Research Coordination Networks (RCN) | 23 529

Opportunity Information: Apply for 23 529

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Coordination Networks (RCN) program is a grant opportunity designed to move a research or education field forward by funding the coordination and communication infrastructure that helps communities work together. Instead of paying for the primary research itself, RCN supports the connective tissue that makes research communities more effective: building new relationships, aligning efforts across institutions and disciplines, sharing knowledge, synthesizing results, and creating common approaches that can open up new directions for discovery or education. The emphasis is on bringing investigators together in ways that would not happen easily without targeted support, especially when the work spans disciplinary, organizational, geographic, or international boundaries.

A central idea of RCN is that intentional networking can produce measurable scientific and educational benefits, particularly in interdisciplinary spaces where people often lack shared language, standards, or venues to coordinate. Projects are expected to have a coherent theme that holds the network together, such as a broad research question, a specific technology, a methodology, or an emerging challenge that requires multiple perspectives. NSF explicitly encourages proposals that increase geographic diversity within the network, which can help distribute opportunity, incorporate varied expertise and contexts, and strengthen national capacity across regions and institution types.

RCN is also forward-looking in the kinds of community-building activities it wants to enable. Proposals that experiment with new networking strategies and collaborative technologies are encouraged, as are efforts focused on training and education, broadening participation, and establishing community standards for data and metadata. In practice, that can include activities like workshops, working groups, training institutes, shared online collaboration environments, curated resource repositories, standards-development meetings, roadmapping exercises, and coordination mechanisms that help different teams align protocols, share data practices, or identify high-impact research gaps. The program is particularly interested in networks that foster new collaborations, including international partnerships when they are relevant to the topic and add real value.

At the same time, NSF is clear about what RCN is not. The program is not meant to fund existing networks simply to keep operating, and it is not intended to underwrite the routine activities of established collaborations that already have their own momentum and structure. It also does not support primary research, meaning the network cannot be a vehicle to primarily fund experiments, field campaigns, or other core research tasks. The deliverable is the network and its outcomes: improved coordination, stronger community capacity, shared tools and standards, new partnerships, and synthesis that advances science and education by enabling better communication and collective action.

RCN proposals can be submitted to participating programs across several NSF directorates, including Biological Sciences (BIO), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Geosciences (GEO), STEM Education (EDU), Engineering (ENG), Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), and Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP). Because RCN topics need to align with specific program areas, principal investigators are strongly encouraged to talk with the relevant NSF program officer before submitting. For proposals going to CISE, ENG, SBE, and TIP, prior consultation before submission is mandatory, and applicants must follow the solicitation instructions on documenting that consultation.

This opportunity is listed as NSF Funding Opportunity Number 23-529, categorized as a discretionary grant in the science and technology research and development area. Proposals are accepted at any time (no fixed deadline), NSF anticipates making around 20 awards, and the listing does not specify a standard award ceiling, which typically signals that budgets should be justified based on the scope and needs of the networking plan rather than aiming for a single preset maximum. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others" with additional clarification in the full solicitation, so applicants should confirm institutional and organizational eligibility in the official NSF text and coordinate early with their sponsored research office.

NSF also notes that the NSF GRANTED program welcomes inquiries about RCN concepts that would strengthen the capacity of higher education institutions to develop, submit, and manage research proposals and awards, which may be relevant for networks that include capacity-building as a major component. Finally, NSF points out that other solicitations may support RCN-like activities for narrower themes, so prospective applicants should check the solicitation's "Other Information" section and consult program officers to ensure they are choosing the best-fit mechanism for their goals.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Coordination Networks (RCN)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.083, 47.084.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 13, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Proposals accepted anytime. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 23 529

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