Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Dynamic Data Driven Applications Systems (DDDAS) Solicitation NSF 05-570

Q: On Collaborative proposals with international partners: How would NSF and other International Partners coordinate their reviews of the DDDAS proposals?

A: The US-based investigators will submit a proposal to NSF, in which they include information on the overseas collaboration, the technical aspects of that collaboration and the value it brings to the project. Such overseas collaborators may already have funding that will enable them to perform their part of the work, or they may be planning to submit funding requests. The overseas collaborators will submit to their respective funding agencies; their submission may refer to the NSF proposal. The proposals will be reviewed by the respective agencies. In the case where a proposal submitted to NSF is selected for funding, the overseas collaborators may reference that information in their submissions. US-based proposers are encouraged to review the guidelines of the NSF Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) with respect to international support.

Q: Is there any chance of a South African Group getting funding under this program or any other form of co-operation?

A: The paragraph in the solicitation states that all international collaborations are encouraged. Note that, while the EU programs and UK e-Sciences programs are listed as cooperating, the solicitation is open to other overseas collaborations, where the overseas partners are supported (or can be supported) by funding agencies in their respective countries.

Q: Can you describe possible funding scenarios for industrial partners in a proposal?

A: NSF funds primarily academic research. In this solicitation we encourage collaborations with industry, but we don’t expect every proposal to have industrial collaboration. In the case of industrial collaborations, the proposal must explain the role, interaction, scope of work and other contributions of the industrial partner, and the technology transfer path. In many cases the industry will fund their own part of their collaboration. For collaborations including small companies (<500 employees) where the company is eligible for SBIR funding, funding for the small business industrial partner is best sought via submission to the NSF SBIR/STTR Program (as discussed in the solicitation). In this case, small business proposers should submit to the SBIR/STTR Program, and their submission should refer to the DDDAS proposal in which they are collaborating. The proposals will be reviewed by the respective two programs: DDDAS and SBIR/STTR. In the case where a proposal submitted to the DDDAS program is selected for funding, the industrial collaborators may reference that information in their submission to the SBIR/STTR program.

Q: The NSF BIO Directorate is not listed in the solicitation, can we submit proposals related to BIO?

A: As long as the proposal is responsive to the scope of the DDDAS concept and the areas included in the program solicitation then you may submit a proposal. The proposal will be reviewed and as with all the other proposals we will do our best to fund as many meritorious proposals as possible. Also please note the participation of NIH whose areas of interest might be aligned with the scope of your particular proposal.

Q: The NSF GEO Directorate is not listed in the solicitation, can we submit proposals related to GEO?

A: As long as the proposal is responsive to the scope of the DDDAS concept and the areas included in the program solicitation then you may submit a proposal. The proposal will be reviewed and as with all the other proposals we will do our best to fund as many meritorious proposals as possible. Also please note the participation of NOAA whose areas of interest might align with the scope of your particular proposal.

Q: Can I propose this project to more than one agency at the same time?

A: According to NSF policy, a proposal may be submitted to NSF at the same time that it is submitted to another agency. However it is the proposer’s responsibility to ensure compliance with other agencies policies regarding multiple submissions. In general, if the proposal gets funded from the other agency for this work, the proposer must notify NSF of that award (and withdraw the proposal from NSF). In the converse, if NSF funds the project the proposer must notify the other agency that the project has been funded.