Funder: National Science Foundation
Due Dates: Proposals accepted anytime (rolling submission)
Funding Amounts: Typical awards range from $50,000 to $600,000; up to 10 awards expected
Summary: Supports early-stage, collaborative partnerships to advance research data infrastructure and open science through socio-technical innovation.
Key Information: Applicants must consult with both a CI PAOS Program Officer and relevant NSF disciplinary program officers before submission.
Description
The Cyberinfrastructure for Public Access and Open Science (CI PAOS) program, administered by the NSF Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, aims to catalyze new and transformative socio-technical partnerships that support research data infrastructure ecosystems across scientific domains. The program is designed to foster early-stage collaborative activities among cyberinfrastructure researchers, scientists, research computing and data management experts, research labs, university libraries, and other communities of practice.
CI PAOS supports the NSF Public Access Initiative by encouraging innovation to improve the accessibility, discoverability, reliability, reproducibility, sustainability, and utility of research data products. The program aligns with national goals for public access and open science, and builds on previous NSF investments in data infrastructure and open science coordination.
Proposals must address one or more of the following themes:
- Competency Building: Collaborative, open science/engineering-driven projects that address data lifecycle challenges and inform the development of principles and standards for cyberinfrastructure ecosystems.
- Capability Building: Exploratory and pilot activities, including analysis, community planning, and pilot-level projects that inform future development of research data capabilities.
- Community Building: Integrative approaches that address common needs across disciplines, leverage existing infrastructure, and foster broader adoption of open science practices.
International collaboration is encouraged, and proposals with an international component are welcome.
Due Dates
- Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis; there is no fixed deadline.
Funding Amount
- Typical award size: $50,000 to $600,000.
- Estimated total program funding: $600,000.
- Up to 10 awards are expected.
- No cost sharing or matching is required.
Eligibility
- Eligibility is unrestricted; open to all types of organizations, including:
- Academic institutions
- Nonprofits
- For-profit organizations
- Government agencies
- International partners (as part of collaborative projects)
- Proposals must be relevant to the program’s objectives and themes.
Application Process
- Proposals must be submitted in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG).
- Pre-submission requirement: Applicants must discuss their project with both a CI PAOS Program Officer and the relevant NSF disciplinary research program officer(s) to ensure program fit and disciplinary interest.
- Proposals not aligned with CI PAOS objectives or not discussed with program officers may be returned without review.
- Proposals are submitted via NSF FastLane, Research.gov, or Grants.gov.
- Proposals declined by CI PAOS or any other NSF program may not be resubmitted without substantial revision.
Additional Information
- Projects should demonstrate a robust, synergistic collaborative team with expertise spanning science/engineering, data science, and information science.
- Proposals should clearly articulate goals, challenges, rationale, and potential for transformative research and broader impacts.
- Proposals with international collaboration are encouraged.
- For full-scale technical research data science efforts, consider other NSF programs.
External Links
Contact Information
| Name | Email | Phone | Organization |
|---|
| Plato Smith | plsmith@nsf.gov | (703) 292-4278 | CISE/OAC |
| NSF General | info@nsf.gov | 1-703-292-5111 | National Science Foundation |
For technical issues with Grants.gov: grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov