Smart and Connected Communities | 18 520

Opportunity Information: Apply for 18 520

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Smart and Connected Communities (SCC) grant opportunity supports research that helps communities use intelligent technologies in ways that genuinely improve day-to-day life. The central idea is that places like towns, cities, counties, neighborhoods, rural regions, community districts, and tribal areas are becoming more digitally and technologically connected, which creates real opportunities for stronger economies, safer environments, better health outcomes, and higher overall quality of life. At the same time, this shift raises difficult challenges because technology does not operate in a vacuum; it interacts with local institutions, public trust, equity concerns, governance, culture, and the built and natural environment. NSF is looking for projects that build the underlying scientific and engineering knowledge needed to make these technology-enabled community changes effective, responsible, and sustainable.

A key feature of the program is that it does not fund technology-only projects. SCC specifically emphasizes integrative research that combines technological innovation with the social dimensions of how communities function. In practice, that means proposals are expected to connect advances in areas like computing, sensing, data systems, networks, cybersecurity, decision support, or intelligent infrastructure with research on human behavior, organizations, economics, education, public policy, and other social or behavioral factors that determine whether a solution will work in the real world. The program frames a "smart and connected community" as one that thoughtfully integrates intelligent technologies with infrastructure and with the natural and built environments, aiming for measurable improvements for people who live, work, or travel there.

Community involvement is not treated as a side activity. Proposals must include meaningful community engagement, with community stakeholders integrated into the project rather than consulted only at the end. The solicitation is written to favor research that is grounded in a real community context and shaped with input from those who will be affected, such as local governments, tribal authorities, community organizations, residents, or regional agencies. The intent is to ensure that the research is relevant, implementable, and attentive to local priorities and constraints, while also producing results that can inform broader scientific understanding and potentially transfer to other communities.

NSF also requires proposals to show how the work will be coordinated and assessed. Each SCC Integrative Research Grant proposal must include (1) integrative research addressing both technological and social dimensions, (2) a plan for meaningful community engagement, (3) a management plan explaining how the project will be run across disciplines, institutions, and community partners, and (4) an evaluation plan that measures impacts over time, including short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes. This structure signals that NSF expects complex, multi-party projects to have clear leadership, coordination mechanisms, and a credible approach to learning what worked, what did not, and why.

The program is cross-directorate, meaning it pulls expertise and funding interest from multiple NSF directorates: Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Education and Human Resources (EHR), Engineering (ENG), Geosciences (GEO), and Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE). That multi-directorate backing reflects the program's interdisciplinary nature and the fact that smart community challenges often span computing and engineering, workforce and education, environmental and climate realities, and human and societal systems.

In terms of funding, the solicitation supports grant awards with total project budgets ranging from $750,000 to $3,000,000, for project periods of up to four years. The expected number of awards listed is 15. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the solicitation text. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary research and development funding, offered through a grant instrument, and is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (47.041, 47.050, 47.070, 47.075, 47.076). The source record indicates an original closing date of February 28, 2018, and a creation date of November 29, 2017, which is important context if you are comparing it to newer or updated SCC solicitations.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Smart and Connected Communities" 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, 47.075, 47.076.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 29, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 28, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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