Training-based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure | 19 524

Opportunity Information: Apply for 19 524

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunity titled Training-based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (often referred to as the CyberTraining program) supports projects that strengthen the United States research workforce in the practical creation, use, and support of advanced cyberinfrastructure (CI). The overall purpose is workforce development that directly enables and potentially transforms fundamental science and engineering research, while also contributing to national economic competitiveness and security. In this context, "advanced CI" is defined broadly to include not only high-end computing, but also large-scale data management and analytics, and the networking and security capabilities needed to operate and protect large-scale systems. The program is focused less on building new infrastructure itself and more on the training, educational pathways, and community adoption that allow researchers and students to use these capabilities effectively and responsibly.

The solicitation is built around two main goals. The first goal is to drive broad adoption of CI tools, methods, and resources across the research community so that more fields can benefit from modern computational and data-intensive approaches. This includes helping researchers become capable users of existing CI and, importantly, helping them develop enough depth to lead future CI advances within their disciplines. The second goal is to weave CI literacy and more advanced, discipline-appropriate computational and data-driven skills into the fabric of undergraduate and graduate education through curricula and instructional materials. In other words, it is not just about running workshops for current researchers; it is also about making advanced computing and data skills a normal, integrated part of formal education in many science and engineering domains, so that future researchers enter the workforce prepared.

NSF is explicitly looking for innovative and scalable training, education, and curriculum or instructional-material efforts that address emerging needs and persistent bottlenecks in workforce preparation. The program spans audiences from postsecondary students to active researchers and aims for measurable improvements in preparedness both in the near term and over longer horizons. Projects are expected to be grounded in real community needs and to produce resources that are widely available and usable by the broader research community, rather than being narrowly useful to a single institution or small group. This emphasis on broad usability and adoption means deliverables often need to be portable, well-documented, and designed for reuse in multiple settings.

A central feature of the opportunity is its push to broaden access and participation in advanced CI. NSF highlights two related priorities: expanding CI accessibility to disciplines and institutions that have historically had lower adoption of advanced CI, and increasing participation from underrepresented groups in the CI-enabled research ecosystem. Proposals that come from, or are built in genuine partnership with, these communities are especially encouraged. The intent is to reduce gaps in who has access to modern computational and data-driven research methods and to ensure that more of the nation can contribute to and benefit from CI-enabled discovery.

The solicitation offers three project classes with different scopes, timelines, and budgets. Pilot Projects support smaller, shorter efforts of up to $300,000 total over as long as two years, which can be useful for testing training models, developing prototype materials, or validating approaches with an initial community. Implementation Projects support more mature efforts over up to four years, with two budget levels: Small Implementation Projects up to $500,000 total, and Medium Implementation Projects up to $1,000,000 total. These are suited to larger-scale rollouts, sustained training programs, broader curricular integration, and more robust evaluation and dissemination. Large-scale Project Conceptualization Projects provide up to $500,000 total over up to two years and are intended to lay the groundwork for future large, coordinated efforts; unlike Pilot and Implementation projects, Conceptualization projects must address both solicitation goals (broad CI adoption and curricular integration), reflecting their role in shaping comprehensive, multi-pronged initiatives.

The program is led by NSF's Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) within the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), with participation from multiple NSF directorates and divisions. Because not all participating units engage at the same level and some have particular priorities, the solicitation places strong emphasis on early communication with the appropriate Cognizant Program Officers. Prospective principal investigators are encouraged to discuss fit, scope, and budget with both OAC and any relevant participating domain directorate or division at least a month before submission. As part of the submission process, proposers are expected to document which program officers they consulted.

Finally, the program is designed to encourage co-funding between OAC and one or more domain directorates or divisions (with CISE units outside OAC treated as domain divisions for this purpose). To ensure disciplinary relevance and real-world adoption, proposals targeting one or more domain communities must include at least one PI or co-PI with expertise in the targeted research discipline, and all proposals must include at least one PI or co-PI with expertise relevant to OAC. Projects that primarily target communities aligned with NSF units not participating in this solicitation are directed toward other education and workforce programs in those units instead. Overall, the opportunity is best viewed as a national-scale workforce and education investment aimed at making advanced computing, data, networking, and security skills more common, more rigorous, and more equitably distributed across the U.S. research enterprise.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Training-based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.075, 47.076.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 07, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 06, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 18 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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