NSF 15-527: Research Coordination Networks (RCN)
Closed
This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of U.S. National Science Foundation notices from 2025.
U.S. National Science Foundation offered grants of up to $500,000 (at least $50,000) to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make about 25 awards worth $12.5 million in total. It is no longer open on Grants.gov.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed June 7, 2025. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$500,000
- Award floor$50,000
- Total funding$12.5 million
- Expected awards25
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
Other notices with this title
| Notice | Posted | Deadline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSF 23-529 | June 6, 2025 | Closed | Closed |
| NSF 17-594 | June 6, 2025 | Closed | Closed |
Key dates
| Posted | June 6, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Archived by Grants.gov | June 7, 2025 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to the applicants described in the notice.
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities. -Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Most of the money in the 6 programs behind this notice (85% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The goal of the RCN program is to advance a field or create new directions in research or education by supporting groups of investigators to communicate and coordinate their research, training and educational activities across disciplinary, organizational, geographic and international boundaries. RCN provides opportunities to foster new collaborations,including international partnerships,and addressinterdisciplinary topics. Innovative ideas for implementing novel networking strategies, collaborative technologies, and development of community standards for data and meta-dataare especially encouraged. RCN awards are not meant to support existing networks;nor are they meant to support the activities of established collaborations. RCN awards do not support primary research. RCN supports the means by which investigators can share information and ideas, coordinate ongoing or planned research activities, foster synthesis and new collaborations, develop community standards, and in other ways advance science and education through communication and sharing of ideas. Proposed networking activities directed to the RCN program shouldfocus ona theme to give coherence to the collaboration, such as a broad research question or particular technologies or approaches. Participating core programs inthe Directorates for Biological Sciences(BIO), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Geosciences (GEO), Engineering (ENG) andSocial, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) will accept General (non-targeted) RCNproposals. Some submission deadlines for the general RCN proposals vary by program; consult program websites. BIO is joined by the Directorate for Education and Human Resources(EHR) in the Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE) track described below. The following targeted track within the RCN programs is intended to foster linkages between BIO and EHR. RCN-UBE: The Undergraduate Biology Education track focuses on any topic likely to lead to improved participation, learning, or assessment in undergraduate biology education and follows the same guidelines outlined below for the general RCN program. Note: Because it addresses undergraduate biology education, the RCN-UBE track is offered in alignment with the NSF-wide undergraduate STEM education initiative, Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE). More information about IUSE can be found in the Program Description section of this solicitation.
Who has won Geosciences grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Geosciences (47.050) awarded $5.4 billion across 7,605 grant awards, an average of $710,829 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| University Corporation for Atmospheric Research | Colorado | 78 | $725 million |
| Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | Massachusetts | 288 | $627 million |
| Texas a & M Research Foundation | Texas | 3 | $287 million |
| University of California San Diego | California | 170 | $223 million |
| The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York | New York | 160 | $193 million |
Who has won Computer and Information Science and Engineering grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Computer and Information Science and Engineering (47.070) awarded $5.3 billion across 10,918 grant awards, an average of $481,712 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin | Texas | 168 | $379 million |
| University of California, San Diego | California | 201 | $222 million |
| University of Illinois | Illinois | 208 | $208 million |
| Carnegie-Mellon University | Pennsylvania | 296 | $153 million |
| Georgia Tech Research Corp | Georgia | 211 | $142 million |
Who has won Engineering grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Engineering (47.041) awarded $4.3 billion across 11,244 grant awards, an average of $385,774 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Tech Research Corp | Georgia | 193 | $106 million |
| Purdue University | Indiana | 238 | $106 million |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Michigan | 250 | $101 million |
| University of California, San Diego | California | 114 | $96.4 million |
| The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | 59 | $80.6 million |
Other programs behind this notice
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is NSF 15-527 still open?
No. It is no longer open on Grants.gov.
Who can apply for Research Coordination Networks (RCN)?
U.S. National Science Foundation accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for Research Coordination Networks (RCN)?
Closed. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $500,000 each. About $12.5 million in total across about 25 awards.
Who has won Engineering grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Georgia Tech Research Corp, Purdue University, Regents of the University of Michigan. The program made 11,244 awards worth $4.3 billion in that time.