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The Science of Science & Innovation Policy (SciSIP) program supports research designed to advance the scientific basis of science and innovation policy. Research funded by the program thus develops, improves and expands models, analytical tools, data and metrics that can be applied in the science policy decision making process.

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program stimulates technological innovation in the private sector by strengthening the role of small business concerns in meeting Federal research and development needs, increasing the commercial application of federally supported research results, and fostering and encouraging participation by socially and economically disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses. The topics, listed below, are detailed on the SBIR/STTR topics homepage: Educational Technologies and Applications (EA) Information and Communication Technologies (IC) Semiconductors (S) and Photonic (PH) Devices and Materials Electronic Hardware, Robotics and Wireless Technologies (EW) Advanced Manufacturing and Nanotechnology (MN) Advanced Materials and Instrumentation (MI) Chemical and Environmental Technologies (CT) Biological Technologies (BT) Smart Health (SH) and Biomedical (BM) Technologies

The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservationapproaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production.CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies,management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) toagricultural producers, into NRCS technical manuals and guides, or to theprivate sector. CIG generally funds pilotprojects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. On-farmconservation research is defined as an investigation conducted to answer aspecific applied conservation question using a statistically valid design whileemploying farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches or private forest lands.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) hereby requests applications for assistance to result in the award of a Cooperative Agreement (Agreement), entitled "Development and Deployment of Innovative Asphalt Pavement Technologies." The purpose of this proposed Agreement is to stimulate, facilitate, and expedite the deployment and rapid adoption of new and innovative technology relating to the design, production, testing, control, construction, and investigation of asphalt pavements. The proposed project is a cooperative effort between the FHWA and the Recipient to improve the quality and performance of asphalt pavements. Products shall include developing marketing/implementation plans, engaging subject matter experts to aid in conducting forensic investigations pertaining to deployment and in the refinement of specifications and practices, developing web-based training tools, marketing of case studies, data analysis, market analysis, specification tracking, compilation of findings, and supporting stakeholder engagement. This effort will leverage the unique technology capabilities and facilities of the Recipient with FHWA's mission.

The NIEHS Revolutionizing Innovative, Visionary Environmental health Research (RIVER) program seeks to provide support for the majority of the independent research program for outstanding investigators in the Environmental Health Sciences, giving them intellectual and administrative freedom, as well as sustained support to pursue their research in novel directions in order to achieve greater impacts. The program seeks to identify individuals, regardless of career stage, with a potential for continued innovative and impactful research and combine their existing investigator-initiated research into a single award with a duration of up to eight years and direct costs of $600,000 and potentially up to $750,000 based on current NIEHS funding to be consolidated into the award.

The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) to agricultural producers, into NRCS technical manuals and guides, or to the private sector. CIG generally funds pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. On-farm conservation research is defined as an investigation conducted to answer a specific applied conservation question using a statistically valid design while employing farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches or private forest lands.

The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) to agricultural producers, into NRCS technical manuals and guides, or to the private sector. CIG generally funds pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. On-farm conservation research is defined as an investigation conducted to answer a specific applied conservation question using a statistically valid design while employing farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches or private forest lands.

Humanity depends upon the Earth's physical resources and natural systems for food, energy, and water (FEW). However, both the physical resources and the FEW systems are under increasing stress. It is becoming imperative that we determine how society can best integrate social, ecological, physical and built environments to provide for growing demand for food, energy and water in the short term while also maintaining appropriate ecosystem services for the future. Known stressors in FEW systems include governance challenges, population growth and migration, land use change, climate variability, and uneven resource distribution. The interconnections and interdependencies associated with the FEW Nexus pose research grand challenges. To meet these grand challenges, there is a critical need for research that enables new means of adapting societal use of FEW systems. The INFEWS program seeks to support research that conceptualizes FEW systems broadly and inclusively, incorporating social and behavioral processes (such as decision making and governance), physical processes (such as built infrastructure and new technologies for more efficient resource utilization), natural processes (such as biogeochemical and hydrologic cycles), biological processes (such as agroecosystem structure and productivity), and cyber-components (such as sensing, networking, computation and visualization for decision-making and assessment). Investigations of these complex systems may produce discoveries that cannot emerge from research on food or energy or water systems alone. It is the synergy among these components in the context of sustainability that will open innovative science and engineering pathways to produce new knowledge, novel technologies, and innovative predictive capabilities.

The NIEHS Revolutionizing Innovative, Visionary Environmental health Research (RIVER) program seeks to provide support for the majority of the independent research program for outstanding investigators in the Environmental Health Sciences, giving them intellectual and administrative freedom, as well as sustained support to pursue their research in novel directions in order to achieve greater impacts. The program seeks to identify individuals, regardless of career stage, with a potential for continued innovative and impactful research and combine their existing investigator-initiated research into a single award with a duration of up to 8 years and direct costs of $600,000 and potentially up to $750,000 based on current NIEHS funding to be consolidated into the award.

NRCS Oregon requests proposals for Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies on forestland lands. Proposals will be accepted from any eligible entity within the state of Oregon. For fiscal year 2017, up to $150,000 may be available for the Oregon statewide CIG competition.

In FY 2016, the Big Data Regional Innovation Hubs: Establishing Spokes to Advance Big Data Applications (BD Spokes) solicitation began extending the BD Hubs network by establishing multi-institutional and multi-sector collaborations to focus on topics of specific interest to a given region. The first set of BD Spokes was funded in FY 2016. This solicitation calls for new BD Spoke proposals to be awarded in FY 2018. Collaborating with BD Hubs, each BD Spoke will focus on a particular topic that requires Big Data approaches and solutions. The set of activities managed by a BD Spoke will promote progress towards solutions in the chosen topic area. The regional BD Hub Steering Committee will provide general guidance to each BD Spoke and will assist the BD Spoke in coordinating with the national BD Hub network, with other BD Spokes, and with the broader innovation ecosystem.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies.

The Idaho Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies.

Recent advances in communications, computation, and sensing technologies offer unprecedented opportunities for the design of cyber-physical systems with increased responsiveness, interconnectivity and automation. To meet new challenges and societal needs, the Energy, Power, Control andNetworks (EPCN) Program invests in systems and control methods for analysis and design of cyber-physical systems to ensure stability, performance, robustness, and security. Topics of interest include modeling, optimization, learning, and control of networked multi-agent systems, higher-level decision making, and dynamic resource allocation as well as risk management in the presence of uncertainty, sub-system failures and stochastic disturbances. EPCN also invests in adaptive dynamic programing, brain-like networked architectures performing real-time learning, and neuromorphic engineering. EPCN supports innovative proposals dealing with systems research in such areas as energy, transportation, and nanotechnology. EPCN places emphasis on electric power systems, including generation, transmission, storage, and integration of renewables; power electronics and drives; battery management systems; hybrid and electric vehicles; and understanding of the interplay of power systems with associated regulatory and economic structures and with consumer behavior. Also of interest are interdependencies of power and energy systems with other critical infrastructures. Topics of interest also include systems analysis and design for energy scavenging and alternate energy technologies such as solar, wind, and hydrokinetic. The program also supports innovative tools and test beds, as well as curriculum development integrating research and education. In addition to single investigator projects, EPCN encourages cross-disciplinary proposals that benefit from active collaboration of researchers with complementary skills. Proposals for the EPCN program may involve collaborative research to capture the breadth of

The Communications, Circuits, and Sensing-Systems (CCSS) program is intended to spur visionary systems-oriented activities in collaborative, multidisciplinary, and integrative research. CCSS supports systems research in hardware, signal processing techniques, and architectures to enable the next generation of cyber-physical systems (CPS) that leverage computation, communication, and algorithms integrated with physical domains. CCSS offers new challenges at all levels of systems integration to address future societal needs. CCSS supports innovative research and integrated educational activities in micro- and nano-systems, communications systems, and cyber-physical systems. The goal is to design, develop, and implement new complex and hybrid systems at all scales, including nano, micro, and macro, that lead to innovative engineering principles and solutions for a variety of application domains including, but not limited to, healthcare, medicine, environmental monitoring, communications, disaster mitigation, homeland security, transportation, manufacturing, energy, and smart buildings. CCSS also supports integration technologies at both intra-and inter-chip levels, new and advanced radio frequency (RF), millimeter wave and optical wireless and hybrid communications systems architectures, and sensing and imaging at terahertz (THz) frequencies.

Biophotonics applies photonics technology to the fields of medicine, biology and biotechnology.  Basic research and innovation in photonics that is very fundamental in science and engineering is needed to lay the foundation for new technologies beyond those that are mature and ready for application in medical diagnostics and therapies.  Advances are needed in nanophotonics, optogenetics, contrast and targeting agents, ultra-thin probes, wide field imaging, and rapid biomarker screening.  Low cost and minimally invasive medical diagnostics and therapies are key goals. Examples of topics are: Macromolecule Markers - Innovative methods for labeling of macromolecules, new compositions of matter/methods of fabrication of multi-color probes such as might be used for marking and detection of specific pathological cells and push the envelope of optical sensing to the limits of detection, resolution, and identification Low Coherence Sensing at the Nanoscale - Low coherence enhanced backscattering (LEBS), n-dimensional elastic light scattering, and angle-resolved low coherence interferometry for early cancer detection (dysplasia) Neurophotonics - Studies of photon activation of neurons at the interface of nanomaterials attached to cells.  Development and application of biocompatible photonic tools such as parallel interfaces and interconnects for communicating and control of neural networks Micro- and Nano-photonic - Development and application of nanoparticle fluorescent quantum-dots; sensitive, multiplexed, high-throughput characterization of macromolecular properties of cells; nanomaterials and nanodevices for biomedicine Optogenetics - Employing light-activated channels and enzymes for manipulation of neural activity with temporal precision. 

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technology Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled "Advanced Systems Integration for Solar Technologies". This FOA supports the mission of the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) which is to support early-stage research and development to improve the performance and flexibility of solar technologies that contribute to a reliable and resilient U.S. electric grid. The office invests in innovative research efforts that securely integrate more solar energy into the grid, enhance the use, storage and dispatch of solar energy, and lower solar electricity costs. DOE is committed to improving the affordability of energy technologies and strengthening the Energy Sector's capability to withstand cyber and physical threats, including natural disasters. Improving the strategic location and situational awareness of solar systems can help ensure continuity of service in the face of widespread and coordinated threats. Developing innovative approaches to accelerate the transfer of solar system solutions that will improve Energy Sector resilience is also a priority.

Through the #2018AirLiquideScientificChallenge, Air Liquide embarks the scientific community to innovate using Essential Small Molecules and develop new applications on 3 topics related to improving air quality for the people and fighting climate change for the planet. Be part of the Air Liquide's innovative approach (inventiveness, curiosity, collective intelligence, and agility) by participating in the challenge.

Through the #2018AirLiquideScientificChallenge, Air Liquide embarks the scientific community to innovate using Essential Small Molecules and develop new applications on 3 topics related to improving air quality for the people and fighting climate change for the planet. Be part of the Air Liquide's innovative approach (inventiveness, curiosity, collective intelligence, and agility) by participating in the challenge.  

The Communications, Circuits, and Sensing-Systems (CCSS) Program supports innovative research in circuit and system hardware and signal processing techniques. CCSS also supports system and network architectures for communications and sensing to enable the next-generation cyber-physical systems (CPS) that leverage computation, communication, and sensing integrated with physical domains. CCSS invests in micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), physical, chemical, and biological sensing systems, neurotechnologies, and communication & sensing circuits and systems. The goal is to create new complex and hybrid systems ranging from nano- to macro-scale with innovative engineering principles and solutions for a variety of applications including but not limited to healthcare, medicine, environmental and biological monitoring, communications, disaster mitigation, homeland security, intelligent transportation, manufacturing, energy, and smart buildings. CCSS encourages research proposals based on emerging technologies and applications for communications and sensing such as high-speed communications of terabits per second and beyond, sensing and imaging covering microwave to terahertz frequencies, personalized health monitoring and assistance, secured wireless connectivity and sensing for the Internet of Things, and dynamic-data-enabled autonomous systems through real-time sensing and learning.