Foundational Research in Robotics
The Foundational Research in Robotics program seeks to advance robotic systems with high computational and physical complexity, focusing on endowing robots with new capabilities and addressing fundamental gaps in robotics through interdisciplinary research.
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: Proposals accepted anytime
Funding Amounts: No specified ceiling or floor; award size and duration vary by project
Summary: Supports foundational research advancing the science and engineering of robotics, emphasizing computational intelligence and physical embodiment.
Key Information: Proposals must directly address fundamental robotics research; non-compliant submissions may be returned without review.
Description
The program supports research on robotic systems that combine significant computational capabilities with physical complexity. A robot, for this program, is defined as intelligence embodied in an engineered construct capable of processing information, sensing, planning, and moving within or altering its environment. Intelligence refers to methods enabling robots to solve problems or make contextually appropriate decisions and act on them.
Research may address intertwined questions of intelligence, computation, and embodiment, or focus on a distinct aspect of these, provided the work is clearly justified in the context of a class of robots. The emphasis is on foundational advances in robotics across the full range of engineering and computer science challenges.
To be responsive, proposals must:
- Center on a robot or class of robots.
- Aim to endow robots with new or significantly improved capabilities.
- Address fundamental gaps in robotics as an essential part of the intellectual merit.
Experimental validation on a physical platform is encouraged. Projects not making a direct contribution to robotics science, or better suited for other NSF programs, should not be submitted here. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their ideas with an FRR Program Officer before submission.
