Administration

OSP: Letters of Intent are required to be submitted by OSP: 10/27/09
OSP: Full Proposals ** Please note that OSP is closed for the university winter holiday. We will be on a limited schedule. It is best if you submit your proposal well in advance before the break.

NSF: Letter of intent: 10/31/09 (falls on a Saturday and would roll to Monday, 11/2/09)
NSF: Full Proposal: 12/31/09

The goals of the Partnerships for Innovation Program are to: 1) stimulate the transformation of knowledge created by the research and education enterprise to innovations that create new wealth; build strong local, regional and national economies; and improve the national well-being; 2) broaden the participation of all types of academic institutions and all citizens in activities to meet the diverse workforce needs of the national innovation enterprise; and 3) catalyze of enhance enabling infrastructure that is necessary to foster and sustain innovation in the long-term. To develop a set of ideas for pursuing these goals, this competition will support 12-15 promising partnerships among academe, the private sector, and stat/local/federal government that will explore new approaches to support and sustain innovation.

Typically, each partnership proposal is anticipated to have the following basic organizational structure: Two academic institutions and one private sector partner. Once academic institution will be the lead and the other academic institution will be a sub-awardee.

Please note: A senior institutional administrator (dean or higher) at the lead institution must serve as Co-PI or PIO. The senior administrator must have an active role that is explicitly described along with the specification of a time commitment on the project.

The complete solicitation (PDF) can be found online for review. Download Adobe Reader.

Academic institutions are limited to two proposals. HOWEVER, The University of Texas at Austin has an active PFI which as yet to “graduate” thus we are limited to submission of ONE proposal supporting a proposal submitted by another lead institution (per the Additional Eligibility Info located in the guidelines). UT Austin must be the sub-awardee; therefore, all pre-proposals of other lead institutions that include UT-Austin as a subcontractor must also be submitted for internal review.

Please review Additional Eligibility Info (located on page 8 of the guidelines):

Below shows the unit that forms the academic institutional base of PFI partnerships under this solicitation. Proposals must propose a partnership that constitutes of the following organizational type:

* Type II - one unit from PFI Graduated Grantees (1) and another Other NSF Partnerships Active (2) and Graduated Grantees (3).

1. A graduated PFI grantee has had a PFI award that has past its expiration date and for which NSF has accepted the final report. In addition, all active PFI grantees for which a final report will have been accepted by NSF no later than April 30, 2009 are also eligible to submit proposals as graduated PFI grantees under this solicitation.

2. An active grantee involved in other NSF partnership opportunities is defined as one which is in the implementation phase of the project(s). **UT applies here

3. A graduated grantee involved in other NSF partnership opportunities is defined as a completed award with an award expiration date within the last decade. **UT applies here

4. Participation by minority serving institutions, community and technical colleges and other non-research intensive institutions is encouraged.

Partnership building requirements:

* NSF partnerships units for 2 & 3 above may include grantees from a Science and Technology Center (STC), Engineering Research Center (ERC), Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC), Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC), National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN), National Research Initiative (NRI), Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI), Small Business Technical Transfer Research (STTR) - Phase II, and other grantees from NSF programs involving partnerships/multiple organizations.
* Type II partnerships require PFI Graduated Grantees to be the lead and Other NSF Partnerships to be the sub-awardee.

Please submit the following materials electronically to c_frazier@austin.utexas.edu no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009:

1. Dean's or Dean Designates Letter of Nomination
2. Lead’s Project Summary (including UT’s project summary as the sub-awardee) (<2 pages);
3. The biological sketch of the UT PI
4. A list of potential partner institutions, stating which lead, which is/are subawardees, is and which is/are non-funded partners.