[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 193 (Friday, October 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 46840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21608]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Request for Information (RFI)--Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure
AGENCY: National Science Foundation (NSF).
ACTION: Request for Information (RFI).
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SUMMARY: This Request for Information (RFI) is issued in response to
the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (AICA). NSF seeks
information on existing and future needs for mid-scale research
infrastructure projects from the US-based NSF science and engineering
community. The AICA requires NSF to ``evaluate the existing and future
needs, across all disciplines supported by the Foundation, for mid-
scale projects'' and ``develop a strategy to address the needs.'' The
input will be used to assess the needs for mid-scale RI from the US-
based NSF science and engineering community in order to develop a
strategy, in accordance with the AICA.
DATES: To be considered, submissions must be received no later than
December 8, 2017.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Definitions: For the purposes of this RFI, NSF defines Research
Infrastructure (RI) as any combination of facilities, equipment,
instrumentation, computational hardware and software, and the necessary
human capital in support of the same. This includes upgrades to
existing major research facilities. Mid-scale RI requires an investment
that falls between the maximum award funded by NSF's Major Research
Instrumentation Program (MRI; $4 million) and that of a major multi-
user research facility project ($100 million or more), as defined in
AICA.
Background: Enabling Mid-scale Research Infrastructure is one of
NSF's Ten Big Ideas. Given priorities in the current budget climate,
NSF has been able to fund smaller mid-scale RI projects through its
individual scientific directorates. Instrumentation and equipment up to
$4 million has been routinely funded through the MRI program. Large-
scale RI projects have been successfully funded through the Major
Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) Account. In
November 2016, the eligibility threshold for potential inclusion in the
MREFC Account was lowered from approximately a $100 million Total
Project Cost (TPC), i.e., total cost to NSF, depending on the
directorate, to a fixed $70 million TPC. This adjustment was an initial
step to support potential priorities in mid-scale science and
infrastructure.
Objective: The purpose of this RFI is to assess the needs for mid-
scale RI from the US-based NSF science and engineering community in
order to develop a strategy, in accordance with the AICA. The AICA
requires NSF to ``evaluate the existing and future needs, across all
disciplines supported by the Foundation, for mid-scale projects'' and
``develop a strategy to address the needs.'' This RFI focuses on mid-
scale research infrastructure projects with an anticipated NSF
contribution of between $20 million and $100 million towards
construction and/or acquisition. This range is of primary interest to
NSF as it will help us anticipate the potential impact of lowering the
MREFC threshold as well as identifying promising projects that remain
difficult to address within program budgets due to the comparatively
large investment needed in a relatively short period of time. After the
submission period ends, and the information is analyzed, NSF will
summarize the high-level insights drawn from this analysis for the
science community and internal NSF use. Please note that funding for
mid-scale RI projects in this range of investment has not been
identified; nor does this RFI imply an intent on the part of NSF to
issue a call for proposals. In addition, responses to this RFI do not
constitute any commitment on behalf of the submitters or their
institutions to submit a proposal or carry out an RI project.
What We Are Looking For: Submissions should identify ideas for mid-
scale RI projects in the following format:
1. Concept title and description. The description should include
the potential for any inter-agency or international partnerships and
contributions that are part of the TPC;
2. Point of contact (in case additional clarification is needed);
3. Contact of your Authorized Organizational Representative. Note,
this contact will receive a copy of the survey submission;
4. New, transformative science or scientific breakthroughs to be
enabled by project;
5. Evidence of research community support (list of reports, decadal
surveys, other publications);
6. Rough order of magnitude TPC (fully loaded, i.e. inclusive of
indirect and/or Facility and Administration costs) with a percentage
breakdown by the following major budget categories: (1) Physical
components including structures, equipment, instrumentation, and
hardware; (2) other computational resources, including software and
firmware; and (3) human capital;
7. Concept of operations: anticipated duration and level of federal
and non-federal support.
Who should respond:
Researchers, users, and leaders at U.S. based colleges and
universities as well as non-profits who are well positioned to advance
and support a mid-scale project throughout its lifecycle.
How should you respond:
To submit your concept, please use this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/midscale_2017 and complete the online
questionnaire no later than December 8, 2017. Please use the email
contact field provided to enable a courtesy copy of your response to
your Authorized Organizational Representative or institutional
leadership to ensure institutional awareness of your submission.
What We Will Do with the Information: All information submitted is
subject to the Privacy Act. Summary information would be presented in
aggregate form as part of the high-level analysis shared publicly.
Dated: October 3, 2017.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2017-21608 Filed 10-5-17; 8:45 am]
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