Cyber-Physical Systems

The National Science Foundation (NSF), in collaboration with multiple federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (DOT FHWA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA), has announced the Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) program under solicitation NSF 24-581. This funding opportunity aims to support foundational and applied research in CPS, fostering innovation in systems that tightly integrate computational and physical processes. It replaces NSF 21-551 and was posted on June 4, 2024. The CPS program seeks to develop scientific and engineering principles underpinning the integration of cyber and physical elements, and supports projects that generate transformative innovations across domains such as agriculture, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation. Proposals must include detailed project descriptions, evaluation and experimentation plans, and collaboration frameworks. Three categories of projects are eligible: Small (up to $600,000 for 3 years), Medium ($600,001–$1,200,000 for 3 years), and Frontier ($1,200,001–$7,000,000 for 4–5 years). While Small and Medium proposals are accepted on a rolling basis within a specified annual window, Frontier proposals have designated deadlines. Applicants must be accredited U.S. institutions of higher education or non-profit, non-academic research organizations. There are no restrictions on who may serve as PI, but an individual may only participate in two CPS proposals per 12-month period. Additionally, NIFA has separate eligibility criteria for proposals requesting its funding, which includes universities, federal agencies, national labs, private organizations, and individuals who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Frontier and Medium projects must include meaningful Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) plans. Cost sharing is generally not required, although FHWA-funded projects require a 20% match, and NIFA-funded projects may require matching under specific conditions. The submission requirements are detailed and strict. Proposals must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov, with specific formatting and labeling protocols including section headers like “Research Description”, “CPS Research Focus”, “Evaluation/Experimentation Plan”, and “Project Management and Collaboration Plan.” Proposals must also list all key personnel and their roles, and include supplementary documents on data management and BPC or BPE plans. Proposals omitting required elements will be returned without review. Applications are reviewed based on NSF’s merit review criteria and additional solicitation-specific criteria. The program anticipates funding approximately 20 to 31 projects with a total of $30,070,000 in FY 2024, including $4 million from NIFA. Key contact information for program officers from each collaborating agency is provided for applicants seeking further guidance.

Ensure compliance with all formatting and labeling rules Clearly identify core CPS research areas Prepare a detailed experimentation plan Frontier proposals must emphasize education and outreach