Funding Opportunity: National Science Foundation “Big Idea”

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Mid-scale Research Infrastructure (Mid-scale RI) Big Idea is intended to provide an agile, Foundation-wide process to fund experimental research capabilities in the mid-scale range ($6 million to $100 million), between the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) and Major Facilities thresholds.

Recently, Solicitation NSF 21-537 for the Mid-scale RI-2 program (total project cost of $20 million to under $100 million) was released. This is one of two NSF-wide funding opportunities that support NSF Mid-scale RI, the other being Solicitation NSF 21-505 for the Mid-scale RI-1 program.

Solicitation NSF 21-537 for Mid-scale RI-2 has the following deadlines:

Letters of Intent (required), February 03, 2021

Preliminary Proposals, March 05, 2021

Full Proposals (by invitation), September 20, 2021

 

NSF will host outreach webinars with information about the Mid-scale RI-2 funding opportunity on Wednesday, January 6 and Thursday, January 7, 2021. Each session will begin at 1:00 p.m. (EST). A general Mid-scale RI-2 information session (1:00 p.m. -1:40 p.m. Eastern) with Q&A will be followed by Directorate-specific breakouts (1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Eastern) where more technical questions will be addressed. Information on Day 1 will be repeated on Day 2, using the same Zoom meeting information.

Please spread the word to interested parties.

To access the main webinars and follow-on directorate-specific breakouts:

 

Webinar 1 & 2

Event: Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure (Mid-scale RI-2): NSF 21-537 Q&A – Main meeting

Date/Time: Wednesday, January 6, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. Eastern Time and repeated

Thursday, January 7, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. Eastern Time

https://nsf.zoomgov.com/j/1612976668?pwd=eG9mWjZUeVdCS2ZzWTFYZmt3OUIrQT09

Webinar ID: 161 297 6668

Passcode: 2M3cLw

Join via phone:

(669)254-5252 US (San Jose) or (646)828-7666 US (New York)

  • You will enter through a waiting room and be let in by an NSF staff member.
  • Questions:  Please submit questions via Chat during the webinar. There will be no participant audio-enabled questions or screen sharing.

 

Directorate Breakouts: Wednesday, January 6, 2021 from 1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time and

Thursday, January 7, 2021 from 1:45 p.m. to 2:30 pm Eastern Time.

  • You will enter through a waiting room and be let into the breakout by an NSF staff member.
  • Please submit questions via Chat during the webinar. There will be no participant audio-enabled questions or screen sharing.

 

Mid-scale RI-2 BIO Breakout

https://nsf.zoomgov.com/j/1613376982?pwd=YXZCT2o1Z0lBQmRNY2dMVUxFM2RCUT09

Meeting ID: 160 185 6173

Passcode: 6.myEg

Join via phone:

(669)254-5252 US (San Jose) or (646)828-7666 US (New York)

 

Mid-scale RI-2: CISE Breakout

https://nsf.zoomgov.com/j/1608265562?pwd=MDN5c3liMm55U3FBZlBSRnJodXBWdz09

Meeting ID: 161 206 5490

Passcode: 6.myEg

Join via phone:

(669)254-5252 US (San Jose) or (646)828-7666 US (New York)

 

Mid-scale RI-2: EHR & SBE Breakout

https://nsf.zoomgov.com/j/1612065490?pwd=LzlwSHMwd0twT1RTZkZ1SXNPcS8wQT09

Meeting ID: 160 826 5562

Passcode: 6.myEg

Join via phone:

(669)254-5252 US (San Jose) or (646)828-7666 US (New York)

 

Mid-scale RI-2 ENG Breakout

https://nsf.zoomgov.com/j/1601856173?pwd=RXZnaHlDMDROc0w1UXBuSEE2Zk9XUT09

Meeting ID: 161 337 6982

Passcode: 6.myEg

Join via phone:

(669)254-5252 US (San Jose) or (646)828-7666 US (New York)

 

Mid-scale RI-2 GEO Breakout

https://nsf.zoomgov.com/j/1618581638?pwd=dkNUd1k4eWszSWpkTTIrMXFHVG9sdz09

Meeting ID: 161 901 7154

Passcode: 6.myEg

Join via phone:

(669)254-5252 US (San Jose) or (646)828-7666 US (New York)

 

Mid-scale RI-2 MPS Breakout

https://nsf.zoomgov.com/j/1619017154?pwd=RG9LQ3dybFVPSzM5M1R0U2dPdm9Xdz09

Meeting ID: 161 858 1638

Passcode: 6.myEg

Join via phone:

(669)254-5252 US (San Jose) or (646)828-7666 US (New York)