Extramural Coordinated Funding

UM Submission Instructions: Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC)- Expression of Interest 2025

Sponsor:	National Science Foundation (NSF)
Award Title:	Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC)- Expression of Interest
Amount:	$1 Million to $6 Million Awards from $1M–$6M/year for 6 years.
UM Deadline:	01/10/2025
Sponsor Deadline:	08/01/2025
Description:	The University of Minnesota’s Research Innovation Office (RIO) invites Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from faculty and researchers that are considering or interested in joining a team or submitting a proposal for an NSF Physics Frontier Center (PFC). The NSF PFC program aims to support transformative research at the frontiers of physics, with the goal of addressing fundamental scientific questions through innovative, large-scale collaborations. For the NSF PFC, we are initiating a new process for what we anticipate will be a limited submission grant from the University. With these EOIs we are hoping to understand who is interested in this opportunity and work with potential teams to assure that they are as ready as possible to submit a proposal. Teams who submit an EOI will receive guidance and advising from the SPARC team in RIO in advance of the next solicitation to plan and prepare a competitive proposal for the internal UMN limited submission process and full proposal should it be invited. There will be an internal limited submission application process before the RFA is issued to identify proposal teams for submission. Submitting an EOI is not required for that process. However, we expect the teams that participate in the EOI and team support process to be better prepared for the limited submission competition and proposal. We are seeking EOIs from researchers or teams of researchers who are considering or interested in submitting a proposal. Strong applicants should have outstanding scientific credentials, expertise in frontier areas of physics, and a demonstrated track record of collaborative research. The proposed Physics Frontier Center should aim to push the boundaries of current physics knowledge, bringing together diverse theoretical and experimental approaches. Research Focus Areas NSF is particularly interested in research areas that include, but are not limited to: Quantum Information Science Gravitational Wave Physics Dark Matter and Dark Energy High-Energy Particle Physics Cosmology and Astrophysics Condensed Matter Physics Biological Physics EOIs should focus on novel, high-risk, high-reward ideas that have the potential to transform our understanding of fundamental physics.
Number of Applicants University is Allowed to submit:	1
Additional Requirements:	None
Sponsor Guidelines:	https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/pfc-physics-frontiers-centers
UM Nominations Process:	Interested parties are requested to submit an EOI through the linked google form by January 10, 2025 CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT EOI FORM
Peer Review Coordination:	Research and Innovation Office contact email
Status:	The internal deadline has passed with no applicants. Contact us if interested.
Please note:	To be considered for peer review and internal selection, faculty must follow the above submission guidelines and meet the UM deadline as set by the office coordinating the peer review for this opportunity.

General Information

Each posting has information about the external sponsor and opportunity as well as the internal application instructions.
Opportunities can be sorted by column headings; just click on the heading to re-sort by that column.
When a link redirects you to another site, it opens in a new browser window.
If you know of an opportunity that is not on the list, please contact Kristin Mead.

Internal Requirements

Sponsor: Name of funder.
Award Title: Funding opportunity nameAmount: Range/Maximum dollar amount awarded.
UMN Deadline: Submission deadline for internal proposal as determined by the coordinating office.
Sponsor Deadline: External deadline identified by the sponsor.
Description: General information about the sponsor and the funding opportunity. Usually describes the purpose of the funding opportunity, overview of what the sponsor is looking for, including distinctive criteria. This is not meant to take the place of the sponsor guidelines; please read the sponsor guidelines before deciding to apply.
Number of Applicants University is Allowed to Submit: The maximum number of applications the sponsor will allow the university to submit.
Additional Requirements: Identifies any special requirements such as cost sharing, partners, etc.
Sponsor Guidelines: Link to the sponsor’s funding opportunity website.
UMN Nominations Process: Contains specific internal submission requirements including internal proposal instructions, deadline, eligibility, internal nomination process, contact information.
Peer Review Coordination: The name and contact email of the office coordinating the funding opportunity. RIO coordinates most limited submissions, but opportunities coordinated by other offices or programs are also posted on this webpage.
Status:
- Open: UM deadline has not passed and the opportunity is open for application.
- Forecasted: The funder has not yet formally published the opportunity. The deadline has yet to be determined.
- Archived: The opportunity has been archived by the funder.
- Spots Remaining: UMN deadline has passed, with some applicant spots still available. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
- First-Come, First-Served: Applicants accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
- Contact Us: The internal deadline has passed, but no applicants were selected. Please contact the office coordinating the peer review for more information.
- In Review: Peer review process is in progress for the opportunity.
- PI Selected: The PI(s) have been selected as the official UMN nominees.
- Closed: UMN is no longer accepting applications.

UMN Selection Process

Once the internal deadline has passed, if the number of applicants is less than or equal to the number of spots the university is allowed to send forward, the applicants automatically become the UMN nominee(s).
If the status of an opportunity is "First-Come, First-Served", there was not time to hold an internal review. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
If there are no applicants, the status will change to "Contact Us". At this point, the opportunity changes to a first-come, first-served opportunity.
If there are multiple applicants, the office coordinating the nomination will determine the review criteria and coordinate the review process. The status will change to "In Review".
Once the review has been completed all parties will be notified via email.
Nominees will be provided with an email from RIO (or the designated coordinating office) indicating that they are the university's nominee. This letter should accompany the nominee's proposal.
SPA is notified of the university's nominee(s) and the status is updated to "PI(s) Selected".

*If you have questions about the University's process related to extramural funding opportunities requiring nomination or if you have any technical issues with the site, contact collabor8@umn.edu.