The Cyberinfrastructurefor Public Access and Open Science (CI PAOS) program within the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) aims to catalyze new and transformative socio-technical partnerships supporting research data infrastructure ecosystems across domainsthrough early-stage collaborative activities between cyberinfrastructure researchers, scientists, research computing experts, data management experts, research labs, university libraries, and other communities of practice.
The CI PAOS program supports the NSF Public Access Initiative byencouraging innovation across the CI ecosystem to address accessibility, discoverability, reliability, reproducibility, sustainability, and utility of data products in alignment with NSF and national goals for public access and open science [See: NSF Public Access Initiative, Office of Science and Technology Policy Memorandum on Ensuring Free, Immediate, and equitable Access to Federally funded Research, and Desirable Characteristics of Data Repositories for Federally Funded Research].CI PAOS builds on previous investments including those through Dear Colleague Letters NSF19-069,NSF20-068, NSF 23-018, and the FAIROS Research Coordination Networks (RCN)program solicitation (NSF 22-553).
NSF accepts proposals pursuant tothis Program Description year-round. From time to time, NSF may also issue Dear Colleague Letters to encourage proposals on special thematic interests and opportunities related to this program.
GUIDANCE TO POTENTIAL PROPOSERS
A primary feature of successful CI PAOS projects is a robust, synergistic collaborative team comprising skills from across communities of science/engineering, research data science, and information science discipline(s) and expertise in leveraging connections between cyberinfrastructure researchers and providers and data specialists. Leveraging international collaboration to build shared norms and address challenges related to developing and implementing PAOS policies and practices is encouraged. Research and education in science and engineering benefit immensely from international cooperation. Proposals with an international component are also welcome [See: International Collaborations Opportunities at NSF]. Proposers must target one or more of the following themes/pathways:Competency Building, Capability Building, and/or Community Building.
Competency Building
Open science/engineering-driven collaboration. A socio-technical collaborative approach in addressing disciplinary, interdisciplinary, domestic, and international data lifecycle challenges is critical to informing and guiding the development of principles, requirements, and standardsof a CI ecosystem that fosters pipelines to good data management and pathways to access.Proposals should clearly describe the goals, challenges, and rationale for the proposed data science and engineering project and include an explanation of the potential for transformative research and broader impacts on the open science ecosystem [See: U.S. NSF Broader Impacts].Successful proposals will also clearly identify utilization science scenarios and use cases.
Capability Building
Exploratory and pilot activities.
Who can apply
The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible:
- Unrestricted (open to any type of entity, check the notice)
Registrations you will likely need
Most applications submitted through Grants.gov need the following. Registration can take several weeks, so start early. The notice lists the exact requirements.
- SAM.gov registration for your organization, which also gives you a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Registration is free.
- A Login.gov account, which Grants.gov uses for sign-in.
- A Grants.gov applicant registration linked to your organization's UEI.
Past awards for this program
Totals for assistance listing 47.083, 47.084, 47.074, 47.075, 47.049, 47.076, 47.079, 47.041, 47.050, 47.070 from public USASpending.gov data, as of Sep 23, 2026. Past awards do not predict future funding.
| Year | Listing | Awards | Total | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 47.075 | 1 | $13,900,000 | $13,900,000 |
| 2026 | 47.083 | 15 | $286,335,186 | $19,089,012 |
| 2026 | 47.079 | 1 | $4,230,400 | $4,230,400 |
| 2026 | 47.041 | 12 | $310,155,075 | $25,846,256 |
| 2026 | 47.084 | 8 | $177,731,954 | $22,216,494 |
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