NSF Convergence Accelerator 2022 Joint NSF/DOD Phases 1 and 2 for Track G: Securely Operating Through 5G Infrastructure | 22 538

Opportunity Information: Apply for 22 538

The NSF Convergence Accelerator 2022 Joint NSF/DOD Phases 1 and 2 opportunity for Track G, "Securely Operating Through 5G Infrastructure" (Funding Opportunity Number 22-538), is a competitive discretionary grant program run by the National Science Foundation that is designed to move promising research beyond the lab and into real-world use. It sits inside NSF's broader Convergence Accelerator effort, which focuses on national-scale challenges and emphasizes convergence research, meaning teams are expected to integrate multiple disciplines and sectors (not just multiple academic departments) to produce solutions that are practical, testable, and ready to transition into operational settings. A defining feature of this program is that it pairs research and development with structured innovation practices, including human-centered design, active user discovery, and team science methods aimed at keeping the work grounded in real stakeholder needs rather than purely academic novelty.

Track G is centered on a clear mission outcome: enabling military, government, and critical infrastructure operators to securely operate through 5G wireless communications infrastructure, including public commercial 5G networks whenever possible. The opportunity is motivated by the reality that modern operators often rely on infrastructure they do not own or fully control (the solicitation notes transportation as an analogy), and 5G is expected to reshape operations through dramatic improvements in bandwidth, connectivity, and latency. The program frames 5G as an enabler of data-rich environments where large volumes of sensor and operational data can be moved rapidly, analyzed by advanced algorithms, and used at the edge to improve situational understanding and decision-making in complex and contested environments. It also highlights low-latency communications as a prerequisite for new generations of autonomous systems across domains. At the same time, the solicitation is explicit that these benefits only matter if the underlying network and connected devices can meet the security and resilience requirements of critical operations. As a result, Track G seeks project ideas that harden end devices and/or add security-focused augmentations to 5G infrastructure so operators can safely leverage commercial deployments for cost, coverage, and resiliency benefits, across U.S., allied, and contested regions.

A major structural expectation is that proposed work cannot look like a standalone research project operating in isolation. Each team must explain how its work will integrate into an overall track-level environment and contribute to an integrated set of outputs that collectively deliver the track's goals. In other words, the program is looking for teams that understand how their deliverables fit into a broader operational ecosystem and can coordinate with partners and end-users to make that integration real. Proposals are expected to define concrete deliverables and show how those outputs could scale to meaningful societal impact, especially in areas tied to secure communications and resilient operations for government and critical infrastructure users.

The program runs in two phases under one solicitation (with a parallel Broad Agency Announcement designed to increase opportunities for proposals led by non-academic, for-profit entities). Organizations such as institutions of higher education, nonprofits, independent museums, observatories, research labs, and professional societies generally apply under the NSF solicitation, while for-profit or similar organizations are directed to the BAA. Entry into the pipeline begins with a required Letter of Intent (LOI) for Phase 1, which must identify the team composition, cross-sector and disciplinary expertise, one or more intended deliverables, and an explanation of potential impact at scale. Phase 1 is structured as a 12-month effort with awards up to $750,000, including a nine-month intensive period built around hands-on participation in the Convergence Accelerator innovation curriculum and three additional months for activities like NSF pitch presentations and an expo. During Phase 1, teams refine their concept, strengthen partnerships, and aim to produce a proof-of-concept while receiving coaching support; teams can continue with the same coach into Phase 2 or request a different one.

Only Phase 1 awardees are eligible to submit Phase 2 proposals. Phase 2 is the scale-up and transition-to-practice stage: up to $5 million over 24 months, with a required plan for deliverable prototypes and a sustainability model that supports continued impact after NSF funding ends. Phase 2 proposals must present a detailed 24-month R and D plan, specify what will be delivered within that window, and include the partnerships necessary to execute and deploy the work, including defined roles for end-users and collaborators across industry, academia, nonprofits, and government as appropriate. Phase 2 funding is released with a performance gate: teams are initially funded for 12 months, then reviewed through progress meetings during the year and a formal year-one assessment (report and presentation) by a panel that includes NSF and DOD reviewers and staff, plus competing teams. Second-year funding is contingent on demonstrating significant progress against agreed milestones and deliverables. The program also notes that no-cost extensions are generally not permitted except in exceptional, well-documented circumstances and only after coordination with the NSF Program Officer.

This track is explicitly coordinated with the Department of Defense, specifically the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) 5G Initiative and the Army Research Laboratory. DOD partners are not just symbolic collaborators; they participate in reviewing deliverables and reports, engage in PI meetings and the innovation curriculum, and work with NSF on transitioning results into practice in ways that align with the DOD 5G-to-NextG mission needs. Finally, the solicitation places strong emphasis on broadening participation and encourages proposals that include meaningful partnerships with minority-serving institutions such as HBCUs, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Alaska Native-Serving Institutions, and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, reflecting a program-level commitment to ensuring both the expertise and the benefits of the work are broadly shared.

Key administrative details include an original closing date of April 12, 2022, CFDA 47.075, and an anticipated total of 18 expected awards across the solicitation.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NSF Convergence Accelerator 2022 Joint NSF/DOD Phases 1 and 2 for Track G: Securely Operating Through 5G Infrastructure" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.075.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 17, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 12, 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 18 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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