Partnerships for International Research and Education | 22 546

Opportunity Information: Apply for 22 546

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 22-546) supports ambitious, high-caliber research projects that tackle major climate change and/or clean energy challenges through truly integrated international collaboration. The core idea is that many of the most urgent questions in these areas cannot be solved well by a single country, a single discipline, or academic researchers working in isolation. NSF is looking for projects that combine cutting-edge use-inspired basic research with meaningful, sustained partnerships across borders and across sectors, so that the science both advances fundamental understanding and is positioned to connect to real-world solutions at regional to global scales.

A defining feature of this competition is its expectation of deep interdisciplinary, convergence-style work. Proposals may draw from any combination of the natural sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and social sciences, and NSF explicitly encourages projects that improve understanding of human and behavioral dimensions of climate and energy problems. In practice, this means teams should not just add a social science component as an afterthought, but show how different disciplines and perspectives are integrated to address the full complexity of the scientific challenge and the societal context around it. The program emphasizes that stakeholder engagement outside academia should be active and ongoing, helping shape the research direction and ensuring that results are relevant and usable.

PIRE also places strong weight on the structure and necessity of partnerships. Applicants must make a convincing case that the international collaboration is essential rather than convenient, clearly identifying who the international partners are, what unique capabilities or resources they bring, and what roles they will play in the research and education components. Beyond international academic partners, NSF wants multi-sector and multi-stakeholder participation, which could include government agencies, private-sector companies, nonprofits, philanthropies, community organizations, or other practitioner groups. The expectation is that these partners contribute substantively, for example by providing data, access to sites or infrastructure, policy or implementation pathways, co-development of research questions, workforce training opportunities, or routes to scaling and adoption.

Education is not treated as an optional add-on. Educational and training activities are expected to be integral to the project, aligned with the research agenda, and designed to build globally engaged scientific capacity. At the same time, proposals are expected to demonstrate intentional integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across both research and education. That typically means more than broad statements of support; NSF expects concrete plans for inclusive participation, mentoring and training structures, equitable partnership practices, and pathways that broaden access to international research experiences and leadership roles.

Another major distinguishing requirement is readiness for growth. NSF is signaling that PIRE awards are meant to support both research and readiness-building that can scale beyond the award period. Proposals must present a clear vision and strategy for how the partnership and research program will expand, increase impact, attract complementary support, and potentially evolve into center-level activities in the future. The program is explicitly looking for projects with strong potential for rapid scale-up and longer-term durability, with PIRE serving as a catalyst for enduring international hubs of research excellence.

This solicitation is also selective about fit. NSF states that proposals that could be appropriately submitted to regular NSF disciplinary or interdisciplinary programs will be returned without review. In other words, PIRE is reserved for projects where international collaboration, stakeholder integration, and the scale-up trajectory are central and indispensable, not merely helpful. Reviewers will be asked to comment on how well proposals address specific points: the global societal challenge being targeted; the novel scientific challenge; how interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approaches will be used; the use-inspired nature of the work; why the international partnership is required and what each partner contributes; the roles of multi-sector stakeholders; how DEI is integrated; and the plan for growth and scaling beyond the award.

From an administrative standpoint, this is an NSF discretionary grant opportunity in the science and technology research and development category. The opportunity was created December 24, 2021, with an original closing date of March 25, 2022, and NSF anticipated making about 15 awards. The listed award ceiling is shown as 0 in the provided record, which typically indicates that applicants should rely on the full solicitation for budget guidance rather than a simple cap shown in the summary listing. Eligible applicants are described broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the solicitation itself. Finally, NSF encourages U.S. principal investigators to coordinate with international collaborators to pursue co-funding from foreign agencies and to build additional support from other sources such as foundations, industry, and other donors, reinforcing the program goal of building large, durable, multi-funded partnerships.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Partnerships for International Research and Education" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.079, 47.083.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 24, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 25, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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