This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) replaces NSF 19-065, which was a Request for Information (RFI) on Future Topics for the NSF Convergence Accelerator for FY2020.

The purpose of this RFI and call for future topics conference proposals is to seek input from global industry, institutions of higher education (IHEs), non-profits, government entities, and other interested parties on potential NSF Convergence Accelerator tracks for FY 2021.

Potential NSF Convergence Accelerator tracks for FY 2021 can be related to Industries of the Future (IotF), NSF’s Big Ideas, or other topics, that may not relate directly to an IotF or Big Idea, but nonetheless have the potential for significant national impact. Ideas suggested in response to this RFI should be similar in breadth to NSF 19-050 tracks, which are broad enough to each support a set of related research teams working together as a cohort.

Note that this RFI does not invite research proposals, though the process itself may result in the identification of potential topics for future research funding opportunities. Respondents to this RFI may submit their ideas and they are highly encouraged to also submit conference proposals to develop and refine those ideas so as to incorporate convergence research, breadth, and collaboration among key stakeholders from industry, IHE’s, non-profits, government entities, and other interested parties.