Training-based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (CyberTraining)

The Training-based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (CyberTraining) program, administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is a key initiative aimed at bolstering the national scientific research workforce through training and education in advanced cyberinfrastructure (CI). This solicitation aligns with NSF’s mission to advance national health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting research and education across all science and engineering domains. The program emphasizes nurturing future CI professionals, contributors, and users, offering them comprehensive training in computation, data analysis, networking, and security within the context of enabling fundamental scientific and engineering research. The CyberTraining program is led by the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) within the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), with support from other directorates and divisions. The program seeks to address two primary goals: increasing the adoption of CI tools and methods across the research community to catalyze breakthroughs in fundamental science and engineering, and integrating computational and data-driven literacy into undergraduate and graduate education. To that end, it supports a range of activities, including informal training workshops, development of curricula, and scalable educational materials aimed at diverse learner groups from undergraduates to research professionals. Proposals to this funding opportunity must align with one of two defined project classes. Pilot Projects are exploratory initiatives with a funding ceiling of $300,000 over up to two years. Implementation Projects are divided into Small (up to $500,000) and Medium (up to $1,000,000) categories, with durations up to four years. Implementation awards aim to expand access to CI education and create community-wide impact through training, curriculum integration, and sustainable educational infrastructure. All projects are expected to clearly demonstrate their relevance to targeted scientific communities and must include at least one PI or co-PI with relevant expertise in both CI and the scientific domain of focus. The submission process is facilitated through either Research.gov or Grants.gov, following the current NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Full proposals are required, with no letters of intent or preliminary proposals. Applications must include specific elements such as a Project Summary, Project Description (15-page limit), and supplementary documents detailing management plans and mentoring strategies. Additional documents are necessary for projects requesting cloud or high-throughput computing resources. Applicants are encouraged to consult with the relevant program officers prior to submission and must document these consultations in the proposal. Evaluation of submissions will be based on standard NSF merit review criteria—intellectual merit and broader impacts—as well as solicitation-specific criteria including alignment with program goals, scalability, sustainability, recruitment and evaluation strategies, and community engagement plans. Awards are anticipated for up to 18 projects per cycle, with a total expected program funding of approximately $9.3 million, contingent on the availability of funds. All awards are either standard grants, continuing grants, or cooperative agreements. Deadlines for proposal submission are set annually for the third Thursday in January, with the most recent due date listed as January 18, 2024. The program is recurring and anticipates subsequent rounds each year. All awardees must participate in annual principal investigator meetings near NSF headquarters, with travel costs covered by the grant. NSF strongly encourages proposals from institutions and communities with traditionally low levels of CI adoption and emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion across all activities. Contacts for the program are listed by division, with primary points of contact located in CISE/OAC.

Contact relevant program officers in advance; clearly articulate interdisciplinary relevance and training outcomes.