Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: August 25, 2025 (Track 1 full proposals & Track 2 Concept Outlines) | September 25, 2025 (Track 2 full proposals)
Funding Amounts: Track 1: up to $1,500,000 per award (3 years); Track 2: up to $6,000,000 per award (3 years); ~28–40 awards total
Summary: Supports fundamental research and technology development to advance next-generation (NextG) intelligent network systems, with funding for both use-inspired research and verticals-driven technology translation.
Key Information: Track 2 requires a Concept Outline by August 25, 2025; industry partners may only participate in Track 2.
Description
This opportunity funds collaborative, interdisciplinary research and technology development aimed at major advances in next-generation (NextG) intelligent network systems spanning the user-edge-core-cloud continuum. The program is organized into two tracks:
- Track 1: Use-inspired fundamental research to develop novel networking techniques and solutions, emphasizing synergy between advanced network capabilities and enabling technologies.
- Track 2: Verticals-driven technology development, demonstration, and translation of adoption-ready solutions with higher technology readiness levels (TRLs), focused on critical performance or capabilities for emerging vertical applications.
The initiative is multisectoral, involving NSF, industry partners (Ericsson, Intel, Qualcomm), U.S. federal agencies (NIST, OUSD (R&E), DHS), and international agencies from Finland, India, Japan, and Sweden. Projects may be U.S.-only or include bilateral international collaborations.
Due Dates
- Track 1 Full Proposals: August 25, 2025 (by 5 p.m. local time)
- Track 2 Concept Outline: August 25, 2025 (required prior to full proposal)
- Track 2 Full Proposals: September 25, 2025 (by 5 p.m. local time)
Funding Amount
- Track 1: Up to $1,500,000 per award for up to 3 years (U.S. teams); for international collaborations, U.S. team budget up to $750,000.
- Track 2: Up to $6,000,000 per award for up to 3 years (U.S. teams); for international collaborations, U.S. team budget $2M–$4M (total project budget with partner not to exceed $6M).
- Estimated number of awards: 28–40 (20–30 for Track 1; 8–10 for Track 2).
- No cost sharing required.
Eligibility
Who May Submit Proposals
- Track 1:
- U.S.-based Institutions of Higher Education (two- and four-year, including community colleges)
- U.S.-based non-profit, non-academic organizations (e.g., independent museums, research labs, professional societies)
- Track 2:
- All Track 1 eligible organizations
- U.S.-based for-profit organizations (including small businesses)
- State and local governments (educational offices, school districts)
- Federally recognized Tribal Nations
Who May Serve as PI
- Track 1: Must hold a tenured/tenure-track or full-time paid research/teaching appointment at an eligible U.S. institution; not eligible if primary appointment is at a for-profit or overseas branch campus.
- Track 2: No restrictions except for those with primary appointments at overseas branch campuses of U.S. IHEs (not eligible).
Additional Eligibility Notes
- Researchers from foreign academic institutions may participate as collaborators but cannot receive NSF funds.
- Industry partners may participate in Track 2 only (not Track 1).
- Proposal submission limits apply per PI/co-PI (see solicitation for details).
Application Process
- Track 1: Submit full proposal via Research.gov or Grants.gov.
- Track 2:
- Submit a required Concept Outline to vines-track2@nsf.gov by August 25, 2025.
- After receiving NSF approval, submit full proposal by September 25, 2025.
- International Collaborations: Bilateral only (U.S. + one partner country); international team must secure funding from their national agency.
- Proposal Preparation: Follow NSF PAPPG and solicitation-specific guidelines, including management plan, demonstration/evaluation plan (Track 2), and required supplementary documents.
- Cloud Computing Resources: May be requested via CloudBank; details must be included in supplementary documents (do not include in NSF budget).
Additional Information
- Two Tracks, Distinct Requirements:
- Track 1 focuses on fundamental, use-inspired research; Track 2 on technology development and demonstration for specific verticals.
- Industry Partners: May only participate in Track 2 proposals.
- Annual PI Meetings: Awardees must budget for PI/co-PI attendance.
- Intellectual Property: Special licensing requirements for Track 1; Track 2 requires an IP management plan.
- Webinars: NSF will host informational webinars (see program page for updates).
External Links
Contact Information
| Name/Role | Email | Phone |
|---|
| Alhussein A. Abouzeid, Program Officer | aabouzei@nsf.gov | (703) 292-7855 |
| Sudharman Jayaweera Kankanamge, Program Officer | sjayawee@nsf.gov | (703) 292-2828 |
| John M. Chapin, Program Officer | jchapin@nsf.gov | (703) 292-8222 |
| Huaiyu Dai, Program Officer | hdai@nsf.gov | (703) 292-4568 |
| Hang Liu, Program Officer | haliu@nsf.gov | (703) 292-5139 |
| Jenshan Lin, Program Officer | jenlin@nsf.gov | (703) 292-7360 |
| Abraham Matta, Program Officer | amatta@nsf.gov | (703) 292-4624 |
| Daniela A. Oliveira, Program Officer | doliveir@nsf.gov | (703) 292-4352 |
| Phillip A. Regalia, Program Officer | pregalia@nsf.gov | (703) 292-2981 |
| Xiaogang Wang, Program Officer | xiawang@nsf.gov | (703) 292-2812 |
| NSF Grants.gov Support | grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov | 1-800-381-1532 |
For international partner contacts, see the full NSF solicitation.