Research NewsletterIssue: ORN-2023-02

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: Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier: Core Research (FW-HTF)Biodiversity on a Changing Planet (BoCP)Addressing Systems Challenges through Engineering Teams (ASCENT); Partnerships for Innovation (PFI); Emerging Mathematics in Biology (eMB); Scholarships in STEM Network (S-STEM-Net)

NIH: BRAIN Initiative: Transformative Brain Non-invasive Imaging Technology Development (UG3/UH3); Tools and resources to understand the vascular pathophysiology of in vivo neuroimaging findings in TBI-related dementia and/or VCID (U24); 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 Defense/US Army/DARPA/ONR: DEVCOM Analysis Center Broad Agency Announcement for Applied Research; Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Create the Future Independent Research Effort; Young Faculty Award (YFA)

State Department Creates First Office Devoted to Emerging Technology Diplomacy: Foreign policy continues to intersect with emerging technology, as the State Department has launched a new office devoted to establishing cooperation between nations that are developing new technologies. Announced on Tuesday, the Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology will push the national agenda on modernization in diplomatic efforts. The branch was created by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken as a response to the increasing efforts worldwide to lead development of innovative technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum information. “The Office of the Special Envoy will bring additional technology policy expertise, diplomatic leadership, and strategic direction to the department’s approach to critical and emerging technologies,” the press release states. “As the department works to strengthen tech diplomacy across the organization, the office will provide a center of expertise and energy to develop and coordinate critical and emerging technology foreign policy, and to engage foreign partners on emerging technologies that will transform our societies, economies and security.” More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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NSF Spearheads New Funding to Improve Diversity in AI Workforce: Several federal research bodies are collaborating to launch a new inclusivity program that aims to help bring minority-serving educational institutions into the artificial intelligence field, as more technologies incorporate AI and machine learning software.  The U.S. National Science Foundation, in conjunction with other agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate; U.S Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and National Institute of Standards and Technology, established the ExpandAI program to cultivate a more diverse AI/ML workforce.  “In close collaboration with our federal partners and with the AI Institutes program, NSF Is launching ExpandAI in order to enable an even broader community of researchers to advance the Nation's AI capacity in scientific power and workforce," said Margaret Martonosi, the NSF assistant director for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, in a statement.  The program, adhering to the guidance outlined in the earlier in the National AI Strategic Plan published in 2019, will direct more federal funding to AI research and development education, specifically within institutions that serve a diverse student population and specify in AI education. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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NASA’s Out of This World Tech Advancements in 2022: While NASA’s Artemis missions—which aim to return astronauts to the moon and eventually to Mars—may be top of mind for the agency’s innovation this year and in the future, NASA explored other innovations in 2022. Some of these innovations will help with the Artemis missions. For example, the agency’s Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment—or CAPSTONE—spacecraft is testing a desired orbit around the moon. It is also a demonstration to showcase the reliability of new technology for missions in the future, such as a navigational software, and a way for the CAPSTONE spacecraft to determine its position without having to use a dedicated downlink to ground stations.  NASA is also testing a new robotic arm system—the Cold Operable Lunar Deployable Arm, or COLDArm, project—that can work in temperatures as low as minus 280 degrees Fahrenheit without a heater. This will be helpful for the cold temperatures on the moon and Mars, because current technology needs energy-consuming heaters to run equipment.  In November, NASA awarded a $57 million contract to build a road on the moon as well as to develop other technologies like landing pads and habitats. The agency also awarded contracts to deploy solar array systems on the moon to provide power for lunar exploration under Artemis. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

Question:       Can I generate budgets for multiple years from the Year-1 budget in Streamlyne?

Answer:          Yes! You only need to input the Year-1 budget and then click on the “generate all periods” button. Stremalyne will create budget sheets for the remaining periods. You can then go to “summary” under the budget tab to review budget sheets for all periods. You can also change specific budget items that you allocated in Year-1 but you do not want to continue them in the following periods.

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