National Robotics Initiative 3.0: Innovations in Integration of Robotics (NRI-3.0)

National Robotics Initiative 3. 0: Innovations in Integration of Robotics (NRI-3. 0) is sponsored by National Science Foundation (with USDA NIFA, NASA, DOT, NIH, NIOSH).

This multi-agency program supports fundamental research on the integration of robots into real-world environments, promoting integration of robots to the benefit of humans including human safety and human independence.

NSF 21-559: National Robotics Initiative 3. 0: Innovations in Integration of Robotics (NRI-3. 0) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Archived funding opportunity This solicitation is archived.

Important information for proposers and award recipients All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in the funding opportunity and in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and its supplements . All NSF grants and cooperative agreements are subject to the applicable set of NSF award terms and conditions . NSF has updated its research security policies for NSF funded projects.

NSF 21-559: National Robotics Initiative 3. 0: Innovations in Integration of Robotics (NRI-3. 0) Download the solicitation (PDF, 1.

5mb) National Science Foundation Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering Division of Information and Intelligent Systems Directorate for Engineering Directorate for Education and Human Resources Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Institutes of Health National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering National Institute on Aging National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences National Institute of Nursing Research The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health U.S. Dept.

of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Submission Window Date(s) (due by 5 p. m. submitter's local time): April 19, 2021 - May 03, 2021 February 08, 2022 - February 22, 2022 February 8 - February 22, Annually Thereafter Important Information And Revision Notes This solicitation is a revision of NSF 20-522 , the solicitation for the National Robotics Initiative.

The significant changes in the FY 2021 NRI-3. 0 solicitation are as follows: The deadlines have been revised; A single class of projects exists for all proposals for NRI 3. 0.

The NRI program now focuses on research in the innovative integration of robotic technologies. The NRI program has expanded to include robotic research that does not necessarily emphasize collaboration. The NRI 2.

0 theme requirements have been largely eliminated. All proposals must have a collaboration plan as described in V. A.

3. Additional solicitation-specific sections are required in the project description, as detailed in Section V. A.

NASA will only consider projects that are within its stated cost limits. NIFA will only consider projects that are within its stated cost limits. NIOSH will only consider projects that are within its stated cost limits.

DOT and NIH have been added as partner organizations. Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the revised NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) ( NSF 20-1 ), which is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after June 1, 2020. Summary Of Program Requirements National Robotics Initiative 3.

0: Innovations in Integration of Robotics (NRI-3. 0) (NRI-3. 0) The National Robotics Initiative 3.

0: Innovations in Integration of Robotics (NRI-3. 0) program builds upon the preceding National Robotics Initiative (NRI) programs to support fundamental research in the United States that will advance the science of robot integration. The program supports research that promotes integration of robots to the benefit of humans including human safety and human independence.

Collaboration between academic, industry, non-profit, and other organizations is encouraged to establish better linkages between fundamental science and engineering and technology development, deployment, and use. The NRI-3.

0 program is supported by multiple agencies of the federal government including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Questions concerning a particular project's focus, direction, and relevance to a participating funding organization should be addressed to that agency's point of contact, listed in section VIII of this solicitation. Cognizant Program Officer(s): Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

For a full listing of agency contacts see Section VIII. of this solicitation. Juan Wachs, CISE/IIS, telephone: Peter Brass, CISE/CCF, telephone: (703) 292-2182 Irina Dolinskaya, ENG/CMMI, Ephraim P.

Glinert, CISE/IIS, email: eglinert@nsf. gov/a> Tatiana Korelsky, CISE/IIS, Frederick M.

Kronz, SBE/OAD, Donald Wunsch, ENG/ECCS, telephone: (703) 292-7102, Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): --- USDA-NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative --- Highway Research and Development Program --- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Science) --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering --- Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences --- Education and Human Resources --- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health --- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering --- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences --- National Institute of Nursing Research --- National Institute on Aging --- National Eye Institute Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant or Cooperative Agreement or contract vehicles as determined by the supporting agency Estimated Number of Awards: 15 to 30 per year, subject to the availability of funds.

Projects will range from $250,000 to $1,500,000 in total costs for up four years. Anticipated Funding Amount: $12,500,000 to $14,100,000 per year, subject to the availability of funds.

Who May Submit Proposals: 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. There are no restrictions or limits. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or Co-PI: 2 An investigator may participate as PI, co-PI, or Senior Personnel in no more than two proposals submitted in response to this solicitation each year.

In the event that an individual exceeds this limit, proposals received within the limit will be accepted based on earliest date and time of proposal submission (i.e., the first two proposals received will be accepted and the remainder will be returned without review). No exceptions will be made. The above limit applies only to proposals to the NRI-3.

0 solicitation, not to the totality of proposals submitted to NSF. Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation may not duplicate or be substantially similar to other proposals concurrently under consideration by other NSF, DOT, NASA, NIH, NIOSH, or USDA programs.

Duplicate or substantially similar proposals will be returned without review, including those substantially similar to previously declined proposals without revisions to address concerns raised by reviewers. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A.

Proposal Preparation Instructions Letters of Intent: Not required Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required Full Proposals submitted via FastLane: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) guidelines apply. The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf.

gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp? ods_key=pappg .

Full Proposals submitted via Research. gov: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) guidelines apply. The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www.

nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp?

ods_key=pappg . Full Proposals submitted via Grants. gov: NSF Grants.

gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants. gov guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants. gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.

gov website and on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ.

jsp? ods_key=grantsgovguide ). Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: For NSF, PAPPG guidelines apply. For DOT, NIOSH and NASA, contact the cognizant program officer. See Section VIII for contact information.

For NIH, indirect costs on foreign subawards/subcontracts will be limited to eight (8) percent. For awards made by USDA/NIFA: Indirect Cost (IDC) is not to exceed 30 percent of Total Federal Funds Awarded (TFFA) of the recipient . 7 U.S.C.

§ 3310 limits IDC for the overall award to 30 percent of Total Federal Funds Awarded (TFFA) under a research, education, or extension grant.

The maximum IDC rate allowed under the award is determined by calculating the amount of IDC using: the sum of an institution’s negotiated indirect cost rate and the indirect cost rate charged by sub-awardees, if any; or The maximum allowable IDC rate under the award, including the IDC charged by the sub-awardee(s), if any, is the lesser of the two rates.

If the result of number 1) above is the lesser of the two rates, the grant recipient is allowed to charge the negotiated IDC rate on the prime award and the sub-award(s), if any. Any sub-awards would be subject to the sub-awardee’s negotiated IDC rate.

The sub-awardee may charge its negotiated IDC rate on its portion of the award, provided the sum of the IDC rate charged under the award by the prime awardee and the sub-awardee(s) does not exceed 30 percent of the TFFA. If the result of number 2) above is the lesser of the two rates, then the maximum IDC rate allowed for the overall award, including any sub-award(s), is limited to 30 percent of the TFFA.

That is, the IDC of the prime awardee plus the sum of the IDC charged by the sub-awardee(s), if any, may not exceed 30 percent of the TFFA. In the event of an award, the prime awardee is responsible for ensuring the maximum indirect cost allowed for the award is not exceeded when combining IDC for the Federal portion (i.e., prime and sub-awardee(s)) and any applicable cost-sharing (see 7 CFR 3430. 52(b)).

Amounts exceeding the maximum allowable IDC is considered unallowable. See sections 408 and 410 of 2 CFR 200. Other Budgetary Limitations: Submission Window Date(s) (due by 5 p.

m. submitter's local time): April 19, 2021 - May 03, 2021 February 08, 2022 - February 22, 2022 February 8 - February 22, Annually Thereafter Proposal Review Information Criteria National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review criteria apply.

Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Award Administration Information Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. The National Robotics Initiative 3.

0: Innovations in Integration of Robotics (NRI-3. 0) program seeks research on integrated robot systems and builds upon the previous NRI programs to focus on innovative integration of robotics technologies . An NRI proposal should convince the reader that the proposed system will enable new functionality or significantly improve upon the state of the art of integrated robotics.

The NRI-3. 0 program seeks to strengthen the robotics research community, fostering innovation and workforce development, accelerating progress, demonstrating novel capabilities, and building ecosystems for innovation. The program seeks to promote new integrated approaches to the challenges of accountability, interoperability, ethical operation and trust which will be engendered by integrated functional ubiquitous robots.

Building upon the successes of earlier versions of NRI, the goal of the NRI-3. 0 program is to support fundamental research that will accelerate the development and use of integrated robot systems in the United States.

Innovative robotics research and applications emphasizing the realization of robots is supported by multiple agencies of the federal government including the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Transportation (DOT), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The NRI-3.

0 program encourages cross-disciplinary projects. Collaboration among academic, industry, government, non-profit, and other organizations is encouraged to establish better linkages between fundamental science and engineering and technology development and use, through partnerships among researchers, applications developers, users, and industry.

International collaborations that enhance and add significant value to the proposed research and education activities will also be considered. Fundamental research in integration of robotics is the focus of the NRI-3. 0 program.

Proposals focused on foundational robotics research in the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) and the Directorate for Engineering (ENG) topics should not be submitted to this program. Proposals to this solicitation may be selected for funding by any of the sponsoring agencies, although all proposals will go through a uniform review process.

Proposals of special relevance to sponsoring agencies listed in this solicitation should address the domain-specific interests listed in Section II. A. 3, Sponsoring Agency Mission-Specific Research.

Within NSF, the NRI-3. 0 program is administered jointly by CISE and ENG. Supporting directorates include the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and the Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences (SBE).

Within USDA, the program is led by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Within DOT, the program is led by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Within NASA, the program is led by the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD): Game Changing Development program.

Within NIH, the program is led by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). Contacts for these and related activities at other sponsoring agencies can be found in Section VIII of this solicitation.

Those proposals that are targeting a specific agency sponsorship should indicate so in the last line of the last box of the Project Summary, e.g., "Requested funding agency:" followed by that agency's abbreviated name ("NSF," "DOT," "USDA," "NASA,” "NIH," or "NIOSH"), but only if they have previously communicated with a program officer from that agency and received permission or instruction to do so .

Those not so designated will be considered for funding by all of the joint sponsoring agencies. II. B.

Sponsoring Agency Mission-Specific Research DOT FHWA has interest in robotics research and development that provides improved safety and mobility for the U.S. highway system. In particular, FHWA is interested in fundamental advances that solve important public needs and can scale for national use.

Increasing access to transportation for all people is an example of how robotics research could respond to public needs across highway transportation. Robotics can provide assistive technology that will increase the ability of all people to travel safely across the highway system from daily local trips such as picking up groceries to longer distance travel.

Assistive technology could include components that build on commercial platforms that assist people with overcoming physical and cognitive travel barriers for a complete trip where the traveler may use multiple modes of transportation. These are only illustrative examples. Proposals should respond to critical public needs that could overlap the examples above or be entirely different.

Investigators are encouraged to consider and propose truly novel solutions that provide transformative advances over current or near market robotics technology. When proposing research, investigators should consider the open nature of the transportation system, integration with legacy components and processes, and the distributed nature of asset ownership and operations.

FHWA seeks proposals that demonstrate awareness of and can leapfrog recent and ongoing DOT-supported applied research programs in order to provide next generation solutions. Relevant DOT programs and activities include Complete Trip - ITS4US Deployment program information is located at https://www. its.

dot. gov/its4us/index. htm Pedestrian Safety Summit information is located at https://cms8.

fhwa. dot. gov/pedestrian-safety-summit Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) program information is located at https://www.

its. dot. gov/research_archives/attri/index.

htm . NASA seeks research and technology development that will significantly increase the performance of robots to collaboratively support deep space human exploration and science missions. NASA’s focus on “Moon to Mars” highlights objectives to establish a long-term presence in the vicinity of and on the Moon, and to invest in technologies needed for the exploration of Mars and other deep-space destinations.

NASA environments present unique challenges for human-robot collaboration, including high communication latencies and limited bandwidth between non-collocated robots and humans, operation in reduced (or zero) gravity environments, and operation on other worlds (with associated issues due to radiation, temperature, illumination, dust, etc.).

Proposals should focus on research and technology development that contribute to the seamless integration and operation of non-collocated human-robot teams. These teams will experience communication latencies from seconds to hours round-trip, with network bandwidths ranging from a few hundred bits per second to a few megabits per second. Additionally, these teams may intermittently be unable to communicate.

Robot team members may be located in habitats (both in-orbit and surface), on planetary surfaces, and underground/underwater on icy and ocean worlds. Human team members may be on Earth, or in orbiting habitats. Research and technology development should focus on being customizable to both the human and robot, preventing single-system or “one-off” solutions.

Robotic systems will be of varying archetypes and modalities – it is expected that many of these systems will be mobile and include manipulation capabilities. Some systems may operate with rich data (from sensors, models, etc.), while others may operate with minimal data derived from limited on-board sensors.

NASA’s 2015 technology roadmap and 2020 technology taxonomy cite critical technologies needed to enable and advance Human-Systems Interaction, which includes human-robot teams.

In addition, some example research and technology areas include, but are not limited to, the following: Strategies to decrease data needed between human and robot while not impacting team performance; Remote operator interfaces that increase situation awareness and robotic intent understanding, and that optimize operator workload; Autonomous performance monitoring; and Autonomous command planning and sequencing.

It is desired that research and technology development include testing to assess human-robot team performance. NASA’s “Moon to Mars” focus is described here: https://www. nasa.

gov/feature/nasas-exploration-campaign-back-to-the-moon-and-on-to-mars NASA's 2015 Technology Roadmaps are available here: https://www. nasa. gov/offices/oct/home/roadmaps/index.

html NASA’s 2020 Technology Taxonomies are available here: https://www. nasa. gov/offices/oct/taxonomy/index.

html NASA’s Risk of Adverse Outcome Due to Inadequate Human Systems Integration Architecture is described here: https://humanresearchroadmap. nasa. gov/risks/risk.

aspx? i=175 The NIH encourages robotics research and technology development to enhance health, lengthen life and reduce illness and disability. The NIH also supports non-hypothesis driven applications, which includes technology-driven and problem-driven applications.

Specifically, the participating NIH institutes on this solicitation are interested in targeting this solicitation to support the development and integration of assistive robotic technology to achieve functional independence in humans; improve quality of life; assist with behavioral therapy and personalized care; and promote wellness/health.

The most significant challenges will be in addressing safety issues, especially for applications to be used in home-based and long-term care settings where integration of complex systems will be required. Additionally, these assistive robots need to quickly adapt to changes of the user and the environment. Human assistive devices should be designed to assist healthcare providers as well as the individuals needing care.

Development of robotic applications is important to NIH because of their potential significant impact on healthcare in the future. Human assistive devices will revolutionize healthcare in the next 20 years as much as personal electronics have changed our daily lives in the past two decades. Affordable and accessible robotic technology can facilitate wellness and personalized healthcare.

Continual health assessment and personalized intervention have the potential to offset the shrinking size of the healthcare workforce and the growing elderly and disabled population.

In the future, assistive robotics will enable people to engage in all aspects of human life with endurance and dignity Examples of assistive robotic technology development include, but are not limited to: Home care and long-term personalized care robots; Robotic wellness/health promotion and maintenance; Robotic behavioral, geriatric, and rehabilitative therapy; Robotic aids for mobility, manipulation, human communication and cognition, vision for non-sighted persons; Assistive robotics to eliminate health disparities across populations; and Infectious disease monitoring and assessments.

When developing appropriate integrative robotic technologies, applicants should consider the following basic characteristics: effectiveness, affordability, cultural acceptability, and accessibility to those who need them. Applicants should describe how these technologies will address the healthcare needs of the end user (healthy individuals, persons with disabilities, and or health disparity populations).

NIOSH seeks research on integration of robotics technologies for reducing workplace risk exposures, research to identify potential physical risks and sociotechnical challenges of robotics technologies to workers, and research to evaluate different risk control strategies.

NIOSH seeks research in various industry sectors that are likely to deploy and benefit from robotics technologies (e.g., agriculture, construction, healthcare, mining, manufacturing, public safety, retail and wholesale trade, services, transportation, warehousing and utilities).

NIOSH seeks research using modeling and simulation to evaluate potential hazards to humans from implementing innovative robotics technologies and to test robot and human interactions using simulated test beds. The purpose of the simulated test beds is to enable engineered solutions to the identified hazards before the technology is deployed in the physical world.

Simulations may include incorporation of humans into the simulated workspace using a virtual reality interface. NIOSH has identified research priorities in the areas of basic cause-and-effect research and intervention to address knowledge gaps related to integration of robotics technologies and worker safety and health. Basic cause-and-effect research builds a foundation of scientific knowledge on which to base future interventions.

Specific research topics include the following: Risk factors involving human worker’s cognitive, physical, physiological, and emotional capability and limitations when working with robots and robotics technologies; Refinement and development of science-based human pain and injury thresholds for collaborative robots, wearable robots (including powered exoskeletons), and new robotics technologies; Robotics technologies and engineering features for safe, intuitive, and useful collaborative and co-existing robot systems; Risk factors involving human-robot interface and safety communication; Task-related and environmental risk factors that are specific to each industrial sector, particularly for the industries in which integrated robotics technology has high potential for improving workplace safety; and Risk factors associated with adaptability of robots in dynamically changing work environments or situations outside normal operating conditions.

Intervention research involves development and evaluation of interventions to reduce injury incidents among human workers working with new robotics systems, and also evaluates integrated robotics technologies as preventive measures for existing workplace hazards.

Specific research topics include the following: Evaluation of integrated robotics technologies as potential interventions to reduce or prevent existing hazards and resulting injuries and illnesses to workers; Evaluation of training that helps human workers acquire skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to work with integrated robotics systems safely in complex and dynamic industrial environments; and Innovative workplace interventions including engineering controls and administrative controls.

Research may address costs of the intervention and impacts on productivity. The NIOSH Center for Occupational Robotics Research webpage provides more information and is available at: www. cdc.

gov/niosh/topics/robotics . The USDA has launched the Agricultural Innovation Agenda for using automation, artificial intelligence and data to transform American agriculture ( https://www. usda.

gov/aia ). USDA/NIFA encourages robotics research, applications, and education to enhance agricultural production, processing, and distribution systems that address the following goals of the USDA science blueprint ( https://www. usda.

gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-science-blueprint. pdf ): sustainable agricultural intensification, climate adaptation in agriculture, value added innovation in agricultural systems, and translation of food and nutritional information technological advances in food industry. These robotics efforts address USDA strategic goals ( https://www.

usda. gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-strategic-plan-2018-2022. pdf ).

USDA emphasizes automation (including robotics) and associated development of decision tools for plant and animal production and protection; particularly as it applies to fruit and vegetable production and of precision livestock farming and processing. Projects involving the following topics are particularly desired, although other robotics topics will be considered: Scalable Robotic Technologies .

Examples include the following areas: Automated and mechanized intelligent systems that focus on labor-intensive tasks in production and distribution of crops; Automated systems for planting, scouting, spraying, culturing, irrigating, and harvesting plant crops (including forests) to decrease costs, improve efficiency, or reduce inputs of water, fertilizer, or chemicals; Improved robotics for inspection, monitoring, culturing, sorting, and handling of plants and flowers in controlled environment facilities and nurseries, or for managing or studying (e.g., monitoring, inspecting, sorting, vaccinating, deworming) large numbers of live animals, either domestic or wild; Automated systems for inspection, sorting, processing, or handling of animal or plant products (including forest products) in post-harvest, processing, or meat Processing, or product distribution environments; and Multi-modal and rapid sensing systems for detecting defects, ripeness, physical damage, microbial contamination, size, shape, and other quality attributes of plant or animal products (including forest products), or for monitoring air or water quality.

Configurable Multi-Agent Teams.

Examples include the following areas: High-level task planning, execution, and control systems for spatially distributed autonomous or semi-autonomous robots that operate in concert with co-workers, either human, robotic, or other devices/systems; Innovative use of intelligently coupled robot drones and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to improve crop and animal management; Communication protocols and standards for inter-agent coordination (including natural language) and for unsupervised collaboration; and Distributed intelligence, fault tolerance, and "failure with grace" that will allow high-level task completion despite failure of one or more agents (or teams) or temporary loss of human attention.

II. C. Robotic Projects for K-16 Education To promote further exploration of the linkages of research on Integrated robots to one or more levels of K-16 education, NSF's Directorate for Education and Human Resources will provide funding at the lower end of the funding range.

Successful projects will advance the vision of integrating technologies to make robots more capable by developing and testing innovative strategies for either: a) engaging students or teachers in the study of robotics in the context of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) education; or b) designing, developing, optimizing or using robotics to enhance teaching and learning in formal or informal STEM education settings.

Due to limited funds and the multi-agency nature of this solicitation, education-focused proposals are discouraged at the higher end of the funding range .

Design of innovative robotic technologies as tools for enhancing teaching and learning in formal and informal learning environments; Development of innovative robotic technologies as tools for augmenting teaching and supporting students in face-to-face, online and blended learning environments; Applications that further the development of robot systems and approaches that support optimized human-robot interaction and personalized learning; Design, implementation, and rigorous study of robotics competitions or instructional materials that impact student engagement, motivation to learn STEM content, and STEM career awareness and interests; Research and development of learning experiences and instructional models that integrate robotics into STEM courses; Development, testing and evaluation of teacher professional growth opportunities that support teaching, learning and integration of robotics in school or college settings; Research of learning environments and instructional approaches in formal and informal settings to advance workforce preparedness in robotics; and Development, testing and evaluation of education strategies for broadening participation of students from groups underrepresented in education pathways to careers in robotics.

II. D. Principal Investigator Meetings The NRI-3.

0 program anticipates holding annual Principal Investigator (PI) meetings for research investigators, industrial partners, and sponsoring agency representatives. Budgets should account for such trips to the Washington, DC, area for each of the project PIs and other team members as appropriate from all collaborating institutions.

These meetings will be highlighted by technology demonstrations and progress reports, and will provide a forum for all to discuss best practices, concerns, and high-risk, high-return ideas and challenges pertinent to the vision of ubiquitous robots. All awards made under this solicitation by NSF, DOT, NASA, NIH, NIOSH, and USDA will be as grants or cooperative agreements or other contract vehicles as determined by the supporting agency.

All awards made under this solicitation by USDA/NIFA will be standard grants. A standard grant is an award instrument by which the agency agrees to support a specified level of effort for a predetermined project period without the announced intention of providing additional support at a future date. NSF supported projects will range from $250,000 to $1,500,000 in total costs for a period of up to four years.

In addition to these overall budget ranges, individual agency requirements and funding mechanisms place limits on per-year budget ranges: NASA will consider projects with budgets ranging from $85,000 to $150,000 per year in total annual costs (direct plus indirect) averaged over the duration of the project, with durations of up to three years.

NIH will consider projects with budgets ranging from approximately $100,000 to $250,000 per year in direct costs averaged over the duration of the project, with durations of one to three years. Applicants who wish to submit a proposal to NIH of more than $250,000 in direct costs for any grant should contact the program staff of an NIH Institute/Center directly for alternate proposal mechanisms.

NIOSH will consider projects with budgets ranging from $85,000 to $250,000 per year in total annual costs (direct and indirect), with durations up to three years. USDA/NIFA will consider projects with budgets ranging from $150,000 to $300,000 per year in total annual costs (direct plus indirect) averaged over the duration of the project, with durations of two to four years.

Projects exceeding $1,200,000 in total costs may be accepted by USDA/NIFA with prior approval. Projects with budgets over the limit may be returned without further review. The number of awards will depend on the quality of proposals received, the availability of funds, considerations for creating a balanced overall program, and the degree to which meaningful collaboration across institutions is realized.

Upon conclusion of the NSF review process, meritorious research proposals may be recommended for funding by one of NSF, DOT, NASA, NIH, NIOSH, or USDA/NIFA, determined at the option of the agencies, not the proposer.

Subsequent grant administration procedures will be in accordance with the individual policies of the awarding agency, and may require submission of a revised proposal that meets the administrative requirements of the funding agency (see Section V for additional information on agency-specific processes). IV.

Eligibility Information Who May Submit Proposals: 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