Strengthening American Infrastructure | 25 534

Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI) Program (NSF) - FAQs

What is the NSF Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI) program?

The National Science Foundation's Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI) program funds research intended to make U.S. infrastructure more robust, reliable, and effective by putting people and real-world decision-making at the center of the work.

What is the main goal of SAI-funded research?

SAI supports use-inspired, fundamental research that advances basic knowledge while also being clearly connected to strengthening a specific infrastructure area. The program emphasizes that infrastructure performance depends not only on engineering, but also on human, societal, governance, and cultural factors that shape planning, operations, maintenance, and use.

How does SAI define "infrastructure" for this program?

Based on the program description provided, SAI treats infrastructure as both an engineering challenge and a human and societal challenge. This means research should address how communities plan, govern, maintain, and use infrastructure, and how those human systems influence outcomes like quality of life, economic growth, fairness, efficiency, and service delivery.

What kinds of research does SAI want (use-inspired, fundamental, transformative)?

SAI is looking for research that is simultaneously use-inspired and fundamental. Projects should be genuinely transformative, meaning they should substantially advance basic knowledge and be clearly tied to strengthening a specific infrastructure focus in ways that could be pathbreaking.

What does "human-centered" mean in the context of SAI proposals?

Human-centered means the research should deeply engage with human reasoning and decision-making, governance, and social and cultural processes, and connect those insights directly to how infrastructure is developed, operated, or maintained. The human component is expected to be core to the project, not treated as an add-on.

Does SAI require interdisciplinary research?

Yes. A defining feature of SAI is integrating social, behavioral, and economic sciences with other science and engineering disciplines. Competitive projects are expected to tightly weave these perspectives with technical and disciplinary expertise to produce substantial results for the selected infrastructure area.

Which disciplines does SAI expect to be integrated?

The opportunity highlights integrating social, behavioral, and economic sciences with other science and engineering fields. Examples mentioned include combining behavioral science with civil engineering, computer science, environmental systems, public policy, or other relevant disciplines connected to the project.

Do proposals need to focus on a specific infrastructure area?

Yes. The description states that research should be clearly connected to strengthening a specific infrastructure area, with the research aims tied to infrastructure performance and the human systems that shape it.

What outcomes should SAI proposals connect to?

SAI frames effective infrastructure as a foundation for broad socioeconomic benefits. Proposals are expected to connect their research aims to one or more outcomes highlighted by NSF, such as spurring private-sector innovation, growing the economy, creating jobs, improving the efficiency of public services, strengthening communities, expanding equal opportunity, protecting the natural environment, enhancing national security, and reinforcing U.S. leadership.

Who is eligible to submit a proposal to SAI?

Eligibility to submit proposals is limited to specific U.S.-based organization types:

• U.S.-based for-profit organizations (including small businesses) with strong research or education capabilities
• Non-profit, non-academic organizations (such as independent museums, observatories, research labs, and professional societies) associated with research or education
• Accredited U.S. institutions of higher education (including two-year and four-year institutions such as community colleges) submitting on behalf of their faculty
• Federally recognized Tribal Nations (American Indian or Alaska Native tribes, bands, nations, pueblos, villages, or communities recognized under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act)

Are U.S. community colleges eligible institutions under SAI?

Yes. The eligibility list explicitly includes accredited U.S. institutions of higher education, including two-year and four-year schools such as community colleges.

Are small businesses eligible to apply?

Yes. U.S.-based for-profit organizations, including small businesses, are eligible if they have strong research or education capabilities.

Are non-academic nonprofits eligible (museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies)?

Yes. The eligibility list includes non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research labs, and professional societies tied to research or education.

Are Tribal Nations eligible to submit proposals?

Yes. Federally recognized Tribal Nations are eligible, as described in the opportunity information.

Where must the Principal Investigator (PI) be based?

Principal Investigators must hold appointments at U.S.-based campuses or offices of eligible organizations (eligible institutions of higher education, eligible non-profit non-academic organizations, eligible for-profit organizations, or Tribal Nations).

Are there restrictions on co-PIs, senior/key personnel, or consultants?

The information provided states there are no stated restrictions on who may serve as co-PIs, senior/key personnel, or consultants. This is described as providing flexibility to assemble the interdisciplinary expertise expected by SAI.

Can a project include work at an international branch campus of a U.S. institution?

Yes, but there is a specific condition noted. If a proposal plans to route funding to an international branch campus of a U.S. institution (including through subawards or consultants), the proposer must clearly explain the benefits of performing work at the international branch campus and justify why those activities cannot be carried out at the U.S. campus.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for SAI?

The Funding Opportunity Number listed is 25-534.

What type of grant program is SAI?

From the details provided, SAI is described as a discretionary NSF grant program in the science and technology research and development category.

What is the application deadline for this opportunity?

The listed application deadline is April 17, 2025.

What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount?

The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $750,000.

Which NSF program codes (CFDA numbers) are referenced?

The listing references multiple NSF CFDA numbers: 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, and 47.083. This is described as reflecting NSF's cross-disciplinary structure and SAI's intent to draw expertise from many fields.

How can applicants ask questions about SAI?

General questions are directed to NSF-SAI@nsf.gov.

What makes a proposal "competitive" under SAI based on the description?

Based on the information provided, competitive proposals are likely to (1) be use-inspired and fundamental, (2) aim for genuinely transformative advances, (3) tightly integrate social, behavioral, and economic sciences with other science and engineering disciplines, (4) make human-centered factors like decision-making and governance central rather than an add-on, and (5) clearly connect the research to strengthening a specific infrastructure area and to one or more of the broader societal and economic outcomes highlighted by NSF.