United States/Ireland R&D Partnership
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia 22230
Dear Colleagues:
The United States, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland
have come together to form a unique partnership as a way of increasing
the level of collaborative R&D among researchers across the
jurisdictions that will generate innovation and lead to improvements
in society. The agencies involved in this effort are: the
National Science Foundation (U.S.), Science Foundation Ireland
(Republic), Invest Northern Ireland (Northern), and the Department
of Employment and Learning (Northern).
Our objective is to encourage the development and submission of
transnational and collaborative research projects that address
the exciting research challenges in the areas of nanotechnology
and sensors. These thematic areas have been identified initially
as representing a unique opportunity in terms of research interests
and reflect the potential for playing a meaningful role in research
areas internationally recognized to be of pivotal significance
for the 21st century.
Potential proposals generated as a result of this partnership
should be submitted to relevant NSF programs in accordance with
the program’s proposal due date(s) and will be reviewed in
accordance with the standard National Science Board-approved review
criteria. No specific funding is set aside for this partnership.
The attachment below describes plans for the preparation, receipt,
and review of proposals, as well as the administrative processes
in which the four agencies involved will cooperate in the monitoring
and funding of successful proposals. Questions regarding
this partnership should be directed to: Mihail Roco, Senior Advisor
for Nanotechnology at: mroco@nsf.gov.
Best Regards,
Richard O. Buckius
Assistant Director
Directorate for Engineering
SYNOPSIS OF PROGRAM
In order to foster an increase in collaborative research relationships,
the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Science Foundation Ireland
(SFI), Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI), and the Department
of Employment and Learning (DEL) have agreed to enter into a partnership
to support research in the areas of nanoscale science and engineering
and sensors and sensor networks through competitive awards via
existing (core) programs in the case of NSF and SFI, and, in the
case of Invest NI/DEL, via these organizations’ R&D funding
mechanisms.
Participating NSF Directorates include:
Biological Sciences (BIO)
Computer & Information Sciences & Engineering (CISE)
Engineering (ENG)
Geosciences (GEO)
Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS)
Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences (SBE)
Education & Human Resources (EHR)
Office of International Science & Engineering (OISE)
Participating SFI Directorates include:
Information and Communications Technology Directorate (ICT)
Biosciences and Bioengineering Directorate (BIO)
Participating Invest NI Directorates include:
Innovation, Research and Technology Division
Participating DEL Directorates include:
Higher Education Division
PROPOSAL & AWARD PROCESS
The
organizations will manage this process through their relevant funding
programs/mechanisms. Information concerning this
program will be placed on each organization’s website, giving
the background to the U.S.-Ireland R&D Partnership and details
on how proposals will be considered. Proposal Preparation & Submission to NSF
Tri-jurisdictional, integrated proposals to NSF will be submitted
to those programs funding nanoscale science and engineering, and
sensors research and education (see Sections A and B, below) or
to the Office of International Science and Engineering (see Section
C, below).
Applicants will submit their proposals in conformance with the
guidelines specified in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and
Procedures Guide (GPG) http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=papp
or the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide .
All proposals must be submitted to NSF via use of the NSF FastLane
System or Grants.gov.
Proposals must include the full project description under all
three jurisdictions, and must include three budgets, the full NSF
budget and two additional half-page budgets for Ireland and Northern
Ireland. The project descriptions and budget pages for the
three jurisdictions should be included in the Supplementary Documents
section of the proposal. The names of the corresponding Program
Managers from Ireland and Northern Ireland must be provided in
the respective budget justification and will be used as a contact
reference by the NSF Program Manager.
Principal Investigators (PIs)
Each proposal must have a minimum of one Principal Investigator
from each jurisdiction. Proposals submitted to NSF must be submitted
by the U.S. PI’s home institution. PIs from Ireland
and Northern Ireland will be identified as Senior Personnel in
the proposal submitted to NSF.
Review Process
Proposals received at NSF will be evaluated in accordance with
the standard NSF merit review criteria of intellectual merit and
broader impacts of the proposed effort. The review will be
conducted using the NSF merit review process, including conflict
of interests and confidentiality policies. The process may
include use of ad hoc mail reviewers, as needed, in combination
with review panelists who meet, discuss the proposals, and make
recommendations to NSF. Review procedures also may include
provision for summary ratings by the panel.
Award Process
Proposals selected for potential funding by each organization
will be considered in line with each organization's respective
policies and practices. The form of award instrument shall
be at the option of the funding organization. No
funds will be transferred between agencies. There will be
no cross-organization co-funding of individual awards. The
issuance and administration of awards will be carried out by the
relevant funding organization. Each award will contain an
acknowledgement of this joint NSF/SFI/Invest NI/DEL initiative.
POST-AWARD PROCESS
Co-investigators will be required to submit identical annual written
progress reports to their relevant Program Managers in each of
the four funding organizations. Co-investigators must use
the project report format identified in the NSF FastLane System
for this purpose.
- National Nanotechnology Initiative, FY 2008
For fiscal year 2008, the National Science Foundation budget
request for the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is approximately
$390 million. All participating research and education
directorates and the Office of International Science and Engineering
(OISE) accept proposals with an international component following
a competitive selection process. The NSF contribution covers
only expenses made by the U.S. universities for research and
for international interactions such as workshops, visiting students
and professors in U.S. and abroad.
The participating directorates are: Biological Sciences (BIO),
Computer and Information Science & Engineering (CISE), Engineering
(ENG), Geosciences, Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS),
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), and Education
and Human Resources (EHR).
NSF also supports nanoscale science and engineering in FY 2008
through the following programs:
Core Programs: Competitive awards via
existing (core) programs in the research and education directorates. The
following program directors may provide further information:
BIO: Eve
Barak, ebarak@nsf.gov
CISE: Sankar Basu, sabasu@nsf.gov
ENG: Jimmy Hsia, jhsia@nsf.gov
MPS: Carmen Huber, chuber@nsf.gov
SBE: Stephen Zehr, szehr@nsf.gov
EHR: John Bradley, jbradley@nsf.gov
OISE: Cassandra Dudka, cdudka@nsf.gov
International supplements: Awards
made in previous fiscal years for individual investigators, groups,
centers, and user facilities can be supplemented by the programs. The
NSF award database can be accessed from www.nsf.gov/nano .
General information about NNI specific programs can be found
at www.nsf.gov/nano, on
NSF’s core programs at http://www.nsf.gov/funding/research_edu_community.jsp,
and on OISE programs at http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=OISE.
- Sensors and Wireless Sensor Networks, FY 2008
The participating directorates are: Biological Sciences (BIO),
Computer and Information Science & Engineering (CISE), Engineering
(ENG), Geosciences (GEO), Mathematical and Physical Sciences
(MPS), Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), and Education
and Human Resources (EHR).
NSF supports sensor and wireless sensor network research and
education in FY 2008 through the following programs:
Core Programs: Competitive awards via
existing (core) programs in the research and education directorates. The
following program directors may provide further information:
BIO: Pat
Dennis, pdennis@nsf.gov
CISE:
David Du, ddu@nsf.gov
ENG: Bruce Hamilton, bhamilto@nsf.gov
GEO: Michael Ellis, mellis@nsf.gov
MPS: Zeev Rosenzweig, zrosenzw@nsf.gov
SBE: Sandra Schneider, sschneid@nsf.gov
EHR: Daniel Litynski, dlitynsk@nsf.gov
General information on NSF’s core programs can be found
at http://www.nsf.gov/funding/research_edu_community.jsp,
and on OISE programs at http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=OISE.
- Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE)
NSF’s Office of International Science and Engineering
(OISE) serves as NSF’s focal point for international science
and engineering activities. OISE supports – either
through its own programs or working with the other NSF directorates
and offices – innovative awards and supplements that promote
research excellence through new international collaboration and
that develop the next generation of globally engaged scientists
and engineers. OISE funds international research and education
activities in all NSF-supported disciplines involving any region
of the world.
Researchers interested in collaborative research should consult
both disciplinary and OISE program officers. OISE works
to build effective partnerships throughout the global science
and engineering research and education community and interacts
with foreign government and scientific counterparts to facilitate
research collaboration. The OISE Home Page is http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=OISE.
OISE supports science and engineering in FY 2008 through the
following programs:
International Research and Education: Planning Visits and Workshops
(NSF
04-035): (http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12815&org=OISE&from=home)
-
International Planning Visits: Travel
to plan collaborative research with prospective foreign partners.
(No deadlines apply. Proposals may be submitted at
any time.)
-
International Workshops: Meetings
to identify common priorities and approaches for collaboration
on specific, well-defined research areas. Note: OISE
does not support US participation in international conferences.
(Target Dates: September 20, 2007, February 20, 2008,
and May 20, 2008.)
Developing Global Scientists and Engineers (NSF 04-036): http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12831&org=OISE&from=home
-
International Research Experiences for Students: Enable
faculty at US institutions to organize international research
experiences for US undergraduate and graduate students. (Target
Dates: and September 15, 2007 and February 15, 2008.)
-
Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement Projects: Support
dissertation research by US graduate students at a foreign
site. (No deadlines apply. Proposals may be submitted
at any time.)
International Research Fellowship Program (IRFP, NSF
06-582): http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5179&org=OISE&from=home
- Support for US citizens or permanent residents with a recent
PhD to conduct research at institutions outside the United
States. (Target Date: September 11, 2007.)
Additional support: In addition to its
own programs, OISE will continue to co-fund proposals submitted
to NSF’s disciplinary programs and will consider highly
meritorious requests for international supplements to current
NSF awards. For more information on these funding opportunities,
please see OISE’s home page: http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=OISE.
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