NSF Releases Dear Colleague Letter on Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure Opportunities
On October 15, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released a Dear Colleague Letter, signed by the Assistant Directors of all seven research directorates and various Office Heads, announcing the intention to release Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure funding opportunities this fall. Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure is one of NSF’s 10 Big Ideas for future investment and focuses on experimental research capabilities in the mid-scale range (projects costing between $6 million and $70 million)—including in the social and behavioral sciences—that will serve as enabling tools for research and support the work of many investigators over time. The letter (NSF 19-013) outlined that one solicitation will include an opportunity to propose Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure projects with a total project cost of between approximately $6 million and approximately $20 million, pending the availability of funds, and a second solicitation is expected to include an opportunity to propose projects with a total project cost of between approximately $20 million and approximately $70 million, also pending the availability of funds. Keep up with the COSSA Washington Update for the release of these funding opportunities.