The National Science Foundation (NSF), through its Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS) in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), in partnership with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), is offering a grant opportunity titled "Mathematical Foundations of Digital Twins" (MATH-DT), solicitation number NSF 24-559. This program is designed to support foundational mathematical and statistical research in the development and application of Digital Twins (DTs). Digital Twins are dynamic, digital representations of real-world systems or processes and are increasingly applied in diverse fields such as engineering, medicine, manufacturing, and urban planning. The program aims to strengthen the connection between mathematical/statistical methodologies and real-world applications, thus advancing decision-making and innovation in society.

The MATH-DT program encourages collaborative efforts between mathematical researchers and domain experts in Digital Twin applications. It prioritizes projects that address broad, complex problems involving elements such as multi-scale or high-dimensional modeling, uncertainty quantification, data assimilation, and computational scalability. Proposals should highlight both the potential mathematical innovation and the practical significance of the Digital Twin application. The program emphasizes flexibility by not mandating specific application domains and encourages diversity in team composition, including institutions from underrepresented groups and geographic regions such as EPSCoR jurisdictions.

Each proposal must involve at least two Principal Investigators (PIs). One must lead on the mathematical/statistical challenges, while the other should specialize in practical modeling or possess relevant application data. The award duration is 36 months, and approximately 6 to 10 standard grants will be funded depending on availability of funds and quality of submissions. The total anticipated funding is $5 million. Proposals may be submitted by accredited U.S.-based institutions of higher education, nonprofit non-academic organizations, and federally recognized Tribal Nations. There is a strict limit of one proposal per PI or co-PI.

Applications are to be submitted via either Research.gov or Grants.gov and must comply with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). No Letters of Intent or preliminary proposals are required. The full proposal deadlines are June 20, 2024, March 17, 2025, and March 15 annually thereafter. Proposals submitted as part of a collaboration must follow specific title formatting guidelines and should be submitted to the Computational Mathematics program.

Proposals will be evaluated on NSF's two standard merit review criteria: Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts. Reviewers will also consider how well the proposal explores the synergy between Digital Twin applications and mathematical/statistical innovation. Specifically, reviewers will assess how well the proposal addresses the bidirectional relationship between mathematical theory and practical applications. Evaluation will also consider the team’s qualifications and the proposed project’s feasibility and potential societal benefit.

For questions, applicants may contact any of the following program officers: Yuliya Gorb (ygorb@nsf.gov), Jodi Mead (jmead@nsf.gov), Fariba Fahroo (fariba.fahroo@us.af.mil), Yulia Gel (ygel@nsf.gov), Dmitry Golovaty (dgolovat@nsf.gov), Daan Liang (dliang@nsf.gov), and Siqian Shen (siqshen@nsf.gov). Technical support is available through the Research.gov Help Desk (rgov@nsf.gov, 1-800-381-1532) and Grants.gov Contact Center (support@grants.gov, 1-800-518-4726).