Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Research Initiation Initiative | 19 579

Opportunity Information: Apply for 19 579

The Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Research Initiation Initiative, often referred to as CRII, is a National Science Foundation grant program designed to help early-career researchers in computing and information science get their research off the ground and move toward true research independence. The core idea is straightforward: some new faculty and equivalent academic researchers start their positions without the people, money, equipment, lab access, or other baseline support they need to establish a research program. This opportunity is meant to fill that gap by providing "essential resources" that the principal investigator (PI) does not already have and that are necessary to produce early results, build a track record, and become competitive for larger NSF or other federal awards later.

The program is specifically targeted at untenured faculty members or research scientists (or equivalent) who are very early in their independent academic careers. In general, NSF expects applicants to be within the first three years of their first primary academic position after the PhD, and also no more than five years past completion of the PhD. A key eligibility constraint is that applicants must not have previously received any federal grant or contract as a PI after the PhD, regardless of the award size, including NSF CAREER or any other federal program, with limited exceptions referenced by NSF. However, participating in federally funded work in non-PI roles does not disqualify someone: serving as a co-PI, senior personnel, postdoctoral fellow, or other fellow does not count against the "no prior PI federal funding" rule. The intent here is to prioritize researchers who have not yet had the chance to build a funded portfolio as the lead investigator.

NSF frames CRII as support for essential resources rather than general research expansion. "Essential resources" are defined in a practical way: they are resources the PI lacks from their institution or other sources and that are critical to conducting the early-career research needed to reach independence. That definition also implies an important non-fit category: the program is not intended for investigators who already have adequate access to resources to conduct early-career research. In other words, CRII is meant to create a starting platform, not to add extra funding on top of an already well-resourced launch.

In terms of how the money is expected to be used, NSF anticipates that CRII funds will commonly support one or more graduate students for up to two years, since student support is often the most immediate need for starting a research agenda. The solicitation also allows for broader, research-enabling costs that match the program purpose. Proposals from any institution may budget for items such as postdoctoral scholars, travel necessary to carry out the research, and research equipment. For faculty at undergraduate-serving and two-year institutions, the program recognizes that the most appropriate trainees may be undergraduates rather than graduate students. Those applicants may use CRII funds to support undergraduate researchers and may also submit under the Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) mechanism by including the required RUI Impact Statement, which is intended to explain how the project will strengthen undergraduate research and the institution's research environment.

Administratively, this is an NSF discretionary grant opportunity housed in the CISE Directorate, under the broader category of science and technology research and development (CFDA 47.070). The opportunity listed an award ceiling of $175,000 and an expected number of around 60 awards for that cycle. The original posting date in the source information is April 24, 2019, with an original closing date of August 14, 2019. Overall, the program functions as an entry ramp for new CISE investigators who need a small but meaningful infusion of support to produce publishable results, train students, and establish the foundation for a sustainable, independent research trajectory.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Research Initiation Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.070.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 24, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 14, 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 $175,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 60 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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