Central Virginia Node: 2023 Research Grant Program

The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative’s (CCI)  Central Virginia Node (CVN) seeks proposals to fund projects in cyber-physical systems, autonomous systems, and the Internet of Things (IoT) as they apply to medical device security and smart city technology.

The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) is establishing Virginia as a global center of excellence at the intersection of security, autonomous systems, and data. 

With a mission of research, innovation, and workforce development, CCI serves as a catalyst for the Commonwealth's long-term leadership in this sector through the leadership of a central hub and four regional nodes. 

CVN leader Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) uses CCI funding to strengthen a robust research program.

Proposal Guidelines

Eligibility

Eligible applicants, who must be full-time faculty at a CVN institution, can serve as a Principal Investigator (PI) on one application, and as a Co-PI on one additional application. Each proposal must include a Co-PI from another institution within CVN.

CVN institutions include Brightpoint (formerly John Tyler) Community College, Longwood University, Piedmont Virginia Community College, Reynolds Community College, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University, and Virginia Union University.

Women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. We also encourage researchers who have not previously been funded by CCI to apply. 

Focus areas are limited to: cyber physical systems; autonomous systems; IoT as it applies to medical device security; and smart city technology. 

Proposals must be approved by the lead institution’s Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) prior to the proposal deadline.

Not eligible: PIs or co-PIs who are currently funded through CCI or CVN on three or more projects are not eligible to apply.  PIs or Co-PIs should have no more than three CCI or CVN projects running concurrently.

Awards

• Amount of Funds to be Awarded: $800,000
  
• Maximum Award Amount: $100,000
• Match: No Match is required for this funding announcement.

Awardees will also be required to submit periodic reporting. 

PIs and co-PIs are expected to participate in CVN meetings, present research findings at CVN and CCI poster sessions, and respond to data collection requests by CCI. 

As part of this requirement, each team will be asked to provide a 15-minute presentation on their project and progress at some point from their project start date to six months after their project end date. 

Any publications that result from this project must include the following statement (contract numbers will be assigned during the award process):

This work was supported [in part] by the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative, an investment in the advancement of cyber R&D, innovation, and workforce development, under the contract number xcxxx. For more information about CCI, visit www.cyberinitiative.org.

According to the terms under which CCI is funded, the following costs are NOT allowable:

• Costs of developing and delivering undergraduate capstone programs, except as part of the larger effort to align cyber and cyber-physical systems security-focused undergraduate program content with industry needs.
  
• Portion of salaries and benefits of faculty for time spent teaching undergraduates, including teaching cyber-related courses. However, effort required for the PI to complete the proposed project is allowable.
  
• Scholarships for costs of attendance at institutions of higher education. However, tuition reimbursement for graduate students is allowable.
  
• Indirect costs (IDC)
  

Proposal Format

Proposals must use 1-inch margins, 11-point (Calibri or Arial font), and single-line spacing. Proposals submitted in the wrong format or missing items will be deemed incomplete and will not be considered. Follow this outline:

1. Title Page (one page): Title of proposed project, contact information for PI and Co-PIs.

Find a template of the title page format here.

2. Proposed Research (up to four pages)

• Problem Description/Need Statement: a clear statement of the circumstance, problem, or issue that your project is addressing or resolving; a persuasive description of a need, issue, or problem that a grant proponent proposes to address or solve if awarded.
  
• Rationale: Discussion of the technical background and engineering/scientific
  
• justification. This should include project objectives and the intellectual merit of the proposed work.
  
• Research Plan: What exactly will be done? How will the objectives be met? What are the motivations, methods, likely outcomes, milestones, and future directions? If existing CCI assets and equipment will be leveraged to support the research, please describe the equipment/assets and how they will be used. 
  

3. Plan for Impact on the Commonwealth (up to one page): Address potential for commercialization and economic development/impact, and/or workforce development in the Commonwealth.

4. References (not included in the page count)

5. Budget (one page): To include:

• Budget items and detailed narrative justification
• Budget must include requested amount and identified commitment
• Budget must be approved by OSP

Find the Budget Template here.

6. Biographical Sketches (three pages per PI/Co-PI)

Find the Biographical Sketch template here.

Proposal Submission

Proposals must be submitted to ccicvn@vcu.edu by the project PI no later than the close of the business day Friday, June 23, 2023. All proposals must be submitted as a single PDF document. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered.

Evaluation Criteria

A panel of reviewers will score proposals according to the following criteria:

• Strong intellectual merit related to CCI’s mission.
• Strong broader impacts related to CCI’s mission.
• Relevance to industry needs.
• Potential to generate additional funding and revenue.
• Strong relevance to CVN’s focus areas.

Contact Information

For questions on this solicitation or technical assistance with submitting an application, contact ccicvn@vcu.edu.