The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.
The Research Coordination Networks (RCN) program aims to advance research and education by funding groups that enhance communication and coordination across various divides such as discipline, organization, geography, and international lines. The program encourages the development of new collaborations, especially international ones, and tackles interdisciplinary topics. It emphasizes innovative networking strategies, the use of collaborative technologies, broadening participation, training, and the establishment of community standards for data and metadata. Notably, the RCN program is designed to support the creation and nurturing of networks rather than the sustenance of existing ones or the facilitation of primary research. It fosters sharing of information and ideas, coordination of research activities, synthesis of new collaborations, and advancement of science and education through effective communication. Themes for networking activities should provide coherence to the collaboration, focusing on broad research questions, technologies, or unique approaches to current challenges, with an encouragement of geographic diversity in participation.