The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Computing & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) has a number of new funding opportunities. National Robotics Initiative (NSF  15-505)  Full Proposal Due: January 14, 2015 The goal of the National Robotics Initiative is to accelerate the development and use of robots in the United States that work beside or cooperatively with people.  It will development the next generation of robotics, to advance the capability and usability of such systems and artifacts, and to encourage existing and new communities to focus on innovative application areas. Major Research Instrumentation Program (NSF  15-504) Full Proposal Due: January 22, 2015 The Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) serves to increase access […]

The following is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) by Director Dr. France A. Córdova.  October 16, 2014 Dear Colleague, In light of the recent emergence of the lethal Ebola virus in the US, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is accepting proposals to conduct non-medical, non-clinical care research that can be used immediately to better understand how to model and understand the spread of Ebola, educate about prophylactic behaviors, and encourage the development of products, processes, and learning that can address this global challenge. I invite researchers to use the Rapid Response Research (RAPID) funding mechanism, which allows NSF to receive and review proposals having a severe […]

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has three new announcements today related to the BRAIN Initiative and NSF’s Understanding the Brain activities:   NSF 14-611  Integrative Strategies for Understanding Neural and Cognitive Systems (NSF-NCS) This solicitation describes the first phase of a new NSF program to support transformative and integrative research that will accelerate understanding of neural and cognitive systems. INTEGRATIVE FOUNDATIONS awards will support projects that develop foundational advances that are deeply connected to a broad scope of important research questions in cognitive and neural systems, and have significant potential for transformative advances in one or more of the FY 2015 thematic areas. CORE+ EXTENSIONS will provide additional support to projects selected for […]

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced its first wave of investments totaling $46 million to support the goals of the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. President Obama launched the BRAIN Initiative in April 2013 as a new research effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind and uncover new ways to treat, prevent, and cure brain disorders. The initiative is a joint program with funding through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). This first wave of investments through NIH will fund more than 100 investigators so they can develop new tools and technologies to understand neural circuit […]

Dr. James F. Kurose, Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts (UMass), was named the next Assistant Director for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) at NSF, effective January 2015.  Dr. Kurose will assume the position that Dr. Farnam Jahanian successfully held for three years before leaving NSF to become the Vice President for Research at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Dr. Kurose is currently a member of the Computing Research Association (CRA) Board of Directors. For Dr. Kurose’s complete bio click here. The official NSF announcement is available here.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) announced nine research awards to 10 universities totaling nearly $4 million to develop Secure, Trustworthy, Assured, and Resilient Semiconductors and Systems (STARSS). The STARSS program is part of a $75 million cyber security effort by the NSF, aimed at making chips immune from being exploited by hackers who take advantage of hidden Trojan horses that are intentionally or unintentionally inserted into chips by intellectual property (IP).  The goal is to also make it easier to spot counterfeit chips, chips that have been tampered with, and used chips being passed off as new. For more information about this program and the nine […]