Program Solicitation Number: NSF 21-530
This interagency solicitation is a collaboration between NSF and the NIH. The SCH program supports innovative, high-risk/high-reward research with the promise of disruptive transformations in biomedical research, which can only be achieved by well-coordinated, convergent, inter-disciplinary approaches that draw from multiple domains of computer and information science, engineering, mathematical sciences and the biomedical, social, behavioral, and economic sciences. Therefore, the work to be funded by this solicitation must make fundamental contributions to two or more disciplines, such as computer or information sciences, engineering, mathematical sciences, social, behavioral, biomedical, cognitive or economic sciences to improve fundamental understanding of biomedical and health related processes and address a key health problem. The research teams must include members with appropriate and demonstrable expertise in the major areas involved in the work. Proposals may address computational, algorithmic, data fusion and systemic level issues in biomedical data science research. Proposals can also address human perceptual, cognitive, or behavioral factors that impact the effectiveness of technology and data science research in generating change. Traditional disease-centric medical, clinical, pharmacological, biological or physiological studies and evaluations are outside the scope of this solicitation.
The purpose of this interagency program solicitation is to support the development of transformative high-risk, high-reward advances in computer and information science, engineering, mathematics, statistics, behavioral and/or cognitive research to address pressing questions in the biomedical and public health communities. Transformations hinge on scientific and engineering innovations by interdisciplinary teams that develop novel methods to intuitively and intelligently collect, sense, connect, analyze and interpret data from individuals, devices and systems to enable discovery and optimize health. Solutions to these complex biomedical or public health problems demand the formation of interdisciplinary teams that are ready to address these issues, while advancing fundamental science and engineering.
Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
- Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) – Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.
- Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10 to 16 per year, subject to the availability of funds.
Projects will be funded for up to four years for a total of $1,200,000 ($300,000 per year).
Anticipated Funding Amount: $16,000,000 to $20,000,000 will be invested in proposals submitted to this solicitation in FY 2021, subject to the availability of funds and the quality of the proposals received.
