The NSF program "Advanced Computing Systems & Services: Adapting to the Rapid Evolution of Science and Engineering Research 2.0," focuses on providing high-capacity and innovative computational resources to support advanced scientific and engineering (S&E) research across the U.S. The program seeks proposals from organizations equipped to serve as resource providers within the NSF Advanced Computing Systems and Services (ACSS) program, offering substantial computational infrastructure. This infrastructure will support the full range of S&E research needs, including computation, data analysis, and artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure broad access to resources, especially targeting underserved research communities.

Two categories of awards are available under this program: Category I, for large-scale production computational resources, and Category II, for innovative prototypes or testbeds exploring new technologies and methodologies. Category I awards focus on operational resources providing maximum capacity for diverse research needs, whereas Category II awards emphasize testing and development of novel computational capabilities. Proposals are accepted on a rotating schedule, with Category I and II submissions alternating. The budget for Category I awards ranges from $10 million to $20 million for up to five years, while Category II awards are capped at $5 million for the same duration.

Eligible applicants include U.S.-based institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, museums, research labs, and professional societies directly associated with research activities. Each institution may submit only one proposal per competition as the lead but can collaborate on other proposals as subawardees. Proposals must include a comprehensive project plan, covering resource specifications, performance metrics, risk mitigation, user support, and operational plans, along with adherence to NSF’s broader impacts criteria.

Proposals are evaluated on their intellectual merit, including their potential to expand the computational capabilities available to the research community, and their broader impacts, which involve the inclusivity and accessibility of resources. The NSF encourages proposers to incorporate diverse user support systems and partnerships with underrepresented institutions and groups, promoting equitable access to computational resources across the research landscape.

Deadlines for submission are on October 29, 2024, and June 24, 2025, for each respective funding cycle, and applications must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov following NSF guidelines. Awardees must comply with the reporting and performance tracking requirements set by the NSF, including annual project reports and detailed tracking of resource usage and user support metrics.