Training-based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure | 18 516

Opportunity Information: Apply for 18 516

The National Science Foundation (NSF) opportunity titled Training-based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (often referred to as the CyberTraining program) funds projects that strengthen the U.S. scientific and engineering workforce by improving how people learn to create, use, and support advanced cyberinfrastructure (CI). In this solicitation, "advanced CI" is used broadly to include the computing, data, networking, and security resources, tools, and services that make modern, potentially transformative research possible. The program is aimed at building national capacity not just in technical skills, but in the practical, discipline-aware know-how needed for CI-enabled discovery across science and engineering, while also supporting U.S. economic competitiveness and security.

The central goals are threefold. First, the program seeks to prepare and grow a workforce that can effectively work with advanced CI, from those developing CI capabilities to researchers who rely on them, and the professionals who support and maintain them. Second, it aims to speed and widen adoption of CI tools and methods across the broader research community so that more fields can use advanced computation and data-driven approaches to open up new modes of discovery. Third, it emphasizes integrating CI literacy and advanced, discipline-appropriate computational and data science skills into the mainstream educational pipeline, particularly through undergraduate and graduate curricula and related instructional materials. In other words, the program is not only about training workshops for current researchers, but also about embedding these competencies into the educational fabric so they persist and scale over time.

NSF is specifically calling for innovative and scalable training and education programs that address workforce development bottlenecks and emerging needs, ranging from postsecondary learners to active researchers already in the field. The expectation is that successful projects will deliver training that can move beyond small, one-off efforts and instead create lasting improvements in readiness for CI-enabled research, both in the near term and over the long term. The solicitation highlights multidisciplinary reach, signaling that projects serving targeted communities that span multiple domains are welcome, especially when they remove barriers that currently limit effective use of advanced CI.

A major emphasis is broadening access and participation. NSF wants proposals that increase or deepen accessibility of advanced CI methods and resources for disciplines and institutions that have historically had lower levels of CI adoption. At the same time, the program seeks to expand participation among underrepresented groups in computing- and data-intensive research pathways, not as a peripheral goal but as a core part of strengthening national capacity. Proposals that come from, or are built in genuine partnership with, these communities are explicitly encouraged, reflecting an expectation that the training approaches be relevant, adoptable, and sensitive to real constraints in under-resourced settings.

The solicitation also pushes investigators to engage stakeholders and build "collective impact" structures rather than operating in isolation. At a minimum, each project is expected to have a board of expert advisors or an active network of collaborators (funded or unfunded) representing stakeholder communities. The purpose of this group is to periodically review and improve the curriculum or instructional materials and project methods, and to connect the effort to broader professional ecosystems, including associations and non-governmental organizations involved in curriculum guidance, accreditation, and professional examinations. This requirement signals that NSF wants training outputs that align with community standards and can be sustained and recognized beyond the life of a single award.

Administratively, 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 participation and priorities vary across directorates/divisions, applicants are expected to coordinate early with the relevant Cognizant Program Officers (POs). NSF strongly encourages prospective PIs to consult with OAC and any participating domain directorate/division at least one month before the deadline to confirm fit, scope, and budget, and to list the POs consulted in the Project Summary. The solicitation is designed to promote co-funding between OAC and one or more domain divisions, which reinforces the idea that projects should be both CI-strong and domain-relevant.

Team composition expectations reflect that co-funding and adoption goal. Proposals that are relevant to one or more domain divisions must include at least one PI or co-PI with expertise in the targeted scientific or engineering discipline to ensure the training matches real research practices and needs. Separately, all proposals must include at least one PI or co-PI with expertise relevant to OAC, ensuring the CI training content is technically grounded and aligned with advanced cyberinfrastructure priorities. Projects that primarily target communities tied to NSF units not participating in this solicitation are directed to look instead at the education and workforce programs within those other directorates/divisions.

Key opportunity details provided in the notice include: the agency is NSF; the funding instrument is a grant; the activity category is science and technology and other research and development; the CFDA numbers listed are 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, and 47.076; the award ceiling is $500,000; NSF anticipated about 11 awards under this round; and the original closing date for the referenced cycle was February 14, 2018 (with a creation date of November 19, 2017). Eligibility is listed as "Others" with additional clarification expected in the full solicitation text. Overall, the program is best understood as NSF's push to modernize and scale training pipelines around advanced computation and data-intensive research, while ensuring that adoption and benefits extend well beyond the usual early adopters and well-resourced institutions.

• 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, 47.076.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 19, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 14, 2018. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 11 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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