Research NewsletterIssue: ORN-2023-01

Revised NSF-538 PFI solicitation

Researchers can now receive up to $1 million for translational research, technology scale-up and demonstration

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) published an updated solicitation for the Partnerships for Innovation, or PFI, program with significantly increased funding awards for the program’s two tracks. The new solicitation now offers a maximum budget of $550,000 per proposal for its Technology Translation (PFI-TT) track and up to $1 million per proposal for its Research Partnership (PFI-RP) track.

The PFI program helps researchers develop their technologies, demonstrate commercial potential, develop critical partnerships, educate and provide leadership development for students in innovation and entrepreneurship, and broaden participation in innovation, technology translation and entrepreneurial activities.

All PFI proposals must meet a lineage requirement by having a PI or Co-PI with NSF-supported research in any field of science and engineering within the last seven (7) years. NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) Teams awards no longer convey the lineage required to submit a PFI proposal.

The PFI program aligns within the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, or TIP, and leverages ongoing NSF research investments to drive research and innovation, leading more rapidly to national, societal and economic benefits. As prescribed by TIP and in accordance with the CHIPS and Science Act, the PFI program supports use-inspired translational research toward proof-of-concept of a future product, process or service, prototype development, demonstration of commercial potential and the enhancement of partnerships across U.S. academia, nonprofits and industry. 

The two PFI tracks differ in the complexity of the project, their funding amounts, their duration of support, and whether they require multi-organizational and interdisciplinary partnerships and the participation of an industrial partner. Learn more on PFI’s website.

WEBINARS: Webinars will be held to answer questions about the solicitation. Registration will be available on the NSF Partnerships for Innovation website (https://www.nsf.gov/PFI). Potential proposers and their partners are encouraged to attend.

Awards: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant; Anticipated Funding Amount: $30,000,000

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: There is no limit on the number of PFI-TT proposals an organization may submit to the deadlines of this solicitation. However, an organization may not submit more than one (1) new or resubmitted PFI-RP proposal to a deadline of this solicitation. This eligibility constraint will be strictly enforced. If an organization exceeds this limit, the first PFI-RP proposal received will be accepted, and the remainder will be returned without review. An organization may not receive more than two (2) awards from a submission deadline of this solicitation.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 2

Internal Institutional Consideration: If you would like to submit a proposal for this opportunity, please contact Shawn Chester, Associate Vice Provost for Research at shawn.chester@njit.edu with a summary of the proposal, investigator team and budget outline by January 21, 2023 for institutional consideration as needed.

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Breakfast with Interim Provost Atam Dhawan

https://www.njit.edu/provost/breakfast-interim-provost

Informal breakfast sessions with small groups from the NJIT community is hosted by the Interim Provost each Tuesday from 8.30 AM to 10.00 AM at the University Club, Eberhardt Building. These breakfast meetings provide NJIT faculty, staff and students the opportunity to ask questions, give feedback, and engage with the Interim Provost on their experiences, concerns, expectations and needs. While it is open to all members of the community, seats are limited each week. If you are interested in participating in this informal discussion, please submit this form. The Office of the Provost will follow up with you to confirm the date of your breakfast session.

NSF: Partnerships for Innovation (PFI); Emerging Mathematics in Biology (eMB); Scholarships in STEM Network (S-STEM-Net): S-STEM Research Hubs Computational and Data-Enabled Science for New Discovery; Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI); Design for Environmental Sustainability in Computing (DESC); Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF); Research Coordination Networks (RCN); Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC); NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM)

NIH: Small Grants to Enhance the Use of the All of Us Research Program’s Data (R03; R21); Biomedical Research Facilities (C06); NIDDK Investigator Award to Support Mentoring of Early Career Researchers from Diverse Backgrounds (K26); NCI Small Grants Program for Cancer Research for Years 2023, 2024, and 2025 (NCI Omnibus) (R03)

Department of Energy: Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Resources for Fusion Energy Sciences; FY 2023 Funding for Accelerated, Inclusive Research (FAIR); Quantum Information Science Research for Fusion Energy Sciences

NASA Looks to Re-Boost Satellite Orbits with Hubble Serving as a Model: NASA is searching for ways to relocate satellites currently in orbit, as the agency is facing aging equipment that needs to be serviced or moved to a different orbit. The agency wants to hear ideas for first testing the feasibility on the Hubble Space Telescope, though it currently doesn’t have any plans to move the telescope before its end of life. While NASA and SpaceX signed an unfunded Space Act Agreement in September to study the possibility of boosting the Hubble Telescope into a higher orbit with SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, NASA is looking for information on additional commercial capabilities to provide in-space services. 

NASA is examining what it would take to move the 32-year-old Hubble into a more stable orbit, which could help extend its lifespan. The telescope is orbiting approximately 335 miles above Earth and is “predicted to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere in the mid 2030s unless it is reboosted to a higher orbit before that timeframe.” According to NASA, “while Hubble and Dragon will serve as test models for this study, portions of the mission concept may be applicable to other spacecraft, particularly those in near-Earth orbit like Hubble.” The agency filed a request for information on Thursday seeking more commercial capabilities available to re-boost a satellite in orbit. Hubble would serve as a demonstration for this capability in the next few years. 

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Quantum Tech's Path to Commercialization Will Be a 2023 NIST Priority: Quantum sensing and post-quantum cryptography are two technologies that researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology will be prioritizing in the coming year as researchers focus on the logistics behind commercializing applied quantum technologies.  James Kushmerick, the director of NIST’s Physical Measurements Laboratory, told Nextgov that the agency’s next step for post-quantum cryptography is standardizing the quantum-resistant algorithms released earlier this year.   

“Post quantum crypto, or PQC, is hugely important…and NIST has identified four algorithms which they're working through the process of standardizing…with the community,” he said. “Post quantum cryptography is definitely a high priority and there…continue[s] to be a lot of effort in that arena.”

Continuing partnerships with labs and experts in the private sector, industry, and academia will continue to help fuel new quantum sciences research, particularly within the Quantum Economic Development Consortium. In addition to the actual development of new technology, partnering institutions will also lend a holistic perspective to determine how to support quantum technologies’ entrance into the commercial marketplace.  He referenced programs like NIST on a Chip, which has quantum devices and sensors to deliver precise measurements in a singular software chip. Kushmerick said that NIST is looking to form new partnerships with industry leaders to craft a durable product fit for market distribution. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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White House Announces $1.2B Effort to Improve Access to STEMM Education: The Biden-Harris administration announced new commitments to further education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicinal research on Monday, with a focus on eliminating the systemic barriers barring disenfranchised populations from participation in quantitative research fields. “Today’s STEMM ecosystem is inequitable by nearly every measure, shutting out and diverting away too many talented individuals, closing off opportunities for discovery and innovation, and limiting our national potential,” the White House press announcement reads. Between federal and industry funding from more than 90 partners, the Biden-Harris administration is set to direct an effort across multiple sectors that, combined, will invest over $1.2 billion toward STEMM education equity. The new STEMM Opportunity Alliance will be tasked with coordinating these funds across multiple initiatives to increase accessibility in competitive academic fields.

Question:  I need to change my budget - Do I need to change it in Streamlyne?

Answer:  You can change your budget at any point before submitting the proposal into workflow approval. For more information, please contact your college ambassador, or see New User Manual posted on the Research website

http://www.njit.edu/research/sites/research/files/StreamlyneNewUserManualCommonElements.pdf ).

More FAQs on Streamlyne: Please visit http://www.njit.edu/research/streamlyne/