Convergence Accelerator BAA.FINAL.docx

1 Introduction

1.1 Background

The NSF Convergence Accelerator program addresses national-scale societal challenges through use-inspired convergence research. Using a convergence approach and innovation processes like human-centered design, user discovery, and team science and integration of multidisciplinary research, the Convergence Accelerator program seeks to transition basic research and discovery into practice—to solve high-impact societal challenges aligned with specific research themes (tracks).

NSF Convergence Accelerator track themes are chosen in concordance with the themes identified during the program’s ideation process that aligns with topics that have the potential for significant national impact. The NSF Convergence Accelerator implements a two-phase program. Phase I awardees receive significant resources to further develop their convergence research ideas and to identify important partnerships and resources to accelerate their projects, leading to deliverable research prototypes in Phase II.

1.2 Purpose

The purpose of this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is to provide research opportunities to U.S. for-profit businesses, universities, and other institutions of higher education, and their partners, to conduct a variety of research projects that will support the strategic objectives of the National Science Foundation. The NSF Convergence Accelerator implements a two-phase program. Both phases are described in this BAA and are covered by this BAA and corresponding grant solicitation that can be found here: (Link will be added in Amendment 1) The purpose of this parallel activity of a grant solicitation and a BAA is to provide increased opportunities for proposals that are led by nonacademic entities. Proposals led by for profit or similar organizations should respond to this BAA. Proposals that are led by Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), non-profits, independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations should respond to the grant solicitation.

· Networked Blue Economy (Track E)

· Trust & Authenticity in Communications Systems (Track F)

1.3 Components of the NSF Convergence Accelerator

Convergence Research Research and development efforts proposed must represent the highest level of multidisciplinary expertise and convergent research needed to encompass the full scope of the topic selected. Since transition to practice is a core goal of the convergence accelerator, projects need to include personnel with expertise relevant to applications and use, as well as the technologies themselves. Teams must include the necessary expertise in appropriate areas of the physical sciences, math, engineering, data and computer sciences, biological sciences, geological sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and General education and science education, and other disciplines to ensure success.

Partnerships Convergence Accelerator projects should embody use-inspired research that seeks to accelerate research to practice in ways that benefit society at scale. The Convergence Accelerator program seeks to encourage cross-cutting partnerships with many types of organizations from academia, industry, government, non-profit, and other sectors, to ensure that research efforts are use-inspired and have a clear path to transition to practice. Therefore, stakeholders from multiple types of organizations and sectors must be involved in ways that allow the project to identify and work with end users.

Deliverables Proposers must clearly identify the deliverables that will results from the proposed project and describe how those outputs will benefit society at scale. While deliverables may take many forms (e.g., hardware, software, data, services, processes, protocols, standards, and more) projects must clearly articulate how benefits to society would result from deliverables developed by the end of Phase II.

Track Alignment The proposed effort must clearly match the goals described in one of the track descriptions. Track alignment and contributions to track success must be clearly described. The proposer must clearly describe both the track relevance (fit within the overall track topic or specific subtopic as described for Track E or F) and, also, how the proposed work fits into the overall goals of that Track to enable the transition of convergence research into practice.

Broadening Participation in the NSF Convergence Accelerator NSF is committed to broadening the participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and research endeavors of members of underrepresented groups—including women, African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Native Pacific Islanders, and persons with disabilities.

Broadening participation is a critical element to a successful Convergence Accelerator project capturing a diverse set of perspectives, ideas, and strengths. The Convergence Accelerator focuses on key elements (e.g., end-users, impact, convergence, acceleration, and deliverables), which includes capturing all team member perspectives and expertise when determining the deliverables and project impact to society at scale.

This BAA requires that each project, in both Phase I or II, include a prepared Broadening Participation Plan (under Broader Impacts) that describes activities that will be undertaken to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in the project’s research efforts. Examples of ways to engage groups and/or individuals that are underrepresented may include: through the expertise of personnel, via partnerships, through work with users and user groups, via engagement with stakeholders, through use of datasets that represent information about underrepresented groups, etc. The Broadening Participation Plan must include: (1) the context of the proposed broadening participation activity(ies), (2) the intended target population(s) for the activity, (3) the plan of activities over the project duration, (4) prior experience (if any) with broadening participation, and/or intended plan for preparation/training of project members in broadening participation, and (5) plans for the measurement and dissemination of outcomes in broadening participation. We encourage partnerships that include IHEs in EPSCoR jurisdictions, Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AAPISIs) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. We particularly encourage partnerships with NSF INCLUDES Alliances and/or the National Network. More information, including potential metrics for activities and examples, can be found at the following links:

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505289 https://www.nsf.gov/od/broadeningparticipation/bp.jsp https://www.nsf.gov/od/broadeningparticipation/BIO_BroadeningParticipation_v4mt_508.pdf https://www.nsf.gov/mps/broadening_participation/index.jsp https://www.nsf.gov/cise/bpc/

Phase I: Learning + Applying the Convergence Accelerator Fundamentals, Convergence Research Planning Phase I is for funding up to $750,000 for 12 months duration. Nine months planning effort to further develop the initial concept, identify new team members, participate in innovation curriculum, and develop an initial prototype. The innovation curriculum consists of training in human-centered design, team science activities, inter-team communications, pitch preparation, developing a Public Executive Summary and presentation coaching—all of which are essential components of the Convergence Accelerator’s model. This training helps the teams to better prepare for success in the next phase. At the end of Phase I, the remaining three months will be spent with each team participating in a pitch review panel as part of their Phase II proposal and the NSF Convergence Accelerator Expo (Expo) and other activities.

Phase I efforts will focus on research plan development and team formation leading to a proof-of-concept and will include NSF-organized convenings for training and cross-cohort collaboration. The Phase I innovation curriculum is a significant time investment with frequent participation of all partners under the guidance of coaches. A link to a sample curriculum can be found .

Phase II: Continued Application of the Convergence Accelerator Fundamentals, Prototyping and Sustainability Planning Selected teams from Phase I will proceed to Phase II, with potential funding up to $5 Million as a cooperative agreement for 24 months. Phase II teams will continue to apply Convergence Accelerator fundamentals, including identifying new team members and end-user partnerships to further develop solution prototypes and to build a sustainability model to continue impact beyond NSF support. At the 12-month mark, the Convergence Accelerator will review the team projects to ensure each is working towards the expected deliverables. By the end of Phase II, teams are to provide high-impact solutions for societal needs at scale.

2. Research Areas

Networked Blue Economy (Track E)

The overarching goal of Track E is to interconnect the Blue Economy and accelerate convergence across ocean sectors. This track aims to create a smart, integrated, connected, and open ecosystem for ocean innovation, exploration, and sustainable utilization. It will provide a highly innovative set of interconnected tools, techniques, methods, and educational resources, as well as improve human engagement with ocean resources. The cohort of projects supported through this track will ultimately lead to a range of innovative partnerships involving stakeholders in ocean-related science and engineering, coastal communities and a diverse set of entities and organizations engaged in the Networked Blue Economy. Collectively, this cohort will produce products, processes, and resources that will allow the US to develop avenues for a more sustainable engagement with the ocean both as an environment and as a resource. The cohort of synergistic projects funded through this track will help our nation and our citizens effectively combat challenges in the ocean while simultaneously unleashing the power of the Networked Blue Economy.

Ocean-related industries and resources have always been important for humanity; and they are expected to play a central role over the next decades in addressing challenges related to climate, sustainability, food, energy, pollution, and the economy. Recognizing this opportunity, Track E of the NSF Convergence Accelerator seeks proposals to create use-inspired, integrative solutions to enable a Networked Blue Economy. The goal of this undertaking is to facilitate making connections between ocean resources, data, technologies, training, and impacted communities. In developing a sustainable Networked Blue Economy that provides societal impact, there are presently many obstacles and challenges to overcome. Addressing these requires deep integration and collaboration among many disciplines as well as transformative and innovative partnerships across academia, industry, the public, local/regional communities, non-profit organizations, and federal, state, and local government agencies. Successful projects in this track should incorporate expertise, insights, methods, facilities, and tools from multiple disciplines as well as direct participation from impacted communities.

Building upon the strength of the United States in ocean sciences, with its extensive offshore economic zone and sea and seabed assets (~12 million km2) and marking the start of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, this track seeks to fulfill its promise by accelerating the development of bold, new, interconnected projects that tackle the obstacles imposed by the disconnected and fragmented nature of the many ocean-related sectors, technologies, and communities. These challenges have been noted by recent national and international reports, including those from the National Academy of Engineering (2018, Ocean Exploration and its Engineering Challenges), the White House Ocean Policy Committee (2020 National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the US Exclusive Economic Zone), the US Department of Energy (2019, Powering the Blue Economy), the UN Decade of Ocean Science (https://en.unesco.org/ocean-decade), and the Smart Oceans 2020 workshop sponsored by NSF (https://www.media.mit.edu/events/smart-oceans-2020/, http://www.mit.edu/~fadel/papers/Executive_Summary_Ocean_IoT.pdf).

Acceleration of a Networked Blue Economy, one that advances both ocean-related economic interests and environmental preservation and sustainability, is a challenge that requires effort and collaboration among disparate disciplines. Achieving this vision requires an accelerated and concentrated effort focused on creativity; innovative ideas and technologies; the ability to collect, aggregate, process, and interpret data and information such that stakeholders from across the spectrum of users can readily obtain the information they need; and improved means to measure and monitor all aspects (chemical, physical, and biological) of the ocean and their interconnections. This track is intended to serve as a platform that offers an opportunity to the community to bring in expertise, insights, methods, and tools from multiple areas including, but not limited to, observational oceanography, biology, health sciences, cultural issues, engineering, computer/data science, social sciences, behavioral sciences, ethics, public policy, and economics. The resulting collaborative projects must be directed toward ensuring more sustainable use of ocean resources.

Convergence Research, Deliverables, and Diversity and Inclusion. The Networked Blue Economy track focuses on use-inspired, translational research. Projects must embrace and display a culture of convergence among disciplinary approaches, and must include partners from multiple sectors. Projects must articulate one or more clear deliverables that will help transition research into practice with measurable impacts and benefits to society within the less than 3-year effort of a Convergence Accelerator track—9 months of Phase I and 24 months of Phase II. Deliverables must address challenges in sustainable ocean utilization while providing significant benefits to society. Each project should incorporate community engagement and strive to include an education or training component that connects user communities. Such connections could include, but are not limited to, citizen science, co-designing projects so they provide benefits to local communities or provide user-friendly data products and services, or creating workforce training programs. Projects should consider potential benefits to local communities from the data and insights produced by project efforts and by enabling communities to participate in project evaluation activities. Projects that focus specifically on community engagement and education are also encouraged. Proposals should be explicit in how diversity, equity, and inclusion will be incorporated into the overall project.

Outcomes and sample topics of a Networked Blue Economy might include, but are not limited to:

· Sustainable Utilization: In industries such as aquaculture, fisheries, energy, mapping, tourism & recreation, shipping & maritime transportation and commerce, preservation efforts (plastics, marine debris, & unexploded ordnance)

· Climate & Ecology: Leverage, reuse, and network existing data and modeling capabilities and resources to develop monitoring and forecasting processes for weather, air-sea interaction, corals, marine ecosystems, marine animals and plants, carbon/acidification, currents & waves, aerosols, and sea ice.

· Networked, Cost-Effective, and Interoperable Ocean Systems & Technologies: Networked infrastructures (e.g., communications, power, localization), novel instrumentation, distributed and interoperable sensors (e.g., ultra-low- power or self-powered sensor networks, low-cost underwater GPS, reliable sensors for aquaculture, waste, carbon, optical, chemical), instrumentation (e.g., imaging, remote sensing, autonomous robotics).

· Data aggregation techniques for Ocean Big Data: Algorithms and Artificial Intelligence for deployment, inference, and decision-making, high resolution/largescale observation & prediction tools – for disaster risk reduction, pollution mitigation, sensors and robotics tools & technology, and IoT (Internet of Things) integration into ocean environments.

· Empowerment and Engagement: Scalable efforts at the community level in topics such as sustainability, resiliency, increasing awareness and public participation in science, engagement at the policy level, scalable efforts in literacy, and workforce education and training.

· Interconnected People, Communities, and Curricula: Projects to empower communities to deal with local/regional issues including disaster risk reduction, coastal resilience, and coastal restoration. These efforts may develop and implement a variety of approaches, including place-based strategies, accessible tools for engaging public participation in ocean STEM, hubs for engaging with local communities, Networked Blue Economy curricula that address, for example, policy, mentorship, technology translation, and social engagement.

Trust & Authenticity in Communications Systems (Track F)

The overarching goal of Track F is to develop prototype(s) of novel research platforms forming integrated collection(s) of tools, techniques, and educational materials and programs to support increased citizen trust in public information of all sorts (health, climate, news, etc.), through more effectively preventing, mitigating, and adapting to critical threats in our communications systems. The cohort of projects supported through this track will catalyze innovative partnerships involving the full range of information consumers and a diverse set of organizations focused on engendering trust and authenticity in communications systems. Collectively, the cohort of projects will produce products, processes, and resources to enable a more trustworthy communications ecosystem by focusing on the range of content platforms, new and enhanced services to improve the fidelity of communications between platforms and information consumers, and education and training materials to create better informed consumers.

Modern life is increasingly dependent on access to communications systems that offer trustworthy and accurate information. Economic growth and opportunity depend on dynamic innovation and transaction networks that connect American families, communities, and businesses to an expanding range of goods and services that improve the quality of life. Yet these systems face a common threat; communication systems can be manipulated or can have unanticipated negative effects. Hackers can attempt to disrupt information exchanges, either by targeting an entire system or working to reduce the reliability of, or confidence in, the information that is being exchanged. Introducing misinformation into communication flows can disrupt the performance of a wide range of activities and the functioning of civil society. Although false claims and other inauthentic behaviors have existed throughout history, the problems that they cause have reached critical proportions resulting from the massive scale of targeting and personalization, the rapid speed of information exchange, and the ability to automate information dissemination. These problems have been discussed in a number of venues including a recent NSF-funded workshop on Inauthentic Behavior in Online and Digital Systems [IBODS2020] and a 2020 workshop on Addressing Health Misinformation Through Health Literacy Practices conducted by the National Academies of Science [NAS2020].

The Convergence Accelerator Track F will address the urgent need for tools and techniques that help our nation more effectively prevent, mitigate, and adapt to critical threats to communication systems. There is urgent need for strategies that increase the verifiability of different types of data and content, improve our understanding of the incentives, organizational, cultural, and governance contexts associated with inauthentic behaviors, and increase individual and organizational capacity to prevent or mitigate the impact of false claims, content, and identities. More broadly, democratic societies must educate individuals across all populations and all segments of society to respect both accurate information and freedom of expression. Projects in Track F will pursue a convergence research agenda and leverage multi-sector partnerships to address issues of trust and authenticity in communication systems, including predicting, preventing, detecting, correcting, and mitigating the spread of inaccurate information that harms people and society. Convergence is essential across a range of disciplines that inform this issue including, but not limited to, psychology, economics, policy science, law, computer science, biological sciences, engineering, and others. Education is essential to ensure that students (and adults) are equipped with critical thinking skills to discern fact from fiction. High quality STEM education is important for public science literacy: https://www.nap.edu/read/23595/chapter/2. Projects must articulate one or more clear deliverables that will help transition research into practice with measurable impacts and benefits to society within the less than 3-year effort of a Convergence Accelerator track—9 months of Phase I and two years of Phase II. Projects are strongly encouraged to consider the full range of audiences across all segments of society that may be impacted by inauthentic communications.

Convergence Research, Deliverables, and Diversity and Inclusion. One area for convergence research is to more clearly identify challenges faced by existing communications systems and platforms that seek to establish and maintain high levels of trust. New methods of encouraging accurate representations of people and products, improving privacy protection, improving the performance of adversary tolerant systems, and many related activities can give many stakeholders improved capacity to detect, monitor, manage, and mitigate inauthentic behaviors and misinformation campaigns before they cause significant damage. Deliverables may include solutions to be implemented by organizations that own or operate communication platforms. They may include data-intensive techniques to detect and validate accurate and inaccurate information, development of effective user or consumer alert systems, and tools to help people interpret the information they receive. Also, deliverables might include third-party tools and techniques located between content platforms and consumers to assist consumers in identifying trustworthy information and sources and misinformation. Solutions should identify which groups in society they seek to address. Another important set of deliverables could be education and training programs for a better-informed citizenry for children and adults of all ages and at all levels of understanding. Consideration of the needs of diverse populations is essential. Different populations may hew to different standards of trust, may exhibit different vulnerabilities to disinformation methods, and may hold different notions of authenticity. Projects should define their concepts and be explicit about their approach to addressing diversity and inclusion, describing which segment(s) of the population they wish to address with their solutions.

Outcomes and sample topics of Trust and Authenticity in Communication Systems might include, but are not limited to:

· Data-driven models of trust, authenticity, and authentic behaviors in communications systems: Development and deployment of advanced analytics- and AI/ML-based techniques to enable content platform providers to detect and delineate indicators of misinformation and inauthenticity.

· Software tools and services that use a range of techniques, including use of big data and AI/ML, to help establish trust and authenticity of sources and channels in communications systems.

· Tools/services capable of alerting consumers to a range of misinformation, including misinformation campaigns and/or other inauthentic behaviors.

· Services situated between the sources (content platforms) and information consumer to provide independent verification of the information being conveyed to the consumer, as well as provide an assessment of the general trustworthiness of information sources.

· Data curation tools and processes that help improve trust in data and information.

· Education and training materials, tools, and environments targeted at various segments of the user community including K-12 education programs; and education and training programs and strategies for adult information consumers of various ages, and diverse experience and other demographic factors.

· Organization- and community-level policies on trust, authenticity, and inauthentic behaviors.

3. Program Guidelines This BAA, due to its broad research focus, does not lend itself to the use of a common work statement. As such, no single North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code will be issued for the BAA. NAICS codes will be specific to each individual contract award, as determined by the type of activity in which the offeror will be engaged.

The Government reserves the right to select for award any, all, part, or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement. This BAA is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to pay any proposal or proposal preparation costs.

This announcement constitutes the public announcement, as contemplated by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2) and FAR 35.016. A formal Request for Proposals or other solicitation regarding this announcement will not be issued.

3.1 Schedule

Letters of Intent are due on May 5, 2021. Full phase I proposals are due on June 14, 2021 and Phase II proposals are due May 25, 2022. All deadlines are at 5 p.m. Eastern time.

3.2 Communications

All questions regarding this BAA shall be directed to the contracting officer, Keith Boyea, via email at kboyea@nsf.gov. Submission of a question does not guarantee the question will be answered.

3.3 Offeror Eligibility

This BAA is unrestricted. All qualified offerors, including universities, may submit letters of intent and subsequent Phase I full proposals. However, an individual may serve as PI or co-PI on no more than two Phase I proposals. Submissions to the grant solicitation are included in this number. All offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov prior to project award. Only Phase I offerors are eligible to submit Phase II proposals. At least one PI or co-PI from a Phase I award must be included as a PI or co-PI on a Phase II proposal. Anyone may serve as a PI or co-PI on only one Phase II proposal. This limitation includes PIs and co-PIs listed for the proposing organization or any subaward submitted as part of the proposal. There are no restrictions or limits on serving as other Senior Personnel.

3.4 Program and Project Funding Limits

NSF expects to make between 25-30 phase I awards as a result of this BAA and the corresponding grant solicitation. NSF expects to make 5-8 phase II awards as a result of this BAA and the corresponding grant solicitation. NSF anticipates making $22,000,000 available across this BAA and the grant solicitation.

Awards are subject to the availability of funds. NSF reserves the right to expand the award amount to allow for projects with exceptional merit.

No funding provision or commitment can be made at the time of award for phased or expanded work or projects beyond the initial or base phase funded at the time of award that the applicant may propose in its submissions. If appropriated funds are authorized, NSF may, at its discretion, provide additional funding for phased or expanded effort under existing awards.

Awards resulting from this BAA will use the phased approach described below. The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, one, or none of the proposals submitted, and may incrementally fund any or all awards under this BAA. The Contracting Officer will have the ultimate authority and responsibility to make final scope determinations for selections of proposals that will not be totally funded to ensure the portion selected meets the solicited requirements. In addition, the Government reserves the right to create and maintain a reserve list of proposals for potential funding, if additional funding becomes available.

Offers considered unresponsive to the Government’s requests for information in a timely manner, defined as meeting government deadlines established and communicated with the request, may be removed from further consideration.

3.5 Project Selection Process

This BAA selection process is structured as a three-step process.

3.5.1 Letter of Intent to Propose

The first step of the process is the submission of a letter of intent to propose. As detailed in section 4, the letter of intent is a non-binding letter of intent to submit a phase I proposal.

3.5.2 Phase I Full Proposal

After submitting a letter of intent, offerors may submit a Phase I full proposal. Proposals shall be prepared in accordance with the requirements of Section 5. Submissions that are incomplete, materially lacking, or not responsive to the technical requirements of this BAA, may be returned unevaluated, or evaluated as is, without further opportunity for revision, at the discretion of the NSF’s evaluation process. Phase I awards are limited to $750,000 for a one-year period of performance.

3.5.3 Phase II Full Proposal

Phase I awardees will be invited to submit a Phase II full proposal in accordance with Section 6. Proposals shall be prepared in accordance with the requirements of Section 5. Submissions that are incomplete, materially lacking, or not responsive to the technical requirements of this BAA, may be returned unevaluated, or evaluated as is, without further opportunity for revision, at the discretion of the NSF’s evaluation process. Phase II awards are limited $3M for year one and up to $5,000,000 for the full two-year period of performance.

3.6 Intellectual Property Rights

Awards will generally contain detailed provisions concerning patent rights, rights in technical data and computer software, data reporting requirements, and other terms and conditions which may be negotiated as part of the award process.

Offerors must describe any limitations on any intellectual property (patents, inventions, trade secrets, copyrights, or trademarks) that will impact the Offeror’s performance of the contract or impact the Government’s subsequent use of any deliverable under the contract. The Offeror must describe the intellectual property in sufficient detail to describe the limitations (Data assertions of the Offeror or any subcontractor, potential patent licenses required by the Government, etc.), and to describe why or how the Government can accomplish the stated objectives of this BAA with the limitations described or proposed by the Offeror.

3.7 Proprietary Data Restrictions

Offerors are advised that proposals for any or all phases may contain data the offeror does not want disclosed to the public for any purpose or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes. If the offeror wishes to restrict such data, the cover page of all submittal documents must be marked with the following legend, and relevant sheets marked as instructed.

This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed – in whole or in part – for any purpose other than to evaluate this proposal. However, if a contract is awarded to this offeror as a result of – or in connection with – the submission of these data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting contract. This restriction does not limit the Government’s right to use information contained in these data if they are obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction are contained in Sheets [insert numbers or other identification of sheets].

Each restricted data sheet shall be marked as follows:

Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this document.

To the extent that such restrictions on proprietary data or information would not interfere with the intent of the Government to make the results of the work and projects awarded under the BAA available to all interested parties, and if in conformance with the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended), the Government will honor those desires.

3.8 Other Award Information

Awards under this BAA may be subject to the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, depending on the type of final products or reports to be delivered under each award. The Act requires that all electronic products prepared for the Federal Government be accessible to persons with disabilities, including those with vision, hearing, cognitive, and mobility impairments. Proposers can view Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm) and the Federal IT Accessibility Initiative (Home Page) (http://section508.gov/) for detailed information.

4. Letter of Intent to Propose No project will be considered for an award without a letter of intent to propose. Letters are not evaluated, however, in order to submit a phase I proposal, each offeror must submit a letter of intent. Letters of intent shall not exceed one page and include the following:

· Title that includes “NSF Convergence Accelerator and the track identifier (E or F).

· Names, departmental and organizational affiliations, and expertise of the Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigators. For proposals with intent to involve multiple organizations and partnerships, the same information should be provided for all sub-awardees to the extent it is known at the time.

· A brief description of the specific goals of the proposal and how the proposed convergence research and broad partnerships will lead to a deliverable that would be refined during Phase I and describe how the deliverable would impact society at a national scale.

When submitting a Letter of Intent in response to this BAA please note the conditions outlined below:

A Minimum of 0 and Maximum of 4 Other Senior Project Personnel are permitted A Minimum of 0 and Maximum of 4 Other Participating Organizations are permitted

Letters of intent shall be emailed to Keith Boyea at kboyea@nsf.gov prior to the deadline in section 3.1.

5.0 Phase I Full Proposal

Phase I efforts will focus on research plan development and team formation leading to a proof-of-concept and will include NSF-organized convenings for training and cross-cohort collaboration. The Phase I innovation curriculum is a significant time investment with frequent participation of all partners under the guidance of coaches. A link to a sample curriculum can be found here. Phase I full proposals shall be emailed to Keith Boyea at kboyea@nsf.gov.

5.1 Phase I Full Proposal Content

5.1.1 Cover Sheet and Project Summary: The cover sheet shall contain the title of the project and the relevant Convergence Accelerator track. The cover sheet shall also include the PI and any co-PIs name and the DUNS number of the submitting lead organization. The project summary shall provide a succinct statement of the aim of the project. In most cases, the project summary will be two or three sentences.

5.1.2 Project Description. Limited to 15 pages.

Project descriptions are a maximum of 15 pages and must contain a separate "Broader Impacts" section. This BAA also has additional specific review criteria outlined in Section VI below.

The project description should include the following sections in the following order (a through g).

a. Objectives and Significance of the Proposed Activity

b. Convergence Research: Explain how the work conducted in Phase I represents research at the highest level of integration and interdisciplinarity. Explain how your project uses a convergent research approach, including discussing the intellectually distinct disciplines and areas of expertise needed. Discuss how you will identify additional areas of expertise that may be needed.

Proposing teams MUST be comprised of researchers and stakeholders from different disciplines that can help catalyze the proposed scientific discovery and accelerate the transition of that innovation into practical use. Phase I teams can involve different partners than were mentioned in the letter of intent. However, at least one of the PI or co-PIs in the Phase I proposal must have served as a PI or co-PI for the letter of intent. Any exception to this must be discussed with NSF in advance of proposal submission.

c. Partnerships including a Roles and Responsibilities Table: Describe how stakeholders from multiple kinds of organizations, including academic and non-academic partners, are poised to form deep and diverse partnerships in support of the proposed use-inspired research. Every team is expected to include at least two types of organizations (e.g., industry, government, academia). Describe the roles of different partners and team members in developing deliverables. The Roles and Responsibilities Table should also clearly identify the roles and responsibilities of all individuals and major groups and entities included in the project. The inclusion of a qualified project manager for effective oversight is strongly encouraged for Phase I proposals.

d. Coordination Plan: Describe a mechanism for how collaboration and team effectiveness will be promoted.

e. Deliverables: Describe potential future deliverables should the project continue beyond Phase I and describe the timeline for those deliverables. Phase II will end ~April 2024 and your deliverables are expected at that time. You should also discuss preliminary deliverables that will be developed in Phase I. Explain why there is a high probability that this plan will be achieved.

f. Track Alignment: Explain fully the alignment to one of the tracks in this BAA (E or F) and how the proposed work in Phase I will assist in the success of the entire track.

g. Broader Impacts that includes a Broadening Participation Plan: As broadening participation is an important aspect of the Convergence Accelerator program (see section II) Broader Impacts MUST include a separate sub-section outlining a specific plan for broadening participation.

5.1.3 Letters of Collaboration:

Letters of support or endorsement for the project are not acceptable and will be cause for return without review.

Statements from individuals whose role is discussed in the Project Description as providing assistance or collaboration to the project and must be substantive in nature and must verify their participation and role with a document in the following format.

To: Convergence Accelerator Program Director(s), By signing below, I acknowledge that I will provide the assistance or collaborate as indicated in the proposal, entitled "______________________" with ___________________ as the Principal Investigator. I agree to undertake the tasks assigned to me, as described in the proposal, and I commit to provide or make available the resources described.

Signed: ___________________ Print Name:____________________ Date: ________ Organization:_________________________________

There is no limit on the number of letters of collaboration.

Priority will be placed on the quality and significance of the collaboration and the role and involvement of the collaborator must be evident from relevant sections of the project description.

5.1.4 Data Management Plan. Limited to two pages. Proposals shall address within the Data Management Plan their plans for data-sharing across their team, across the track with other teams, and with the general public, during the project and after its completion as well.

5.1.5 Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan. Limited to one page. Each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must submit a “Mentoring Plan.” A mentoring plan describes the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. Note that the Convergence Accelerator program differs in duration and goals from traditional academic research efforts. The Postdoctoral Research Mentoring Plan should reflect how mentoring will be appropriate for the specific roles of postdoctoral researchers in this project effort.

5.1.6 Personnel List Spreadsheet. The spreadsheet template is found in attachment 1. Please read the instructions carefully. Using the Excel file template, compile information for all persons identified in the proposal as: "PI or co-PI" (i.e., those listed on the cover page); "Other Senior Personnel/Subawardee"; or "Other Personnel" who have a biosketch included in the proposal; "Collaborator (Letters of Collaboration or Expressions of Interest)" for individuals who formally submitted a Letters of Collaboration. Only one spreadsheet should be submitted per proposal. The purpose of this document is to assist the program in identifying potential conflicts during review. If you are unsure of whether to include someone in the Personnel List Spreadsheet, err on the side of including the person.

5.1.7 Cost/Price: Note: Phase I awards may not exceed $750,000. The Phase I proposal shall include a spreadsheet of all costs as described below. In addition, the offeror shall include a not to exceed two-page cost/price narrative. The general requirements for cost or pricing are described below.

The cost or pricing portion of the project proposal should contain a cost estimate for the proposed effort to allow for meaningful evaluation and determination of price reasonableness and cost realism. The cost estimate shall account for the entire cost of Phase I. The cost estimate shall be broken down as follows:

Labor - A breakdown of direct labor and hourly rate, identifying the labor categories and individuals and projected hours, and their associated subtotals.

Overhead and/or fringe - Labor overhead and/or fringe rate(s) and base(s), and cumulative effect on labor costs.

Materials, supplies, and equipment - Description and cost of materials, supplies, and equipment, to include the basis of the cost estimate (e.g., historical data, competitive market quotes, and in-house transfers). Specific mention should be made of any highly specialized or costly test equipment or supplies needed to accomplish the project.

Travel and transportation - Breakdown of travel and transportation costs.

Subcontracts - Breakdown of individual subcontracts. State the amounts of time of subcontractor/consulting services to be devoted to the project, including the cost to be charged to the proposed contract/agreement.

ODC - Breakdown of other direct costs (reproduction, computer time, and consultants).

Misc. - Identification of any other direct or indirect cost elements not identified elsewhere. For each indirect rate (identified here or elsewhere), indicate if the proposed indirect rate and allocation base have been approved by a government audit or cognizant agency for use in proposals and when the rate(s) was approved and the name of and telephone number of the cognizant auditor or approving official.

General and Administrative - G&A rate and base.

Profit or fee - Profit or fee may be proposed, and if proposed, is subject to negotiations and applicable statutory limits.

5.1.7.1 Requested Procurement Instrument and Pricing Arrangement. The offeror shall include, in the cost/price narrative, a summary of the recommended procurement instrument (e.g. contract or “other arrangement”). Note, only contracts or other arrangements will be awarded as a result of this BAA. The offeror shall also specify the requested pricing arrangement (e.g. fixed-price, cost, cost-plus-fixed-fee, etc.) and the rationale for its use. If the offeror requests a cost reimbursement type pricing arrangement, the offeror must have an approved accounting system.

If the offeror is seeking an “other arrangement,” (similar in nature to an “Other Transaction”) it must explain to NSF the basis for seeking the other arrangement and the areas of regulatory relief requested by the offeror. The NSF will consider awarding an other arrangement only if it is in the best interests of NSF.

6.0 Phase II Full Proposals

Phase II full proposals shall be emailed to Keith Boyea at kboyea@nsf.gov.

6.1. Cover Sheet and Project Summary: The cover sheet shall contain the title of the project and the relevant Convergence Accelerator track. The cover sheet shall also include the PI and any co-PIs name and the DUNS number of the submitting lead organization. The project summary shall provide a succinct statement of the aim of the project. In most cases, the project summary will be two or three sentences.

6.2 Project Description. Limited to 20 pages. Proposals should clearly describe the specific role and contribution of each team member or group. Proposals should describe how the proposer will organize collaboration among project members to promote team effectiveness, taking into account lessons learned from Phase I activities, such as human-centered design, user interviews, team science techniques, as well as domain-specific activities.

Proposing teams MUST be comprised of researchers and stakeholders from different disciplines that can help catalyze the proposed scientific discovery and accelerate the transition of that innovation into practical use. Phase II teams can involve different partners than were part of the Phase I proposal. However, at least one of the PI or Co-PIs in the Phase II proposal must have served as a PI or Co-PI for that project in Phase I. Any exception to this must be discussed with NSF in advance of proposal submission.

The proposal must also include the following sections in the following order (a through k)

a. Objectives and Significance of the Proposed Activity

b. Convergence Research: Explain how the work conducted in Phase I and the work proposed in Phase II represent research at the highest level of integration and interdisciplinarity.

c. Partnerships including a Roles and Responsibilities Table: Describe how stakeholders from multiple kinds of organizations, including academic and non-academic partners, form deep and diverse partnerships in support of the proposed use-inspired research. Proposers should include a qualified project manager for effective oversight in Phase II projects.

d. Coordination Plan: (up to two pages) Each proposal must contain a Convergence Coordination and Management Plan that describes how the project will be managed across disciplines, institutions, and stakeholder entities over time. This plan should identify specific convergence activities that will enable cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral integration of teams, such as mentoring and/or professional development/training to support convergent outcomes, and the plan should provide a timeline showing principal tasks and associated interactions. The plan must address the specific roles and responsibilities of the collaborating PI, Co-PIs, other Senior Personnel, paid consultants, partners, any other stakeholder participants, and describe the timing and how tasks will be integrated over the course of the project.

e. Phase I Portfolio: (up to two pages) Each proposal should provide discussion of the participation of the project team in the Phase I curriculum, meetings and webinars, discussion of how Phase I efforts may have modified the project path, and documentation of any creative products or preliminary results developed during Phase I and how they will be incorporated into the Phase II work plan.

f. Timeline of Milestones and Deliverables: (one page) Along with the Convergence Coordination and Management Plan, each proposal must provide a visual representation (e.g., Gantt chart or alternative) of key milestones during the two-year award period, including creation of specific deliverables.

g. Deliverables: In alignment with the timeline above state clearly what are the planned, tangible deliverables, along with milestones, during the two-year award period as well as after two years of funding. Explain why there is a high probability that this plan will be achieved.

h. Track Alignment: Explain the close match to one of the tracks in this BAA (E or F) and how the proposed work in Phase II will assist in the success of the entire track. Each proposal should include a description of how the proposed project will contribute to an integrated overall effort that will deliver useful outputs. This section should describe the types of activities that are proposed to be undertaken to promote track integration.

i. Intellectual Property Management Plan: (up to three pages) Partnerships that facilitate the research effort and transition to practice of research results are a key element of the Convergence Accelerator program and a clear Intellectual Property Management Plan is essential for current and future partnerships. Both ownership and management of IP should be addressed in the Intellectual Property Management Plan. The plan should include (1) IP contributed by partners included in this proposal, (2) IP that may be developed during the project, and (3) a plan for access to IP from (1) and (2) by potential future partners.