NSF Announces Regional Resilience Innovation Incubator Program
Phase-1 of a new Regional Resilience Innovation Incubator (R2I2) program, led by the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) and Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP). This first phase of the R2I2 program will support community-engaged pilot projects that develop scalable solution(s) to one or multiple regional climate challenges based on interdisciplinary, translational research. Projects should involve a diverse range of partnerships within regions and communities, including private and public sectors. Along with building on Earth systems research, the projects can also draw from “research on social, behavioral, and economic sciences, coupled human and natural systems, and engineering”. Following the award and rollout of Phase-1 projects, NSF plans to release a larger implementation solicitation in fiscal year 2026 which will scale the initial pilot projects. Only Phase-1 award recipients will be eligible to apply for Phase-2. Learn more at this webinar.
Successful R2I2 projects should:
· Address climate challenges relevant to the proposer’s region;
· Create solutions based on previous Earth system research;
· Develop innovative solutions that can be scaled and sustained past the duration of the award;
· Build partnerships between disciplines, climate-impacted communities, and the public and private sectors for project design and deployment;
· Establish measurable goals for addressing the climate challenge that can be met within the duration of the Phase-1 and Phase-2 awards; and
· Train future scientists and engineers in community-engaged science to build the future scientific workforce.
The ten regions of this solicitation are strictly defined as the Northeast, Southeast, U.S. Caribbean, Midwest, Northern Great Plains, Southern Great Plains, Northwest, Southwest, Alaska, and Hawaii & U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands by the Fifth National Climate Assessment (Figure 1.1) though the solicitation adds that “projects may propose solutions that apply to more than one climate region.” NSF also states that while geographic diversity will be a priority, there is not a guarantee that there will be one in every state and some regions will have more than one.
In addition to the 16 Phase-1 projects that are planned, there will also be one R2I2 National Office (RNO) awarded out of this solicitation. The RNO will coordinate communications and convenings across the national network of projects, host the network’s digital presence and regular meetings/conferences, provide workforce development trainings and other technical assistance for the network, and develop a shared governance structure for the projects.
The R2I2 program will be similar to the NSF Convergence Accelerators and the NSF Regional Innovation Engines, but uniquely emphasizes climate solutions. This call differs from the Confronting Hazards, Impacts and Risks for a Resilient Planet Program (CHIRRP) program released earlier this year as proposals for R2I2 should be focused on advancing solutions using existing scientific knowledge with measurable impacts and outcomes rather than basic science and advancing understanding.
Award Information: NSF anticipates a budget of $10 million for FY 2025 for 16 Phase-1 awards and one award for a R2I2 National Office. The proposal awards are each up to $500,000 for a two-year duration. The National Office will be funded at $1 million per year for two years, with the possibility of being extended. Phase-2 awards are anticipated to be funded at up to $3 million per year for up to five years.
Eligibility: Proposals may be submitted by Institutions of Higher Education, non-profit/non-academic organizations, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, Tribal Nations, and NSF sponsored Federally Funded Research and Development Centers. There are no limits on the number of proposals submitted per institution, however, an individual can only serve as a lead PI on one proposal and co-PI on only one other.
Deadlines: Required letters of intent are due December 16, 2024. Full proposals are due January 16, 2025.
Sources and Additional Information:
· The Regional Resilience Innovation Incubator program page is available at https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/regional-resilience-innovation-incubator-r2i2
· The full Regional Resilience Innovation Incubator solicitation is available at https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/nsf24595.pdf?VersionId=sJMR.iqTuUHJ31yTZ7vhxu17VKEG34ty