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Multilateral Partnerships Leveraging Excellence (MultiPLEx)

Important information about NSF’s implementation of the revised 2 CFR

NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website. These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.

Important information for proposers

All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Supports international multilateral research partnerships that address urgent global challenges by leveraging diverse expertise from countries outside the U.S., focusing on advancing research and understanding of effective multilateral collaboration.

Supports international multilateral research partnerships that address urgent global challenges by leveraging diverse expertise from countries outside the U.S., focusing on advancing research and understanding of effective multilateral collaboration.

Synopsis

Many of the most pressing challenges in research and innovation require collaboration across national and disciplinary boundaries to achieve important advances. A growing number of topics are best addressed on a multilateral basis, building partnerships that leverage diverse expertise, data, infrastructure, and perspectives to advance understanding on critical topics of regional or global importance. At the same time, funders, research organizations, and researchers alike typically have limited experience with multilateral partnerships.  

The Office of International Science and Engineering’s MultiPLEx program seeks to support visionary, and ambitious international multilateral research partnerships that are required to hasten progress in addressing grand challenges by leveraging research excellence in the U.S. and around the globe. The program also seeks to advance understanding of effective multilateral collaboration.

MultiPLEx  welcomes proposals that

  • Address urgent research and/or societal challenge of global importance (including but not limited to critical and emerging technology research) and require an inherently international multilateral approach to achieve impactful research results, partnering with at least two countries other than the U.S. Proposals that engage partners across distinct geographic regions are an area of interest.
  • Make clear how the proposed international collaboration will enable research advances and broader impacts that go beyond what can be accomplished by a narrower team.
  • Include a diverse group of U.S. institutions and/or individuals, leveraging the full range of talent that society has to offer

MultiPLEx funds support the U.S. research team. Research partners should seek funding from their own national funding agencies or from other sources. A typical MultiPLEx award will be up to three years in duration.   

The MultiPLEX program is not intended to replace existing OISE or directorate programs. Proposals submitted to MultiPLEX must fall outside the scope of existing OISE or directorate programs.  Any proposal submitted to MultiPLEx that is not responsive to this Program Description may be transferred to another OISE program or returned without review.

OISE may periodically issue a Dear Colleague Letter inviting MultiPLEx proposals in specific priority areas. PIs interested in submitting proposals that do not respond to a DCL are strongly encouraged to consult a MultiPLEx program director prior to submission to confirm appropriateness. Unless specified in a DCL, MultiPLEx proposals may be submitted any time.

Program contacts

Cate Flanley
cflanley@nsf.gov (703) 292-2707 OD/OISE
Sirin Tekinay
stekinay@nsf.gov (703) 292-5370 OD/OISE
Maija M. Kukla
mkukla@nsf.gov (703) 292-4940 OD/OISE
Stacey D. Standridge
sstandri@nsf.gov (703) 292-7832 OD/OISE

Awards made through this program

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