NSF 25-543: Future Computing Research (Future CoRe)_Due: September 11, 2025 #137
Description
Opportunity Summary – NSF 25-543: Future Computing Research (Future CoRe)
Overview
The NSF CISE Future Computing Research (Future CoRe) program funds research and education that advances fundamental knowledge in computing, communications, and information science and engineering. It consolidates multiple CISE core programs into an updated solicitation, with a simplified structure and expanded scope across emerging areas of computing.
- Award Size: Up to $1,000,000
- Duration: Up to 4 years (typical: $150,000–$250,000/year, 3–4 years)
- Anticipated Awards: 400–600 annually
- Program Budget: ~$280M annually
- Proposal Target Dates:
- September 11, 2025 (Second Thursday in September, annually thereafter)
- February 5, 2026 (First Thursday in February, annually thereafter)
- Proposals are accepted anytime, but submission by target dates is strongly encouraged.
Research Scope
Future CoRe supports both single-program and cross-program proposals across the following areas:
- Algorithmic Foundations (AF): Theory of algorithms and computational complexity.
- Communications & Information Foundations (CIF): Theoretical underpinnings of information acquisition, transmission, and processing.
- Computer Systems Research (CSR): Integrated hardware/software systems, including classical and quantum.
- Computing Education Research (CER): Teaching and learning of computing concepts and workforce pathways.
- Cyber-Physical Systems Foundations & Connected Communities (CPS): Convergent research on intelligent, engineered systems in natural and built environments.
- Foundations of Emerging Technologies (FET): Computing at the intersections of bio, nano, and quantum sciences.
- Human-Centered Computing (HCC): Human-computer interaction, sociotechnical integration, and design for human benefit.
- Information Integration & Informatics (III): Computational approaches to the full data lifecycle.
- Networking Technology & Systems (NeTS): Advances in intelligent networks, IoT, multi-domain/scale networks.
- Robust Intelligence (RI): Computational research to enable intelligent systems in complex, realistic contexts.
- Software & Hardware Foundations (SHF): Novel approaches to hardware and software design, verification, and evaluation.
Eligibility
- Who May Submit:
- U.S.-based institutions of higher education (2- and 4-year, including community colleges).
- U.S.-based non-profit, non-academic research organizations (labs, observatories, museums, professional societies).
- Federally recognized Tribal Nations.
- PI/Co-PI Limits: An individual may be PI, co-PI, or Senior Personnel on no more than 2 proposals within any 12-month period across all Future CoRe programs.
- No organizational limits.
Proposal Preparation
- Submission Platforms: Research.gov or Grants.gov.
- Proposal Titles: Must include the relevant program acronym (e.g.,
CSR: Project Title).- Multi-program proposals may list multiple acronyms (e.g.,
NeTS: AF: Title).
- Multi-program proposals may list multiple acronyms (e.g.,
- Supplementary Documents: Required list of all project personnel and partner organizations.
- No Letters of Intent or Preliminary Proposals required.
Review Criteria
- Standard NSF Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria apply.
- Proposals may be co-reviewed across multiple Future CoRe programs.
- NSF strongly encourages submissions from EPSCoR-eligible institutions and collaborations involving both EPSCoR and non-EPSCoR jurisdictions.
Strategic Fit for NumFOCUS
- Strong alignment with open-source scientific computing and data infrastructure projects supported by NumFOCUS.
- Potential contributions include:
- Algorithmic foundations and complexity theory (AF, CIF, SHF).
- Human-centered AI and education research (CER, HCC, RI).
- Data lifecycle and informatics tools (III, NeTS).
- Cross-disciplinary applications of probabilistic and statistical methods (AF, RI, FET).
- Future CoRe’s structure allows interdisciplinary, multi-institution collaborations, aligning naturally with NumFOCUS’s global, community-driven ecosystem.