Collision Incubator - September 2019

As part of its strategic planning, NSF has adopted 10 Big Ideas in which it will invest to advance the frontiers of U.S. research and solve some of the world's most pressing problems. The University of Minnesota is well-positioned to compete in two active Big Ideas solicitations, NSF INCLUDES Planning Grants and Growing Convergence Research. The Strategic Partnerships and Research Collaborative (SPARC) invites the University research community to a Collision event for these two opportunities. At this event, attendees can learn more about these opportunities, brainstorm possible projects, and/or plan next steps for leading or participating on a Big Ideas proposal.

Growing Convergence Research (GCR)

National Science Foundation | Full Proposal Deadline: February 03, 2020

Growing Convergence Research (GCR) is a means for solving vexing research problems, in particular, complex problems focusing on societal needs. It entails integrating knowledge, methods, and expertise from different disciplines and forming novel frameworks to catalyze scientific discovery and innovation.

GCR identifies Convergence Research as having two primary characteristics:

Research driven by a specific and compelling problem. Convergence Research is generally inspired by the need to address a specific challenge or opportunity, whether it arises from deep scientific questions or pressing societal needs.

Deep integration across disciplines. As experts from different disciplines pursue common research challenges, their knowledge, theories, methods, data, research communities and languages become increasingly intermingled or integrated. New frameworks, paradigms or even disciplines can form sustained interactions across multiple communities.

A distinct characteristic of convergence research, in contrast to other forms of multidisciplinary research, is that from the inception, the convergence paradigm intentionally brings together intellectually diverse researchers and stakeholders to frame the research questions, develop effective ways of communicating across disciplines and sectors, adopt common frameworks for their solution, and, when appropriate, develop a new scientific vocabulary. Research teams practicing convergence aim at developing sustainable relationships that may not only create solutions to the problem that engendered the collaboration, but also develop novel ways of framing related research questions and open new research vistas.

INCLUDES Planning Grants

National Science Foundation | Full Proposal Deadline: December 3, 2019

Through this solicitation, NSF Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES) will support Planning Grants to build capacity for the development of collaborative infrastructure to: (a) facilitate innovative partnerships, networks, and theories of action for broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at scale and (b) lead to the establishment of future centers, alliances, or other large-scale networks to address a broadening participation challenge. While this solicitation is open to all, NSF INCLUDES Design and Development Launch Pilots are especially encouraged to apply, as a Planning Grant could serve as an intermediate conduit for bringing their exploratory pilot work to scale.

A hallmark of NSF INCLUDES is to support the development of collaborative infrastructure to achieve systemic change. Collaborative infrastructure refers to the process by which partnering organizations come together with a shared vision; map out mutually reinforcing activities; develop goals, objectives, and measures to chart their progress; engage in constant communication; and advance the potential for expansion, sustainability, and scaling that would not be possible otherwise.

NSF INCLUDES, one of the 10 Big Ideas, is a comprehensive national initiative to enhance U.S. leadership in STEM discoveries and innovations focused on NSF's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and broadening participation in these fields. The vision of NSF INCLUDES is to catalyze the STEM enterprise to work collaboratively for inclusive change, resulting in a STEM workforce that reflects the population of the Nation. NSF INCLUDES features a National Network composed of Design and Development Launch Pilots, Alliances, a Coordination Hub, NSF-funded broadening participation projects, other relevant NSF-funded projects, and other organizations that support the development of talent from all sectors of society to build an inclusive STEM workforce.

If you have already started preparing for either of these opportunity or are now hearing about it for the first time, we encourage you to attend. SPARC offers many services to researchers anywhere along the project lifecycle, from strategic planning to proposal development to program management.