Alright, welcome everyone. Let's just. Give everyone maybe a minute to join and then we can start this webinar.
Okay. I guess we can start now. Welcome everyone.
My name is Vern Chandola. I'm a program director in the office of advanced cyber infrastructure at NSF.
And it's my pleasure to welcome you all for this program webinar for the. Cyber infrastructure for sustained scientific innovation.
Or CSSI program in particular. We are talking about the NSF. 2 to 5 1 6 3 2 solicitation.
And I'm joined here by with my colleagues here from OEC and as well as other colleagues from other divisions at NSF and together we'll be happy to take your questions.
But first I would like to talk a little bit more about the program. Right.
The purpose of this webinar is to introduce you to this program. Orient you towards the various aspects of the solicitation and then answer your questions.
So at this point, I will encourage you to start putting in your questions if you have any through the Q&A feature of of this Zoom Webinar and we'll either answer them as you put put them in or answer them collectively at towards the end of the, end of the session. Right.
So, the outline of this webinar is that, end of the session, right? So, the outline of this webinar is that, end of the session, right?
So, the outline of this webinar is that, first I'll provide an overview And then my colleague, sheikh for, he'll take over and talk a little bit more about.
The preparation aspect of the, of the CSSI proposal and, finally we'll have a QA session where we'll, take your questions.
So please, start putting in your questions and, and these slides and the, video of this webinar will also be made available on the same, website that you, registered for this webinar from.
So you'll be able to see these later as well. And what I will also note here is that at the end of these slides you will see many other slides that we'll not really touch upon but these are some of these commonly asked questions that we have answers for there.
So again, we are talking about the NSF 2 2 6 3 2 solicitation. The deadline for which this year is December one.
So coming up soon. All right, so let's get started with the webinar here. So the CSSI program, this is a cross direct rate activity at NSF.
It's been there for several years now and the focus here is is to support the development and deployment of data and software cyber infrastructure.
So, CSSI covers both data and software, cyber infrastructure covers both data and software, cyber infrastructure.
And the focus here is to, fund development of these components so that they can be used by the research and software, cyber infrastructure.
And the focus here is to, fund development of these components so that they can be used by so as I said, this is a cross-directed opportunity.
That is why you'll see many of my colleagues from other divisions across the different directories at NSF here to answer your questions.
Right. And we strongly encourage you to. For, you, for those of you who are putting a proposal to describe your data management and software development approaches here through well defined software engineering data engineering practices.
So before you get started on a CSSI proposal, this is what we would like you to.
You know, be aware of, right? So the first question that you need to ask is, is the research that is needed to be done before the development of the CI, has that already been done or not?
I should strongly note here that CSSI does not fund. Basically research that is needed to develop the CI.
What we expect is that the development, the methods and the verification and validation of these methods in, in the domains that you're targeting has been done and the main focus of this activity is to is for implementation and development of this cyber infrastructure and bringing it to the community and developing the community.
Right. The second thing that you need to understand and make clear in your proposal is who is the CI for right if your focus is on developing something that will be used by your own research group.
Or within your home institution then CSSI is not the right fit. And in CSSI, we target.
Activities which are which are which are 4 or clearly identified research community right and this could be one community or multiple communities, but you need to make that clear.
So what communities are you targeting? With that you also need to clearly identify why is there a need for what you are proposing in that community right or what we strongly discourage our approaches which are we will build it and they will come.
Approaches so we want to see a clear need and a clear engagement with the community from the outset.
It, there should be clear plans of how. The CI will be sustained and how it will benefit the part of the target community beyond the lifetime.
I know that many of you might have. Written NSF proposals before, so you would be familiar with the intellectual merit and broader impacts, but, every CSSI proposal is looked at along these 3 different review criteria.
So 2 are you know the same as any other NSF proposal which is intellectual merits and broader impacts what are the intellectual merits of this proposal and what are the potential broader impacts right and for more details I'll ask you to look at the solicitation where we clearly outline what what this entails.
I should emphasize that we also look at every proposal from a set of CSSI specific review criteria and I'll talk about that subsequently, but please take a look at that as well in the solicitation before you prepare your proposal.
So talking a little bit more about CSSI specific review criteria. So this is similar to what we mentioned.
You need to show that your proposal or the proposed CI is science driven and innovative. Then we also look at how you plan to build this so that is what we call the cyber infrastructure plan so what are your plans to build what is a process architecture are you leveraging on existing capabilities and is this fostering collaboration, across the stakeholders.
And then finally, the measurable outcomes. What are your deliverables? How will these be? Deployed, out into the community.
How will you measure? The impact of this CI what will be a metrics and what will be your plans of measuring the impact through these metrics.
So these are the things that, form this CSSI specifically with criteria and a very critical.
For the success of any proposal. So, let me elaborate on the innovative aspect because sometimes that, is not clear because this is in some ways a little different NSF program than others you might have seen.
Because here the focus is on development rather than, any. New research right but we still look for innovation in 2 ways one is that it should enable research innovation in the target area, right?
So you need to clearly identify what are the innovative and transformational capabilities which this project will bring to the target community.
And it should also have a should achieve innovation through the development of this CI. So what are the different innovative, approaches that you will take in the development of this CI. Right?
And at the same time, we would like you to also look at, how you would address disruptive changes in technology in the application and the changing requirements.
So things like privacy, trust, transparency, reproducibility and other aspects. If, those are relevant for, your particular, effort, then you should clearly address how you will, handle those disruptive changes.
So if you're putting together a CSI proposal, there are 3 different project classes that you can target and these differ in terms of their scope and what is expected as well as how much funding you can request through these.
So the smallest category but one category that we have is what we call Elements Award. So this is a a proposal where we expect a small group to come together to develop robust capabilities, could be software or data.
But still targeting one or more communities, right? And these awards are, you can ask up to 600 K and up to 3 years.
Framework implementations are our larger awards where we expect larger interdisciplinary teams coming together.
Again, building a common infrastructure that is solving. You know, clearly, identified problems in one or more, communities.
These are larger awards as I said you can request from 600 K up to 5 million for any between 3 to 5 years.
And then we have a track called Transition to Sustainability. This is, you know, this is the third year we are running this track and here the focus is on, on executing a well-defined sustainability plan for some existing CI that you might have.
And here you could a request for up to 1 million for up to 2 years. And I'll talk a little bit more about the this particular track since this is.
So new. So. Transition to sustainability is.
Is a track where we where the focus is that here is a cyber infrastructure that you have.
It is being used by the community, but now you want to take it to the next level. You want to make it fully self-sustained or sustained without any NSF support. So how do you do that?
So That execution, right, can be done within this transition to Sustainability class of awards.
So here we are not looking for just. Additional funding for 2 more years of sustaining this CI.
What we are looking for is 2 years where you will, you know, just focus on developing a plan for sustaining this beyond those 2 years after those 2 years.
So. A competitive proposal in this track. It should focus on an existing code or database or tool base, right?
There should be an already established user community. Around it. And, this CI should have already shown impact on discovery and research and education in these communities.
And then Starting from there, you in this proposal you would pull together a long-term sustainability plan with clear metrics of success.
So. Of course, we do not necessarily mandate how you want to. Achieve sustainability in this track.
And there could be different ways and we welcome, different approaches here. But for some examples, this could be, you know, furthering community outreach and engagement or, focusing on user training or adding documentation or technical support or sometimes even improvements in the code quality or the interfaces so that this can be sustained.
To ensure that what you are proposing is aligned with what, what is being, Hmm, asked there, right?
And at the same time, we also strongly encourage you to reach out to program officers in these divisions that you want to target.
Along with the OEC program offices to check the alignment of your idea with the divisional priorities.
At the same time we also want to, emphasize that, as noted in the solicitation.
We, expect that, we encourage, proposals that aligned with current OEC priority areas as well, including the National AI research resource or Nair and the national, cloud, national discovery cloud, or NDCC.
We also want to encourage or continue to encourage proposals that are targeted around building data related cyber infrastructure.
That enable research in different areas of science and engineering, for different, aims and objectives including, enabling AI power research in these areas.
Okay, so at this point what I'll do is I'll switch. I'll hand the.
Arain so over to my colleague Sheikh who will take you through. More details about the proposal, preparation.
So shake whenever you're ready and let me know when you want me to. Switch to the next slide.
Thank you, Varun. Welcome everybody and thank you to my other colleagues from OEC and other.
Director. Right. So now we here I will next few slides I'll go over the mechanisms and the proposal writing so the first is who are eligible to participates is obviously university and college.
And you can see the list. Non-profit non-academic organizations are eligible. And if you've already see which just federally funded research and development center.
Among the FFR DC only NSF sponsor, there are a few 4 or 5, in this, funded.
If I already see they can apply for. So for example, Department of Energy labs are not eligible to submit the proposal we had seen participation from those but they came as a sort of a joint faculty they had an university role and they come usually as or one of the things.
The number of. Proposal that you can submit. SPI or POPII as a, senior personal, it's limited to one.
So if you're submitting an element class You cannot submit any other proposal. In any other class.
So, and there's no exception to that.
Next slide.
I'm sorry. There you go.
Okay, well. Yeah. And, this, the proposal preparation is standard. You can.
Have to submit it through research. Gov or gran.com.
First lane has been retired or is about retired so for CSSI even if fastland is active you have to submit it through research.
Gov. Our grants.com. And, the proposal, official proposal repression, guideline is given the link is here at the Pab G. You need to follow that.
There are a few, CSSI is specific. guidelines. I'll talk about those in the next slide.
Next one, please.
So you have to have a cover sheet. And, in the cover sheet when you're, filling out it is in the results that gov you should, choose software institute as the program.
And the title like, many other NSF title, you have to first. Mention the proposal class is it in any element or in framework or in sustainability code followed by your proposal title.
Next one, please.
Next slide.
So. In addition to the guideline, the general guideline for all in a set proposal. We want to look at these things that been addressed in your proposal description.
One is we want you to clearly identify and write about what's your project motivation and impact. That's what what Dovarun was talking about.
Is science driven, what signs actually do we enable, right? And what are the, motivation and the innovation in that part.
And another part is CSSI is for enabling signs and But what are the cyber infrastructure plan?
That means you are developing a cyber infrastructure, implemented in a cyber infrastructure, either in the software and data or both.
How you're going to implement that on the cyber infrastructure part. So that you can have the proposed architecture.
That what are the capabilities it will have and those sort of description that your proposal should address. Along with the scientific motivation and the innovation part.
That cyber infrastructure part should be clearly articulated and are described. And then and another thing which is sort of we are looking at since it is a development and implementation type of, Oh, we want you to define.
Clearly what are the deliverables? And the impact. And for that you need to develop or describe the matrix that by this matrix.
You will measure that how the community is using. So your metrics should be appropriate. To your program activities that you will do this, how do you measure this?
You are developing a website. And people the scientific community will download data from there or something of that sort of how you're going to what the metrics you measure that it is impactful.
So you have to describe that. And this usage metric because it is for a scientific community. There's a clear need in science community.
And your cyber infrastructure is meeting that community, how you are going to measure that. That has to be described clearly.
And, as I will, explain in a couple of slide later. That there are additional supplementary document.
So we do have requires a supplementary document. Around these measurable outcomes.
Next slide, please.
So these are the supplementary document in addition to your. Project summary and project description that, a CSSI proposal have.
Some are applicable to all CSSA proposal. Some are only applicable to a practical. So this delivery mechanism and commodity usage metric which which I just talked about.
How you have to have a up to 2 page description as a supplemental document. So that's a required document for all 3 classes.
Elements. framework as well as. A sustainability. Management and coordination plan.
Is only applicable to 3 more plus of proposal, the, length is limited to 3 page.
So generally if I work a class of proposals are multi-institutional, more PIs, bigger groups.
So how you're going to manage those. What are their coordination plan that has to be addressed in this supplemental document?
CI professional mentoring. Our development plan. I'll, there's another slide which will elaborate a little bit more.
But you have to, if you are requesting fund. Or a CI professional. So these are the software engineer, these are software engineer, system administrator.
Those who will help you to implement develop and implement that cyber infrastructure. How you're planning to mentor them develop them that has to be addressed by these it has 2 page limitation it is somewhat akin to you can think of the postdoc mentoring plan in other proposals.
Some of you may have seen, you know, other solicitation. If you proposal is, your, a project is, planning to use, HTC resources, high throughput computing resources.
Or cloud computing resources such as cloudbank. So you have to write a supplementary document and you may use both.
2 page for HTC and 2 page for cloud back. And I will have another slide about, these 2.
And then later of collaboration, just a standard, I like any other proposals, other, innocent proposals.
If you have got collaborators, stakeholders. The letter of collaboration you can include. And then project all for all, 3 class of proposal, you have to.
Have this project personal and partner and institutional information.
Next slide, please. And Vorum, you can always, jump in. To clarify for that or any other colleague please
So this is somewhat. Kind of unique to, CSSI. That you have to have a community usage metrics for all classes of proposal.
So these metrics has to be sort of measurable quantifiable. And this wants to, we want to see that how community is adopting it, using it.
And what type of engagement these might fix through. And when you're. Developing this metric we want to see.
Year by year, your project is 3 years. So your target for year one that 5 people will use my, software in these days.
My second year, we'll see product adoption, it goes to 15. So these are the we want year by year.
We want clearly identify the metrics. Which is appropriate for active your activity. And we want to have this clear year by year target for all classes of proposal.
And the metric you choose should be. Appropriate with the activities that you are doing. You are developing a map live for me for this.
Geosize application or is a certain library. You want to see this many downloads or this many usage?
And it could be anything whatever the metric you define that has to be appropriate. That it is measuring that activity, the program activity.
The project activity that we are doing. I need
And the viability and the mechanism for the employee of collecting this metric should also be and described. You just don't say that these are the Meet Free.
Yeah.
These are the How are you going to find those out? Using the survey. Oh, you would get.
Static sticks from GitHub page. So these are some of the things that usually you can do.
Next slide, please.
So the CI professional as I already mentioned. And I don't want to dwell on it too much.
So the what is CI professional? The Ca professionals at that. Non-faculty.
So you may have a, a software engineer. You may have research software engineer, you may have a system administrator.
A your infrastructure or that you are proposing that would require an IT specialist. So those are the . A.
Professional. If you request budget for those, this If you have a CIA professional, we need a budget.
Then you have to have a clear description how you are going to mentored them, developed them and that should include that this training is the project providing any training you are doing.
Guidance mentoring sending them to conferences, things of that sort. Should come into this. Ci, mentoring plans here mentoring and development plan.
Next one.
So if you are using planning to use HTC resources. And the link is given here. Through park you have to describe how you are anticipating your project.
Will use this SDC. And you should have a technical description. Why you need, HDC, And.
If you are adding HDC in your, proposal, then you should mention without space, HDC access, the keyword.
In your So that's, that's how we can. I didn't identify that this proposal is requesting HDC access.
And same thing is true for cloudbank, for the next slide.
So if you're planning to use cloud computing through Cloud Bank.
And then. You should actually mention that in your proposal description, but you will have. Also 2 additional place page to justify that.
One thing you should, include is what is your anticipated. Cost for total cost of accessing and you have to provide a description and the justification for that.
And when you are doing the budget you have to take that into consideration but if you are using Cloudsband you also have to mention without space cloud access as a keyword into the project.
So if you're using HTC. You need to HDC access. And if you're using Cloud Bank, you have to add cloud access as keyword into your project suddenly.
If you're using both some project may need both if you think then you have to add both of those.
Next slide.
So in case of your planning to use cloud, bank. And say you need, $30,000.
Worth of cloud then you need to deduct that from your total project process. Say for example, you are writing an, element proposal which has got upper limit of 600,000 and you're planning $30,000 that you may need.
Then your project, total budget should not exceed. 600,000 minus your cloud, which is 30,000.
Over, 570,000.
And if you have got any further question regarding this we'll add Next slide.
So as a Voron mentioned that your cyber, we want to see CSSI has leveraged.
Existing capability, existing investment. So some of that, if you think. That your project would benefit through resource access like the cloud bank.
And one thing we want to, sort of highlight here is access. I don't know how many of you may have know about access or this predecessor exceed.
So if. We want you to look at these resources available to researcher cycle infrastructure. For example, open science, data format, science gateway, our Cdnexus, we are not going to spend much time, but while you are developing your proposals and you need support or resources.
There are many resources available and you can refer to those in your proposal. This would be used. Oh exist.
In this manner into your project implementation. Next slide.
So access has a very well developed. web page and, so through access.
You can actually access. Several. Hi, HBC resources.
That NSF has invested over the time. Some of the, you may know some of them and the list is here, some of the examples stamp it to front terra.
Bridges to at, Page Bugs for Computing Center or Tech or San Diego Super Computing Center in a different way.
So you can access, you can use those and you can include those disk description. Actually new a proposal how you're planning to use say if you want to use access resources or open source data format.
So you can, you should describe those in your proposal.
Next slide, please.
And as a little already mentioned, the deadline is December one. And. We are going to send by November one.
Review panel
You should fill up or if you know your colleagues who are, expert in different areas, they, you can encourage them.
To fill out this survey. To act as a to be one to be a panelist. The proposal view is December one.
Review will start in early, 24 and We our plan is to announce the hours like end of spring summer over the summer.
That's the timeline. And now we'll open it for questions. I think there are already some questions.
And.
Right, thank you, Shake. So yes, as Shake said, this would be a time for you to ask any questions.
That you might have about the about the program i should also again remind you that we will make the slides and this recording of this, webinar available as well.
So with this, let's sort of open it up for questions. I'll ask my NSF colleagues to, you know, if there's any question that they would like to answer, please feel free to, you know, if there's any question that they would like to answer, please feel free to, speak up at that point.
And Marlon, my, Marlon Pierce. So another one of my OEC colleagues has, a volunteer to read out the questions and then what we'll do is that the questions that have not been answered yet we'll start reading them out aloud and start answering those so so Marlon Whenever you wanna start reading other questions.
Okay, yeah, thanks, Hopefully you can hear me okay. So, okay, so first question is from Chris rapier.
If we have previously been awarded CSSI Elements grant for the project. Is it possible to get another Elements Award?
To work on different and novel aspects of the same project that we're not previous of the project not previously funded.
Yeah, So, one thing I should note is that every CSSI proposal is treated, as a new proposal.
Alright, but as, Sheikh had mentioned earlier too, and you'll see this in the solicitation that if you've had a CSSI award then you're required to provide you know clearly show what has been accomplished through that award.
As part of the prior work and how have you been successful in engaging the community and all the other aspects right now if you're thinking about a new CSSI proposal which is connected but not you know just an incremental update to the existing award then those could be considered but you will have to clearly show why a new activity is needed beyond what you're already engaged with, right?
So, Is this driven by a need from the community and is that work? You know, significant enough to merit a separate, activity.
So hopefully that answers your question.
Next question is from Gabriel Bowen. Innovation and CI development sounds like fundamental research but the program doesn't support fundamental research.
Can you provide examples or suggestions for how to walk this line?
Sure, yeah. So, what we are looking for when we say innovation in the development is the cyber infrastructure are existing.
Techniques and strategies to do CI development, right? So we do not necessarily expect you to come up with new ways of doing this more efficiently.
That would not be in scope of CSSI. But what we look for is taking a best practices or some new ways of software development or data engineering that you're bringing in into the CID. So new, ways of software development or, data engineering that you're bringing in into the CI development.
Workflow.
And feel free to, you know, you know, ask a follow-up question if, if you are not satisfied with the answer, but maybe we can move forward.
If you are not satisfied with the answer, but maybe we can move forward. On.
So because once the award is done you need to outline how Will you make this available to the community?
And what would, how would you, you know, leverage existing. Hardware resources to do that.
And that's where I think what Sheikh mentioned earlier, what Sheikh mentioned earlier, things like, what Sheikh mentioned earlier, things like, what Sheikh mentioned earlier, things like, you know, access and other resources that are funded through O
And cloudbank as well.
Exactly. And then, let me just stop here and maybe, my other colleagues from, other divisions, if they want to.
Yeah, quickly. Maybe provide some. Hints about what kind of data CI would be covered in the CSSI.
Seeing.
But I just want to add to your answer to the, the question before that. Purchasing of storage or other things for the data.
CI is it appropriate. I think Sharon and Rob is here, they can say. But, OEC has another program called CC star.
But it provides, like compute or storage, network type of things, the particular list for buying hardware.
For enabling signs. And in the sustainability planning you may say that I don't know whether that would be a opinion but we do have mechanism.
For our solicitation for buying hardware for storage or network those type of things. I just wanted to add that.
Thanks, Jake. Yeah, that's the campus cyber infrastructure or CC star solicitation.
That's Shake Mention. Anyone else? I know. Add anything otherwise let's maybe Marlon maybe we can move on to the next one
Sure. Regarding the limit to one proposal per PI. If someone is a copion or previous CSI proposal, presumably funded, can the person be a co-pi on a CSI proposal this year?
Yeah, so that limit is only for, the current solicitation. So you cannot be on 2 different.
Proposals for the same year solicitation. So in this case, this would be allowed.
Okay. Next question is under CI professionals. I'm the PI, but I'm staff not faculty and will be doing most of the development myself.
My co-developer is. The Ko Pi, do we still need CI mentoring plans for ourselves?
So, if you want a PI, then you do not have to provide a mentoring plan.
I think this is more for, any CI professional that you have budgeted in your, budgeted for in your proposal.
Okay, next question is.
If we were to budget for a senior engineer's time on an hourly basis as a subtle word, this person is not supervised by the Pi's.
Does that still require a CI professional mentoring and development plan?
So if you are, if your proposal has a sub award going out to another entity, then that, the handling of that sub award would be done through your organization which is making the sub awards so for For CSSI, the requirement for a CI mentoring plan would be limited to.
Those who are directly, budgeted under, one of the collaborative or the, or if it's a single proposal.
Next question. What advice can you give on Glad proposals versus single proposals with sub contracts. Extra overhead on the subcontracts does worry us but I've heard another context that the management plan might be more convincing.
With a single proposal, any advice would be helpful.
Okay, so. And at this point, if, others would like to, join in, please feel free.
From my perspective, we we look for a clear collaborative plan included in the proposal it does not matter if it's coming in as a collaborative proposal or one proposal with several sub awards.
I take, irrespective. We want to see. Clear, clear description of how the collaboration will be done and how this will.
How the different, participants would be engaged in the development as a CI.
Sure.
So I can just add a little to that. Yeah, so, you know, I've dealt with a lot of collaboratives that actually sometimes combine separate proposals and then sub awards.
And so yes there are advantages and disadvantages. Of each, but one advantage of a collaborative proposal is that each, PI and KPI on a collab versus a sub award gets credit at their institution.
For having an award so that's that's a plus for and, the expectation as Ruin said is that whether it's a collab or managed to sub awards, we expect you all to collaborate effectively.
And there to be clear. Lines of communication throughout the the life cycle of the project. That said, you know, a single award with, some awards.
There is perhaps slightly tighter management on, you know, from the perspective of the lead PI.
So. There are. There are differences, but it's really up to you to decide.
And like I said, you can combine the methods as well.
Thank you, Reid. All right.
I had a comment about that also quickly, which is, you probably know that this stuff has a vigorous app score outreach program and, We learned recently.
Upscore partners. Get our considered if they're a linked proposals, but not as subordinates.
So. That doesn't necessarily contradict anybody else's device or act as a special circumstance, but it's something to consider if you're partnering or if you're an added app score state.
That's a great point, Martin. Thank you. All right, let's move to the next one.
Yeah, by November first you will. Ask for suggestions for reviewers but who will get asked for these suggestions?
Is there an expression of interest allowed you to know which proposals to be coming in?
So, thanks for that question. But those are 2 different things. So the survey that we mentioned would be sent out to the entire, CSSI community.
And, we would just, and that would be to seek. Your interest in participating in the panels and you can do that Even if you're not, submitting any proposals or even if you have never, been a CSI awardly or have ever written a CSI proposal if you think that your your background fits what or your expertise can be useful for evaluating CSSI
proposals. Please feel free to. Respond to that survey but in no ways that is that connected to the to the proposals.
Let's go to the next one.
We use cloud resources outside of Cloud Bank if yes, you, just make them part of the regular budget.
Sure. Yeah, you're allowed to use a budget for cloud resources outside Cloud Bank as well.
However, if you are planning to do that, we would still ask you to look at Cloud Bank as well as maybe a potential source to.
To fund your, or to meet your needs. But again, you are allowed to.
Include others as long as you are justifying that in your budget but again you are allowed to include others as long as you are justifying that in your budget request.
Okay, let's move to the next one.
Does the program have a preference between hiring research software engineers or contracting small firms that have relevant specialization.
So the solicitation does not make a difference between the 2. And, whatever approach, better suits your needs.
I would say that would be a you can go that way.
Yeah. Next question. Are scientists not working in academia, EG, those working in the mission agencies, state and county governments and NGOs considered part of the scientific community for CSI projects.
So, certainly, the CSSI community that we, we hope that your proposals target does not only include academia, right?
It does not only include academia, right? So it could be, does not only include academia, right?
So it could be, it's not only include academia, right? So it could be, it is a broader community, right?
So it could be, it's not only include academia, right? So it could be, it is a broader community and which could include, you know, groups that you have listed here.
So yes, it's not just acad So how will these communities be? Engage, how will you engage with these communities and how will you ensure that, you, the, CI that you're proposing is sustained.
Through this engagement. But, again, it does not just limit to academia.
And I see Cheryl has our end up. So, Chad, go ahead.
Well, I think it's just important to note that generally speaking NSF will not fund government employees as part of a proposal.
So you can't ask for salary for government employees. That doesn't mean that. You know, they may not be able, they may be able to be involved at some level and certainly can be part of the broader community, but if you're thinking of somebody as a PI or a KPI or senior investigator from a federal statistical agency, for example, that probably would not work.
That's right. Thank you, Cheryl. Yes. For the eligibility for anyone who's involved in the proposal, I think as Sheikh had listed and, please look at that to see if, you're eligible or not.
And I took this question also from the perspective of the target community with who would benefit from. The CI and in that case.
You could consider them as part of this community but again you'll have to clearly outline how you'll engage with them and how they will contribute to the sustain.
So, to sustaining this CIB on the years of Monday.
Maybe I think we have one more.
Question. If the proposal is about improving the cost effectiveness, performance and usage of existing CI for IT professionals should we focus more on the fundamental research about the architecture workflow and data management.
Or on the interaction efficiency improvements. For IT professionals.
Okay, I'm trying to just. Make sure that I understand this well. So what you're asking is that, you're, the proposal is around improving the cost effectiveness of existing CI for IT professionals.
So I should note that, the CSSI program is about developing new CI. And not improving existing CI.
So there's a there's a difference there. Right. But if, what you are developing is, a lower level, or lower layer, software or a component that can then be injected into these different so that would still be within scope but what we are not looking for are ways to improve existing.
Cia solutions right and so in and again the focus would be on development of that CI and on reaching out to the community and building the community and not on the fundamental research that would go into that CI.
And I see Shakes hand is up. So check, go ahead.
I just want to reiterate what Varun said at the beginning also is that, the CI is for, there is a demonstrated research.
So if it is an IT professional or personal need. You can probably construe is as a research need but that's primarily CSR ICA development is there is a Need in the scientific and research community.
That's what, this. Ci would address. Just.
Thanks, Jake. Yeah, I think that's right. And I think that was the last question we have so far, but.
Please, feel free to add more. I think we still have some time.
So we'll we'll wait for a few more minutes to see if there any other pending questions and at this point I'll also, you know, ask my other colleagues if they have any additional points they would like to add here.
Milan, go ahead.
Yeah, as always, so we, welcome people to participate as reviewers. So if you decide not to submit this round, we'd probably like to see you, we're volunteering for a review panel.
Definitely, yes.
And one more thing is you may have question later so you can, the last slide you'll see that you can send queries.
Email to, we have a, Email channel open. So one of us would, respond to that.
You can obviously individually reach out to the. Program officers. If you have any clarification question that you need.
Beyond what's in the solicitation.
That's right. Eric, go ahead.
Yeah, I just to re-emphasize. You know, you could look at the website and see.
Yeah, the program managers in the various disciplines. You know, We do encourage you to contact us.
It's often, you know, quite useful to, to contact the discipline program managers that are involved.
So, you know, please reach out if you have any questions.
Yes, thanks, Eric. And always, you know, it helps if you have, maybe a one page description of what you want to.
Propose, that helps us see what, your ideas are.
Any other inputs or any other questions? I don't see any new questions coming up, but maybe that's just give one more.
Minute, okay, I see one more. And maybe I can just. Read it out, So the question is if we have different potential users from different areas, do we need to include different divisions in our proposal?
So, yes, as I said in the beginning, you are not limited to just one community or one, area, right?
You could propose something that's that can impact multiple, years or maybe, many areas of science and engineering.
And, So and in your proposal it will be good to highlight how this would impact these different communities right and at the same time.
You can reach out to the different programmed directors who are you know related to those different programmed directors who are you know related to those different areas to see how you can best position your proposal to address the
Any other questions?
All right, so not seeing any new questions. I would say this would be a good time and we are right under the hour.
So I would like to thank you all again for attending and we look forward to your proposals and before that we would be happy to answer any questions that you might have. You know, as you can see the link here.
We would be happy to answer any questions that you might have. You know, as you can see the link here.
So there's that you can send your questions to. So we look forward to that as well.
So with that I would bring this, webinar to a close, but with that I would like to thank everyone from NSF, my colleagues from OAC and other divisions for, for attending and, helping out with the question that answers and we look forward again to hearing from.