Sept. 30, 2019 — The National Science Foundation (NSF) has invested over $11.5 million in 9 new projects to tackle grand scientific challenges that require significant coordinated international efforts. The awards are funded through the new NSF-wide Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations (AccelNet) program.
Research collaboration in networks is increasing in all fields of science, engineering, and STEM education. Coordination among U.S. research networks and complementary networks abroad provides an opportunity to advance the frontiers of a field. The AccelNet program aims to accelerate the process of scientific discovery and prepare the next generation of U.S. researchers for multiteam international collaborations.
“Today’s science is highly collaborative and international,” said Rebecca Keiser, Head of NSF’s Office of International Science and Engineering. “The strategic linkages across international research networks created through these AccelNet awards will enable U.S. researchers and international partners to leverage complementary resources and ensure that the future U.S. scientific workforce develops the skills to thrive in global teams that drive scientific discovery.”
The 2019 AccelNet awards support the creation of international networks of networks in a wide range of community-recognized grand challenges, ranging from resilience to robotic surgery. Several awards align with the NSF’s Big Ideas Navigating the New Arctic, Windows on the Universe, The Future of Work, and Harnessing the Data Revolution.
These first AccelNet awards include 4 catalytic efforts to identify key knowledge gaps and 5 large-scale networking plans for innovative collaboration on research priorities and enhancing professional skills of students and early-career researchers in international networks. Through these nine projects across 25 institutions, U.S. research networks will connect with research networks across the globe to enable research advances at scales larger than currently possible.
A full list of the 2019 AccelNet awards can be found on the NSF Awards Search.
About NSF
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…” NSF is vital because we support basic research and people to create knowledge that transforms the future.
Source: NSF