Strengthening the Cyberinfrastructure Professionals Ecosystem (SCIPE)

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Description

This program aims to enhance the national ecosystem of Cyberinfrastructure Professionals (CIPs) who are essential for developing, deploying, and supporting advanced cyberinfrastructure (CI) used in science and engineering (S&E) research and education. The solicitation targets projects that will:

• Deepen integration of CIPs into the research enterprise.
• Foster innovative and scalable education, training, and instructional material development to address current and emerging workforce needs.
• Broaden access to and adoption of advanced CI resources, services, and expertise.
• Recognize and support career paths for CIPs in research institutions.

The program is led by the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) within NSF's Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) and includes participation from several other NSF directorates and divisions. Projects should demonstrate how they address essential community needs and ensure resources are widely available and usable by the broader research community.

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Due Dates

• Full Proposal Deadline: January 15, 2026 (third Thursday in January, annually thereafter)
• Prospective PIs are strongly encouraged to consult with NSF program officers at least one month before the submission deadline.

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Funding Amount

• Award Ceiling: $5,000,000 per award
• Estimated Total Program Funding: $15,000,000
• Award Duration: Up to 5 years
• Number of Awards: Up to 4 anticipated, subject to proposal quality and availability of funds

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Eligibility

• Eligible Applicants: Per NSF guidelines, includes U.S. institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, and other entities as specified in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Unaffiliated individuals are not eligible.
• PI/Co-PI Requirements:
  • Proposals must include at least one PI/co-PI with expertise relevant to the targeted research discipline (if the project targets a specific S&E domain).
  • All proposals must include at least one PI/co-PI with expertise relevant to OAC.
• Proposal Limits:
  • Each institution may submit only one proposal per competition.
  • An individual may serve as PI, co-PI, or other senior personnel on only one proposal per competition.

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Application Process

• Submission Platforms: Proposals may be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov.
• Required Documents:
  • Project Summary (1 page)
  • Project Description (15 pages)
  • Management and Coordination Plan (2 pages)
  • CI Professional Mentoring and/or Professional Development Plan (1 page, if applicable)
  • Long-Term Sustainability Plan (1 page)
  • Letters of Collaboration (if applicable)
  • Data Management Plan and Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan (as required)
• Consultation: Prospective PIs are strongly encouraged to contact relevant NSF program officers to discuss project focus and budget appropriateness before submission.
• Additional Instructions: See the full solicitation for details on supplementary documentation and proposal preparation.

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Additional Information

• Cost Sharing: Not required or permitted.
• Budget Guidance: Funds may support up to 4 FTE CI professionals annually; travel for annual PI meetings near NSF headquarters should be budgeted.
• Program Priorities: Projects should address broadening adoption of CI, integration with the Computational Science Support Network (CSSN), scalable and sustainable CIP communities, and strategies for collective impact.
• Sustainability: Proposals must include a sustainability plan for ongoing support of CI professionals after NSF funding ends.

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External Links

• Program Solicitation (NSF 23-521)
• Grants.gov Listing
• NSF Publication 23-521
• NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)

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Contact Information

For technical questions regarding proposal submission:

• NSF Help Desk: 1-800-673-6188 | rgov@nsf.gov
• Grants.gov Contact Center: 1-800-518-4726 | support@grants.gov