Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy and Water Systems | 18 545

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy and Water Systems (INFEWS)

1) What is the INFEWS grant opportunity?

Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy and Water Systems (INFEWS) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant program, run in partnership with USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA). It focuses on research and innovation at the intersection of food, energy, and water (FEW) systems, recognizing these systems are tightly interconnected and cannot be effectively managed in isolation.

2) What core problem is INFEWS trying to address?

The program addresses the growing strain modern society is placing on the interconnected systems that supply food, energy, and water. These pressures are increasing due to factors such as population growth and migration, land use change, climate variability, uneven resource distribution, and governance challenges.

3) Why does INFEWS emphasize the "FEW Nexus" instead of separate food, energy, or water projects?

INFEWS is built around the idea that food, energy, and water systems reshape and depend on one another. Many of the most serious constraints, tradeoffs, and opportunities occur at the interfaces between sectors (food-energy, energy-water, and food-water), rather than entirely within a single sector.

4) What types of research is INFEWS looking for?

The solicitation seeks convergent, well-integrated research that treats the FEW Nexus broadly and realistically. Projects are expected to integrate multiple dimensions of FEW challenges rather than focusing on incremental improvements in only one domain.

5) What does "convergent" and "well-integrated" research mean in this program?

Based on the solicitation description, convergent and well-integrated research means bringing together multiple relevant dimensions of FEW systems into a single, coherent effort. The intent is to study the system as a whole, including interactions across social, engineered, natural, biological, and cyber components.

6) What dimensions or components should proposals consider integrating?

INFEWS describes several interconnected dimensions that may need to be studied together, including:

• Social and behavioral processes (decision-making, institutions, governance)
• Physical and built systems (infrastructure, engineered systems, technologies that improve efficiency)
• Natural processes (hydrologic and biogeochemical cycles)
• Biological processes (agroecosystem structure, productivity, related dynamics)
• Cyber-components (sensing, networking, computation, data systems, modeling, visualization)

7) What are the four major goals INFEWS expects proposals to advance?

The opportunity identifies four major goals that proposals are expected to advance in a clear way:

1. Significantly improve quantitative and predictive understanding of FEW systems through modeling and computation, including cyberinfrastructure that supports these efforts.
2. Develop real-time, cyber-enabled interfaces that help people understand FEW system behavior and strengthen decision support.
3. Create innovative, integrated solutions that span social, engineering, physical, and natural systems approaches to address critical FEW problems.
4. Build the workforce capable of studying and managing FEW systems, including education and professional development components.

8) Does INFEWS require modeling and computation?

The solicitation emphasizes improving quantitative and predictive understanding through modeling and computation, including the cyberinfrastructure needed to support those efforts. This indicates modeling and computational approaches are a central theme of the program.

9) What does the program mean by "real-time, cyber-enabled interfaces"?

As described, this refers to interfaces that translate complex data and models into tools that help people understand FEW system behavior and strengthen decision support. The focus is on cyber-enabled, potentially real-time ways of turning analyses into usable guidance for choices.

10) Is INFEWS focused on practical solutions or basic research?

INFEWS highlights both discovery and usable solutions, emphasizing that important insights and practical outcomes can emerge when the FEW system is studied as an integrated "system of systems." It explicitly seeks innovative, integrated solutions that go beyond incremental, single-domain improvements.

11) How does INFEWS treat social science and governance topics?

Social and behavioral processes are explicitly included as part of the FEW system, including decision-making, institutions, and governance. These are presented as key components to integrate with physical, natural, biological, and cyber dimensions of FEW challenges.

12) How does the program address infrastructure, engineering, and technology?

INFEWS includes physical and built systems as a key dimension, such as infrastructure, engineered systems, and technologies that improve efficiency, emphasizing the importance of linking these with social, natural, biological, and cyber components.

13) Are natural and biological processes part of the expected FEW Nexus scope?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly references natural processes such as hydrologic and biogeochemical cycles and biological processes such as agroecosystem structure, productivity, and related dynamics.

14) What role do cyber-components play in INFEWS projects?

Cyber-components are described as an important dimension of FEW Nexus work, including sensing, networking, computation, data systems, modeling, and visualization. Cyberinfrastructure is also highlighted as part of the goal to improve predictive and quantitative understanding.

15) What is a distinguishing feature of the INFEWS solicitation?

A distinguishing feature is interagency coordination: NSF and USDA/NIFA are combining resources to fund the strongest, highest-impact projects while reducing duplicated effort and encouraging collaboration across the research communities each agency serves.

16) Can projects include international collaboration?

Yes. International engagement is supported when it genuinely improves the work, such as adding unique expertise, facilities, data, or field sites not available domestically. International collaborations are encouraged, with the general expectation that non-U.S. partners bring their own funding from non-NSF sources, although some structured partnership options exist through NSF mechanisms.

17) Does NSF fund non-U.S. partners in INFEWS projects?

The description indicates that non-U.S. partners are generally expected to bring their own funding from non-NSF sources. It also notes that there are some specific structured partnership options through NSF's international collaboration mechanisms.

18) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?

The Funding Opportunity Number listed is 18-545.

19) When was this funding opportunity created?

The opportunity is listed as created on March 1, 2018.

20) What was the original closing date for this opportunity?

The original closing date listed is September 26, 2018.

21) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed?

The listed award ceiling is $2,500,000.

22) How many awards does the program anticipate making?

The opportunity anticipates 30 awards.

23) Who is the sponsoring agency for INFEWS?

The sponsoring agency listed is the National Science Foundation (NSF).

24) What agencies are involved in running or supporting the program?

INFEWS is run by NSF in partnership with USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA), with the two agencies coordinating to combine resources and reduce duplication.

25) What is the type of grant opportunity?

It is described as a discretionary grant opportunity.

26) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full solicitation text. The provided summary does not list the detailed eligibility criteria.

27) Where can applicants direct questions about proposal submission?

Questions about proposal submission are directed to INFEWSquestions@nsf.gov or to the program officers associated with the solicitation.

28) What kinds of outcomes is the program trying to achieve?

Based on the solicitation summary, INFEWS aims to improve resilience and sustainability of FEW systems while meeting near-term demand, by advancing predictive understanding, decision support interfaces, integrated cross-domain solutions, and workforce development for FEW system research and management.