Data Science Corps | 24 560

Opportunity Information: Apply for 24 560

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Data Science Corps program is a grant opportunity designed to strengthen the United States data science ecosystem by building both the underlying infrastructure and the workforce needed to use data effectively. At its core, the program funds efforts that place data science students into real-world implementation projects where they can apply modern data methods to practical problems faced by organizations and communities. The intent is to narrow the common "data-to-knowledge" gap, meaning the distance between having raw data available and being able to turn it into usable insights that improve decisions and outcomes at local, state, and national levels.

A central feature of the opportunity is its emphasis on experiential, community-connected work rather than purely classroom-based learning. Proposed projects are expected to give participants hands-on experience addressing concrete needs in settings such as rural or urban communities, academia, industry, or government. By pairing community or organizational partners with student data scientists, NSF is aiming to create a "data science in action" pipeline that produces workforce-ready graduates and technologists who understand not just algorithms and tools, but also deployment realities like stakeholder needs, data quality constraints, and implementation in operational environments.

The solicitation also explicitly supports broadening participation in STEM and STEM education. It encourages proposals that expand access and opportunity for groups and institutions that have historically been underrepresented or under-resourced in advanced data science pathways. In particular, the program highlights support for undergraduates, including students from community colleges, Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and other emerging research institutions as defined in the CHIPS and Science Act, as well as institutions located in NSF EPSCoR jurisdictions. In addition to undergraduate-focused efforts, the program supports opportunities involving grade 6-12 teachers and students, signaling an interest in strengthening earlier-stage pathways into data literacy and data science.

From a topical standpoint, NSF is looking for approaches that provide education and training across relevant data science competencies, including areas tied to knowledge representation and the creation and use of knowledge graphs. This signals that proposals can address not only analytics and modeling, but also how data is structured, represented, linked, and transformed into reusable knowledge within organizations and communities.

Administratively, proposals must be submitted through NSF's Directorate for STEM Education, specifically the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (EDU/DRL). However, once submitted, proposals will be managed by a cross-disciplinary team of NSF Program Directors, reflecting the program's position at the intersection of workforce development, education research, and data-intensive science and engineering practice. The program is connected to NSF's broader Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR) initiative, which has supported national-scale efforts spanning foundational data science research, data-intensive discovery across scientific and engineering domains, and education and workforce development.

Eligibility to submit proposals is limited to two main categories of organizations in the United States. The first is U.S.-based non-profit, non-academic organizations that are directly associated with educational or research activities, such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies. The second category is accredited U.S. institutions of higher education, including two- and four-year institutions such as community colleges, submitting on behalf of their faculty. If a proposal involves funding that would flow to an international branch campus of a U.S. institution (including via subawards or consultants), the proposer must clearly explain why work at that international location is beneficial and why those activities cannot be performed at the U.S. campus.

Key funding details provided for this opportunity indicate it is a discretionary NSF grant program with an award ceiling of $1,200,000 per award and an expected 15 awards. The opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number 24-560, and the original closing date listed is June 21, 2024. General program inquiries are directed to HDR-DSC@nsf.gov.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Data Science Corps" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.084.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-21. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for 24 560

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