Science and Technology Centers: Integrative Partnerships

The Science and Technology Centers (STC): Integrative Partnerships program supports innovative, potentially transformative, complex research and education projects that require large-scale, long-term awards. STCs conduct world-class research through partnerships among academic institutions, national laboratories, industrial organizations, and/or other public/private entities, and via international collaborations, as appropriate. They provide a means to undertake significant investigations at the interfaces of disciplines and/or fresh approaches within disciplines. STCs may involve any area of science and engineering that NSF supports. STC investments support the NSF vision of creating and exploiting new concepts in science and engineering and providing global leadership in research and education.

Centers provide a rich environment for encouraging future scientists, engineers, and educators to take risks in pursuing discoveries and new knowledge. STCs foster excellence in education by integrating education and research, and by creating bonds between learning and inquiry so that discovery and creativity fully support the learning process.

NSF expects STCs to demonstrate leadership in the involvement of groups traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering at all levels (faculty, students, and postdoctoral researchers) within the Center. Centers use either proven or innovative mechanisms to address issues such as recruitment, retention and mentorship of participants from underrepresented groups.

Centers must undertake activities that facilitate knowledge transfer, i.e., the exchange of scientific and technical information with the objective of disseminating and utilizing knowledge broadly in multiple sectors. Examples of knowledge transfer include technology transfer with the intention of supporting innovation, providing key information to public policy makers, or dissemination of knowledge from one field of science to another.

Application Instructions

Please submit:

1. a two-page letter of intent that:
   1. provides an overview of the proposed STC and the  research/ education challenges to be addressed or breakthroughs being sought and
   2. briefly describes how the integration of research, education, and knowledge transfer in the proposed center-level activity will advance the  research in a way that other funding mechanisms cannot.
   3. A one-page description of the team members, their institutions and how each will contribute to the project plan.
   4. A two page CV of lead PI.

to research@uw.edu by 5:00 PM Monday, September 29, 2014. Preliminary proposals are due to the sponsor 12/11/14. Full proposals are due to the sponsor 6/16/15, so you will need to have your materials in to the Office of Sponsored Programs by 6/9/15 for processing, if given the go ahead by the Proposal Review Committee.