize university-industry partnerships
by making funds available to support an eclectic mix of industry-university
linkages. Special interest is focused on affording the opportunity
for: (1) faculty, postdoctoral fellows and students to conduct
research and gain experience with production processes in an industrial
setting, (2) industrial scientists and engineers to bring industry's
perspective and integrative skills to academe, and (3) interdisciplinary
university-industry teams to conduct long-term projects. This
initiative targets high-risk/high-gain research with a focus on
fundamental topics that would not have been undertaken by industry,
new approaches to solving generic problems, development of innovative
collaborative industry-university educational programs, and direct
transfer of new knowledge between academe and industry.
CISE Representative: Michael Foster <mfoster@nsf.gov>
Proposal Submission/Handling: relevant technical programs
Small Business
Innovation Research Program (SBIR), NSF
98-54
(NSF-wide, ENG-lead)
SUMMARY
The National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent agency of
the Federal Government, invites small business firms to submit
proposals under this Program Solicitation for Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR). NSF will support high quality proposals on important
scientific, engineering, or science/engineering education problems
and opportunities that could lead to significant commercial and
public benefit if the research is successful.
PROGRAM FEATURES
Eligible small businesses are invited to propose innovative ideas
that meet the specific research or research and development missions
of the Federal Government. The program is intended to increase
small business firms' participation in Federal R&D. Thus,
for Phase I: a minimum of two-thirds of the research must be performed
by the proposing firm; for Phase II: the proposing firm must perform
a minimum of one-half of the research. Currently, ten Federal
agencies have SBIR programs.
PROGRAM PURPOSES
The purpose of the SBIR Program is to: stimulate technological
innovation; utilize small business concerns to meet Federal R&D
needs; foster and encourage participation by minority and disadvantaged
persons in technological innovation; and increase private sector
commercialization of innovations from Federal R&D.
The primary objective of the NSF SBIR Program is to increase the
incentive and opportunity for small firms to undertake cutting-edge,
high risk, high quality scientific, engineering, or science/engineering
education research that would have a high potential economic payoff
if the research is successful. The proposed research must be responsive
to the NSF program interests stated in the topic descriptions
of this Solicitation.
The NSF SBIR Program does not support projects that are primarily for demonstration, technical assistance, literature survey, and market research. Patent application and patent litigation costs are not supported under NSF SBIR awards.
Small Business
Technology Transfer Program (STTR), NSF
98-153
(NSF-wide, ENG-lead)
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The NSF STTR Program expands the public/private partnership to
include joint venture opportunities for small businesses and the
nation's premier nonprofit research institutions. NSF expects
synergism in the proposed research. A team approach is required
in which at least one research investigator is employed by the
small business concern and at least one investigator is employed
by the research institution. STTR combines the strengths of both
entities by introducing entrepreneurial skills to high technology
research efforts.
Program Emphasis for 1998
Proposals will be accepted in the areas of Nanotechnology and
Sensors for Harsh Environments only.
Phase I--Concept Feasibility
In Phase I, the proposer shows the scientific, technical, and
commercial merit and feasibility of the cooperative research effort.
The work proposed for Phase I should be a base for progression
to Phases II and III. The ultimate objective of the research must
be to develop commercializable products, processes, or techniques.
Under this solicitation NSF anticipates that it will make about
10-15 Phase I awards of up to $100,000 each. Work under Phase
I should be completed within 12 months.
Phase II--Concept Refinement
The objective of Phase II is to continue the research effort from
Phase I. Only Phase I awardees are eligible to participate in
Phase II. Phase II proposals may only be submitted to the Federal
agency that awarded Phase I of the effort.
Phase II awards have an expected period of performance of 24 months
and the level of support usually will not exceed $450,000 for
the 24-month period. It is estimated that approximately one-third
of the Phase I awardees will receive Phase II grants depending
upon availability of funds.
Phase III--Commercial Applications
The objective of the third phase is to pursue commercial applications
from the government-funded research in order to stimulate technological
innovation and improve the return on investment from Federally-funded
research for its economic and social benefits to the nation.
Phase III is to be conducted with non-STTR funds (either Federal
or non-Federal). NSF will not fund Phase III efforts.
Science and Technology
Centers: Integrative Partnerships (STC),
NSF 98-13
(NSF-wide)
PROGRAM GOALS
The National Science Foundation (NSF) established the Science
and Technology Centers (STC) Program in 1987, as part of the President's
State of the Union Address, to fund important basic research and
education activities and to encourage technology transfer and
innovative approaches to interdisciplinary program. The centers
have the opportunity to explore new areas and build bridges among
disciplines, institutions, and other sectors. They offer the basic
research community a significant mechanism to take a longer term
view of science and explore better and more effective ways to
educate students. Specifically, center support enables academic
research teams to:
Exploit opportunities in science and engineering where the complexity
of the research problems or the resources needed to solve them
require the advantages of scale, duration, facilities, or collaborative
relationships that can be best provided by campus-based research
centers;
Involve students, research scientists, and engineers from academic,
industry, non-profit organizations, and federal laboratories in
partnerships to enhance the training and employability of professionals
with an awareness of potential applications for scientific discoveries;
Receive long-term, stable funding at a level that encourages risk-taking
and ensures a solid foundation for attracting quality undergraduate
and graduate students (with special emphasis on women and minorities)
into science and technology careers;
Facilitate the transfer of knowledge among academia, industry,
and national laboratories.
Division of
Engineering Education and Centers
(EEC)
Engineering Research
Centers: A Partnership for Competitiveness,
NSF 96-23
Engineering Research Centers (ERCs)
-- Provide an integrated environment for academe and industry
to focus on next-generation advances in complex engineered systems,
with synergy among engineering, science, and industrial practice.
ERCs integrate research with education at both the graduate and
undergraduate levels, producing curriculum innovations derived
from the systems focus of the ERCs strategic research goals. ERCs
aim to build trusted partnerships with industry, develop shared
infrastructure, and enable the capacity of engineering and science
graduates to contribute to the U.S. competitive edge. They provide
a systems perspective for long-term engineering research and education
enabling fresh technologies, productive engineering processes,
and innovative products and services.
Industry/University
Cooperative Research Centers: Model Partnerships;
NSF 93-97, Revised 7/96
Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRCs)
-- Develop long-term partnerships among industry, academe, and
government. The centers are catalyzed by a small investment from
NSF and are primarily supported by center members, with NSF taking
a supporting role in their development and evolution. I/UCRCs
stimulate highly leveraged industry/university cooperation by
focusing on fundamental research recommended by Industrial Advisory
Boards. Each center is established to conduct research that is
of interest to both the industry and the university with whom
it is involved, with the provision that the industry must provide
major support to the center at all times. The centers rely primarily
on the involvement of graduate students in their research projects,
thus developing students who are knowledgeable in industrially-relevant
research.
State/Industry University Cooperative Research Centers (S/IUCRCs)
-- Are an extension of the I/UCRC model, focusing more actively on state or regional local economic development. S/IUCRCs are initiated at the state level with matching state and industrial support. Active means of technology transfer are employed, and may include experimentation with testbeds, hands-on teaching of new concepts to upgrade small business, etc. These centers also may extend their work to include proprietary projects with the support of industry and the state.
(Note: NSF will no longer be initiating new centers in this mode.
)
Computer and Information
Science and Engineering
Directorate (CISE)
Information and
Intelligent Systems Division (IIS)
Digital Libraries
Initiative - Phase 2, NSF 98-63
(IIS with partners at NSF and other agencies)
PROGRAM GOALS
The primary purposes of this initiative are to provide leadership
in research fundamental to the development of the next generation
of digital libraries, to advance the use and usability of globally
distributed, networked information resources, and to encourage
existing and new communities to focus on innovative applications
areas. Since digital libraries can serve as intellectual infrastructure,
this Initiative looks to stimulate partnering arrangements necessary
to create next-generation operational systems in such areas as
education, engineering and design, earth and space sciences, biosciences,
geography, economics, and the arts and humanities. It will address
the digital libraries life cycle from information creation, access
and use, to archiving and preservation. Research to gain a better
understanding of the long term social, behavioral and economic
implications of and effects of new digital libraries capabilities
in such areas of human activity as research, education, commerce,
defense, health services and recreation is an important part of
this initiative.
Collaboration between academic, industry, non-profit and other
organizations is strongly encouraged to establish better linkages
between fundamental science and technologies development and use,
through partnerships among researchers, applications developers
and users.
NOTE: Information on projects supported under the Digital
Libraries Initiative - Phase I
can be accessed online.
Experimental and
Integrative Activities Division
(EIA)
Digital Government
Program, NSF 98-121
PROGRAM SCOPE
The Federal government is a major user of information technologies,
a collector and maintainer of very large data sets, and a provider
of critical and often unique information services to individuals,
states, businesses, and other customers. Yet, most Federal agencies
are struggling with the creation of a strategic vision and an
operational philosophy for information technologies. The goal
of the Digital Government program is to build a research domain
of problems that intersect the traditional CISE research communities
with the mid to long-term research, development, and experimental
deployment needs of the Federal information service communities,
by supporting projects that innovatively, effectively, and broadly
address potential improvement of agency, interagency, and intergovernmental
operations and/or government/citizen interaction.
(This program is a bit of a stretch, as the program annoucement does not
explicitly
call for industrial collaboration. However, the projects certainly can include
industrial partners.)
CISE Advanced
Distributed Resources for Experiments (CADRE),
NSF 98-127
PROGRAM SCOPE
CISE Advanced Distributed Resources for Experiments (CADRE)
To complement research and education activities, the program supports
the establishment and maintenance of CISE Advanced Distributed
Resources for Experiments (CADRE). These are unique resources
that, once established, can be accessed remotely by researchers
around the country. Resources can be diverse, including, for example,
hardware such as prototyping testbeds; software such as code libraries
for experimental compiler research; repositories such as collections
of human discourse data; and services such as brokers to bring
together creators and users of educational materials.
Experimental Partnerships
The program provides opportunities in support of multidisciplinary,
group-oriented research in topics that are within the domain of
CISE programs. Experimental partnerships focus on a single problem,
the solution of which requires scientific advances both in experimental
computer science and engineering and in one or more partner disciplines
within CISE.