U.S. National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator Regional Anchor for the Southeast Region

Amendment #1 Dates for oral presentations updated. The U.S. National Science Foundation has issued a solicitation to establish a Regional Anchor for the NSF Convergence Accelerator's Southeast Region. The Regional Anchor will be responsible for implementing the NSF Convergence Accelerator's program model and day-to-day operations for the Southeast Region, in accordance with NSF guidelines.

In April 2024, NSF formally announced its plan to scale the NSF Convergence Accelerator from a single national program to 10 regionally focused NSF Convergence Accelerators that aim to enhance national and regional competitiveness in research, innovation and workforce development, as well as address pressing societal and economic challenges within geographic areas.

The Southeast Region is the second region in which the NSF Convergence Accelerator hosted a series of expansion events in July 2024. The next step in establishing the NSF Convergence Accelerator for the Southeast Region is to determine the Regional Anchor. This solicitation is to establish and manage the Regional Anchor business management services that will implement the NSF Southeast Convergence Accelerator on behalf of the NSF Convergence Accelerator national program.

The Southeast Region includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.? The organization awarded the Regional Anchor for the Southeast Region MUST reside, including key personnel located there, within the Southeast Region. It is expected that the Regional Anchor be either a for-profit or non-profit organization.

The Regional Anchor is not anticipated to be an Institution of Higher Education (IHE) because IHEs are likely to seek to apply to research funding opportunities subsequently published by the Regional Anchor.

However, university affiliated organizations that are separate from the IHE may be able to apply if potential conflicts of interest can be managed.? ?Note: In addition to the proposal a letter of intent is required to be submitted via the NSF Convergence Accelerator Regional Anchor Application submission system. Informational Webinar for the Midwest Regional Anchor Funding Opportunity Tuesday, October 29 | 2:30 – 4 p.m. EDT?

Join the NSF Convergence Accelerator Team for a webinar?to learn about the Southeast Regional Anchor funding opportunity. Proposers are encouraged to register and attend this webinar, including a 45-minute presentation covering the program’s model and fundamentals, details about the solicitation opportunity and essential submission information. A Q&A will follow the presentation. Proposers are recommended to review the solicitation document before the webinar to maximize the effectiveness of the Q&A session.

This webinar aims to raise awareness and clarify the application process for this exciting opportunity, which gives applicants the chance to play a leading role in shaping the future of research and development in their region.

Webinar?registration: https://2024-nsf-ca-expansion-southeast-webinar.eventbrite.com