Privacy-Preserving Data Sharing in Practice | 24 585

Opportunity Information: Apply for 24 585

The National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity "Privacy-Preserving Data Sharing in Practice" (PDaSP, Funding Opportunity Number 24-585) focuses on moving privacy-preserving data sharing and analytics from promising research results into tools and systems that can be deployed at real-world scale. The program is motivated by the fact that modern science, engineering, and AI development increasingly depend on access to large, sensitive, and distributed datasets, yet organizations often cannot share or jointly analyze that data due to privacy, confidentiality, legal, or security constraints. PDaSP is designed to close that gap by supporting practically deployable, scalable privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) and the surrounding engineering work needed to make them trustworthy and usable in realistic settings.

A major theme of the solicitation is "transition to practice." NSF is explicitly tying the program goals to federal priorities, including the Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, which calls for adoption of leading-edge PETs and the creation of testing environments (such as testbeds) that help validate safe and trustworthy AI and associated privacy technologies. The program also aligns with the National Strategy to Advance Privacy Preserving Data Sharing and Analytics (PPDSA), particularly its recommendation to accelerate real-world uptake through applied and translational research, systems development, tool repositories, benchmarking and measurement methods, testbeds, and improved usability and inclusiveness of privacy-preserving solutions.

PDaSP is organized into three tracks, each with different expectations for maturity, integration, and deliverables. Track 1 supports work that advances key technologies needed for practical PPDSA solutions, with typical budgets from $500,000 to $1,000,000 for projects lasting up to 2 years. Track 2 targets integrated and comprehensive solutions that enable trustworthy data sharing in application settings, emphasizing end-to-end system thinking and deployment considerations; these awards are expected to fall in the $1,000,000 to $1,500,000 range for up to 3 years. Track 3 focuses on usable tools and testbeds that enable trustworthy sharing of private or otherwise confidential data, with budgets generally ranging from $500,000 to $1,500,000 for up to 3 years. Across the tracks, the solicitation signals that proposals should not stop at theory; they should address practical constraints like scalability, usability, evaluation, and the ability to demonstrate performance and privacy properties in environments that resemble real operations.

The program is explicitly collaborative across NSF directorates and external partners. It is jointly associated with NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) and NSF Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), and it includes industry partners Intel Corporation and VMware LLC as well as federal agency partners including the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The solicitation also welcomes additional public and private partners before the proposal deadline, and principal investigators can opt in to have their proposals considered for potential co-funding by new partners when interests align.

Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based organizations that fit specific categories. Proposals may be submitted by accredited U.S. institutions of higher education (including two-year and four-year colleges and community colleges), U.S.-based nonprofit non-academic organizations that are directly associated with education or research (such as independent museums, observatories, laboratories, and professional societies), and U.S.-based small businesses that meet SBA size standards (with NSF SBIR/STTR recipients especially encouraged, though not required). For project leadership, the PI and any co-PIs or other senior/key personnel must hold an appointment at an eligible submitting organization. Researchers with primary appointments at overseas branch campuses of U.S. institutions are not eligible. Foreign academic collaborators may participate if they provide essential expertise, but they may not receive NSF funding under this program. The solicitation also includes a conflict restriction: individuals affiliated with a partner involved in the solicitation (for example, currently employed by, consulting for, or under an active services agreement with a listed partner) may not participate in proposals to the program.

Key administrative details include that this is a discretionary grant opportunity in the science and technology R and D category, with an award ceiling of $1,500,000. The original closing date listed is September 27, 2024, and the opportunity was created on June 27, 2024.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Privacy-Preserving Data Sharing in Practice" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.200, 47.070, 47.084.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-09-27. (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 $1,500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for 24 585

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