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NSF Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC)
WHAT: Limited Submission Proposal for the National Science Foundation Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC) Program
WHO: Texas A&M University faculty, including TAES, TEES and TTI personnel.
WHY: Awards are expected to average $2.0 million dollars per year for each of five years.
WHEN: Internal proposal deadline of June 25, 2007.
HOW: Faculty should submit internal proposal via email for review by the internal selection committee.
THE FINE PRINT:
The funding agency below has limited the number of proposals to two preliminary proposals per institution. If the number of faculty wishing to submit a preliminary 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. Full proposals are by invitation only.
AGENCY: National Science Foundation (NSF)
AGENCY PROGRAM TITLE: NSF Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC)
BRIEF PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC) Program is designed to support timely, aggressive and forward-looking research that has the potential to lead to a major advance in physics and, thereby, to advances in other fields and to benefits for society. Activities supported are in all sub-fields of physics, including: atomic, molecular, optical, plasma, elementary particle, nuclear, astro-, gravitational and biological physics. Further, interdisciplinary projects at the interface between these physics areas and other disciplines and physics sub-fields include biology, quantum information science, mathematical physics, condensed matter physics and emerging areas of physics. Proposals using experimental, theoretical, or computational methods, or any combination will be considered.
The main characteristics of a PFC unit are tailored by the principal investigators to most effectively address the chosen physics goals. Regardless of whether the PFC unit is a center or an institute, it should have some or all of the following characteristics: combining talent, skills or facilities required for a major advance in physics; combining groups, departments, institutions, etc. required to make a major advance in physics; providing critical mass or specialized infrastructure needed for an advance by the PFC unit and often the broader field; providing the context and/or organization to bring together leaders and students to initiate work in a promising new area, a new interdisciplinary field, an important application or a new facility of strategic importance to physics; fostering field-wide exploration of frontier research within the community at large; making available specialized infrastructure to others; and creating innovative projects to promote education, diversity and public outreach using the center as a focal point.
The PFC unit must demonstrate that the whole is substantially greater than the sum of the parts. There must be a Director and management and governance plan to indicate how the unit will operate. In addition, the plan must contain information on the overall management and reporting structure, how research projects are chosen, the existence and makeup of any advisory board(s) to be used and the principal investigators responsible for different parts of the unit’s activities, including education, diversity and outreach activities, as well as the major research efforts.
More information can be found here.
AGENCIES ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT: The Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC) Program is open to academic institutions, universities and colleges located in the U. S.
AWARD INFORMATION: Awards are expected to average $2.0 million dollars per year for each of five years.
ELIGIBLE PROJECT COSTS: Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: NONE.
COST SHARING: NONE.
Internal Selection Procedures and Deadlines
June 22, 2007: 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.
June 25, 2007: Deadline to obtain signatures of approval from your department head and college dean to submit an internal proposal to the Office of Sponsored Projects 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 for review by the internal selection committee.
Please read the RFP carefully for specific requirements of the program here.
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.
July 6, 2007: The Internal Selection Committee will notify PIs of the result of the internal competition.
August 29, 2007: Deadline for required preliminary proposal: (due by 5 p.m.
proposer’s local time).
January 30, 2008: Deadline for full proposals, by invitation only.