Funding Opportunity: NSF Convergence Accelerator Phase 1 and 2 for 2022 Cohort


NSF’s Convergence Accelerator, aligned to the TIP directorate, is speeding research and discovery into practice by issuing a new funding opportunity focused on three new research track topics: Enhancing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, Sustainable Materials for Global Challenges, and Food & Nutrition Security.

Researchers and innovators have two submission pathways to submit their proposals: Solicitation, NSF-22-583 and Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), NSFBAA-CA22-02

The funding opportunity track focuses include:  

Track H: Enhancing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities

This track will converge a wide range of disciplines to include social sciences, behavioral sciences, engineering, computer science, ethics, and economics to develop use-inspired solutions to enhance the quality of life, employment access, and opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Track I: Sustainable Materials for Global Challenges: 

This track will converge advances in fundamental materials science with materials design and manufacturing methods with the goal to couple their end-use and full life-cycle considerations for environmentally and economically sustainable materials and products that address global challenges.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), an Australian Government agency, is partnering with the NSF Convergence Accelerator on Track I. Australian researchers have the opportunity to be on multidisciplinary teams that submit proposals aligned to Track I.  

Track J: Food & Nutrition Security: 

This track will converge a wide range of disciplines to address intertwined challenges in supporting population health, combating climate change, and addressing the nutritional needs of the most vulnerable by empowering youth, women, and disadvantaged communities.

Funding opportunity details 

Who can apply

Researchers and innovators from academia, industry, government, nonprofit, and other organizations are encouraged to submit a letter of intent (required) and full proposal.   

Funding opportunity details: 

Submit your proposal using one of the submission pathways:  

Key dates:

  • Letter of Intent (required): May 31, 2022 
  • Full Proposal Deadline: July 20, 2022*  

*Full proposals are due 5 p.m. submitter’s local time

Join an informational webinar 

in an NSF Convergence Accelerator webinarto learn about the program and the current funding opportunity. During the webinars, participants will learn about the program’s model and fundamentals, including the program’s phased approach and innovation processes used to accelerate basic research into practice; and the solicitation opportunity and the research track focuses, required Convergence Accelerator fundamentals, and important submission information. The goal of these webinars is to bring awareness of this exciting opportunity to develop use-inspired solutions to have a positive impact on national and societal challenges.   

Dates and times:

May 4, 2022 | 1 - 3 p.m. EDT

May 5, 2022 | 3 - 5 p.m. EDT

Webinar registration:  http://nsfconvergenceaccelerator.eventbrite.com/