ACED: Accelerating Computing-Enabled Scientific Discovery | 24 541

Opportunity Information: Apply for 24 541

ACED: Accelerating Computing-Enabled Scientific Discovery is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant program focused on using advances in computing to speed up breakthroughs in other scientific and engineering fields, while also pushing computing research forward in the process. The core idea is a two-way, reinforcing cycle: computing innovations should unlock new capabilities and insights in a partner domain (for example, biology, engineering, or the physical sciences), and the demands of that domain should in turn motivate new computing methods that are broadly useful beyond the original application. In other words, projects are expected to produce both domain impact (new scientific discovery) and computing impact (new computational techniques, systems, or theory that generalize).

A central requirement of ACED is sustained, genuinely integrated collaboration between at least two research groups. One group must come from NSF Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) core-supported computing areas, and the other group must represent another discipline aligned with existing programs in NSF directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO), Engineering (ENG), or Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS). The program is structured to avoid one-off, service-style computing support; instead, it emphasizes continuous co-development where the computing research agenda and the domain science agenda shape each other throughout the project.

ACED offers two proposal tracks with different maturity levels and funding scales. Track I, Emerging Ideas, is meant for high-risk, exploratory, multidisciplinary work that is still in a speculative stage. These projects are expected to test bold new directions, generate early evidence, refine the research plan based on what is learned, and evaluate whether the resulting computing or scientific advances can extend beyond the initial use case. Track I awards are capped at $500,000 total budget, with project durations of roughly 18 to 24 months, and proposals for this track were tied to the 2024 deadline cycle.

Track II, Discovery, supports larger and more mature efforts aimed at transformative results that significantly advance both computing and the partnered scientific discipline(s). Proposals in this track are expected to clearly define the scientific problem(s) being tackled, specify the new computing techniques or technologies that will be developed, and demonstrate readiness through preliminary results and/or established collaborations that make the approach credible. Track II budgets may be as high as $750,000 per year for up to four years, for a total possible budget up to $3,000,000, with proposals planned for the 2025 to 2026 deadline dates (the opportunity listing shows an original closing date of 2025-01-14, reflecting one of the submission windows).

Eligibility to submit proposals is limited to US-based nonprofit, non-academic organizations (such as independent museums, observatories, research labs, and professional societies tied to education or research) and US-accredited institutions of higher education, including two-year and four-year colleges (community colleges included), submitting on behalf of their faculty. If a proposal includes funding that would go to an international branch campus of a US institution (including via subawards or consulting), the proposal must justify why work at the international site is beneficial and why it cannot be performed at the US campus.

Principal investigators and co-principal investigators must be based at an eligible US campus and, by the submission deadline, must hold either a tenured or tenure-track position or a primary, full-time paid appointment in a research or teaching role. Interdisciplinary team composition is not optional: teams are expected to include at least one researcher from a CISE computing discipline and at least one researcher from another NSF-supported discipline within BIO, ENG, or MPS. Individuals whose primary appointments are at for-profit non-academic organizations, or at overseas branch campuses of US institutions, are not eligible to serve as PI or co-PI (with limited exceptions for situations like family or medical leave as handled by the submitting organization).

Administratively, this is an NSF discretionary grant opportunity in the science and technology research and development category (CFDA numbers listed include 47.041, 47.049, 47.070, 47.074, and 47.084). The program is identified as Funding Opportunity Number 24-541, created on 2024-02-14, with an award ceiling of $3,000,000 tied to the Track II maximum. The practical takeaway is that ACED is designed for teams that can show a tight coupling between frontier computing research and a compelling, computation-enabled scientific discovery agenda, with outcomes that matter both inside and outside the initial domain partnership.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "ACED: Accelerating Computing-Enabled Scientific Discovery" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041, 47.049, 47.070, 47.074, 47.084.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-02-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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