National Science Foundation (NSF 08-583) Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program

Please distribute this information to your faculty to determine if they have an interest in submitting a proposal to this program.

WHAT: Limited Submission Proposal for the National Science Foundation (NSF 08-583) Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program

WHO:  A senior institutional administrator (dean or higher) in the lead institution must serve as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator.   

WHY:  NSF anticipates making 12-15 awards, with each award having a maximum amount of $600,000 for a duration of two or three years.

WHEN: Internal proposal deadline of August 3, 2009.

HOW:  Faculty should submit internal proposal to osppc@tamu.edu for review by the internal selection committee.   

THE FINE PRINT:

The funding agency below has limited the number of proposals to two per institution, with a maximum of one proposal as the lead institution.  If the number of faculty wishing to submit a proposal exceeds the number allowed by the agency, we will conduct an internal selection process. Below are due dates for the program, including the due date of the internal proposal for review by the internal selection committee, the date for announcement of the internal selection and the due date for submission to the agency.                                      

AGENCY:  National Science Foundation (NSF)

AGENCY PROGRAM TITLE:  NSF 08-583 Partnerships for Innovation (PFI)

BRIEF PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:  The Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program has three goals:  stimulate the transformation of knowledge created by the national research and education enterprise into innovations that create new wealth; broaden the participation of all types of academic institutions and all citizens in NSF activities to more fully meet the broad workforce needs of the national innovation enterprise; and catalyze or enhance enabling infrastructure necessary to foster and sustain innovation in the long-term.

Proposed partnerships must include academic institutions and private sector organizations.  A Partnership proposal must be submitted as a single administrative package by the lead institution.  Partnerships that include state/local government entities are strongly encouraged.  Also, the submitting institution must serve as the lead institution or partner in the proposed partnership.

Proposals may propose any one or combination of the following activities:  research, knowledge transfer and/or commercialization; workforce education and/or training; and establishing the infrastructure to accomplish or enable innovation.  Innovation should be the proposed outcome, not the formation of partnerships.  The outcomes for proposed activities must foster economic and/or societal well-being that can be sustained in the long term.  The participation of institutions that serve groups currently underrepresented in the science, engineering and technological workforce is strongly encouraged.

Further, proposals may:  capitalize upon the shared interests of regional academic institutions, local and state governments, and the private sector to contribute to the innovation enterprise; enable small-and medium-sized businesses to utilize the resources and capabilities of academic institutions; promote and enable innovation as a specific goal by increasing the scientific and technological capabilities of the workforce; strengthen the capabilities of all academic institutions to contribute to the innovation process; enable technological innovation through the synergistic development, integration and transfer of new knowledge to partners that can create economic or societal well-being; involve research into the effectiveness of modes of organizing, managing and/or providing infrastructure for innovation; create and validate new generalized models that integrate research and education capacity to create a critical level of technological innovation in a state or a region; and incorporate international collaborative activities when appropriate, especially the exposure of U. S. students and early-career professionals to research and innovation in a global context.

Each partnership proposal is anticipated to have the following basic organizational structure:  two academic institutions and one private sector partner.  One academic institution will be the lead institution and the other academic institution will be a subawardee. 

More information can be found at:  http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08583/nsf08583.htm         

AGENCIES ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT:  The Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program must be submitted by U.S. universities and two-and four-year colleges located in the U.S., its territories or possessions.   Partners may include other academic institutions, not-for-profit organizations, private sector firms, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, state and local government entities, trade and professional associations, as well as federal laboratories.

AWARD INFORMATION:   The NSF Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program anticipates making 12-15 awards, with each award having a maximum amount of $600,000 for a duration of two or three years.  Salary support for personnel employed by federal agencies or federally funded research and development centers will be not provided. 

Costs for travel for the PI for one trip per year to report on progress or participate in PFI workshops should be included in the requested budget.  Additional travel costs for partners or other participants on the project to travel for the same or similar purposes may be included.

ELIGIBLE PROJECT COSTS:   Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:  NONE.

COST SHARING:  NONE.     

Internal Selection Procedures and Deadlines

July 31, 2009:  Deadline for an email of intent, including the names of the PI and co-PIs, title of internal proposal and a 1-3 sentence description of the project.  Send email of intent to osppc@tamu.edu     

August 3, 2009: Deadline to obtain signatures of approval from your department head and college dean to submit an internal proposal to the Research Policy and Development Support Office for review by the internal selection committee.  The internal proposal should include:

• An executive summary, up to three pages, based on the proposal description as outlined in the NSF program announcement;
• Summary budget;
• Project and Management Plans (including team members)

The form for completing the internal proposal is here. This completed form should be submitted electronically to osppc@tamu.edu for review by the internal selection committee.

*Once your internal proposal has been received with all of the necessary signatures, you will receive an email indicating it will be reviewed by the internal selection committee.  If you do not receive the confirmation email, please call 979-845-1812.*

Please read the RFP carefully for specific requirements of the program at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08583/nsf08583.htm     

Selection of a proposal will be based on NSF guidelines.  The needs of the university’s reinvestment plan will also be taken into account. 

During the selection process, the internal selection committee may contact departments and colleges for their opinions and commitments.  They may also request additional information from PIs.

August 14, 2009: The Internal Selection Committee will notify PIs of the result of the internal competition.

October 31, 2009:  Deadline for required letter of intent.

December 31, 2009:  Deadline for full proposal: (due by 5 p.m. proposer’s local time).