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NSF piloting new convergence accelerator

March 28, 2019
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NSF is inviting interested parties to participate in a new endeavor, the Convergence Accelerator Pilot (NSF C-Accel). The NSF C-Accel Pilot seeks to accelerate use-inspired convergence research in areas of national importance by facilitating convergent team-building capacity around exploratory, potentially high-risk proposals. The initiative reflects NSF’s commitment to be at the cutting edge, supporting fundamental research while encouraging rapid advances through partnerships between academic and non-academic stakeholders.

NSF C-Accel Pilot will begin with three tracks that are aligned with one of NSF’s 10 Big Ideas themes: Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR) (track A1) and the Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier (FW-HTF) (tracks B1 and B2).

NSF is planning to fund approximately 50 Phase 1 awards (up to nine months and up to $1 million each). Additional funds will be available for a smaller number of Phase 2 awards. The first-step to become part of the NSF C-Accel Pilot is to submit a two-page Research Concept Outline (RCO), aligned with one of NSF’s three tracks, with a target submission date of April 15, 2019. A webinar to answer questions about the submission process or about the NSF C-Accel broadly will be held on April 3, 2019, at 2 p.m. EDT.  

Research Concept Outlines should be submitted to C-Accel@nsf.gov and more information is available here.

nsf, accelerators