Algorithms for Threat Detection | 24 526

Opportunity Information: Apply for 24 526

The Algorithms for Threat Detection (ATD) program is a federal research grant opportunity focused on advancing core mathematical and statistical methods for analyzing very large spatiotemporal datasets. In practical terms, it is looking for new algorithms that can handle data that vary across both space and time at scale (for example, geospatial or sensor-driven data streams) and that can feed into quantitative models of human dynamics. The emphasis is on next-generation methodology rather than incremental improvements, with the goal of strengthening the analytic foundations used for detecting, characterizing, or anticipating threat-relevant patterns in complex real-world environments.

This program is run as a partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF), specifically its Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS), and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). That pairing signals two things about the scope: proposals should be mathematically serious and methodologically innovative in a way that fits NSF standards for fundamental research, while also being aligned with applications that matter in geospatial intelligence contexts. Projects that bridge rigorous theory with demonstrable performance on realistic spatiotemporal data, and that connect algorithmic advances to interpretable models of human activity and behavior over time and geography, are a natural fit for what ATD describes.

The opportunity is a discretionary grant program (Funding Opportunity Number 24-526) in the Science and Technology / Research and Development category. It is associated with CFDA numbers 12.630 and 47.049. The stated award ceiling is $300,000 per award, and the sponsor anticipates making about 20 awards, which suggests a competitive program with room for a range of research directions but an expectation that each funded project will be tightly scoped and technically substantive.

Eligibility is limited to specific types of U.S.-based applicants. Proposals may be submitted by nonprofit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar U.S. organizations that are directly tied to education or research activities. Institutions of Higher Education are also eligible, including both two-year and four-year accredited colleges and universities (including community colleges) that have a campus located in the United States and that apply on behalf of their faculty. Federally recognized Tribal Nations are eligible as well, defined as American Indian or Alaska Native tribes, bands, nations, pueblos, villages, or communities acknowledged by the Secretary of the Interior under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994.

There is also a specific compliance note for U.S. universities with international branch campuses. If any project funding would flow to an international branch campus (including via subawards or consulting arrangements), the proposal must clearly explain the benefits of conducting that portion of the work at the international site and justify why the same activities cannot be carried out at the U.S. campus. That requirement is important for teams planning multinational fieldwork, overseas data collection, or specialized collaboration that would otherwise be routed outside the United States.

The original closing date listed for this opportunity is February 19, 2025, and the program was created on January 12, 2024. Taken together, ATD is essentially seeking strong, research-driven algorithm development at the intersection of advanced mathematics/statistics, scalable spatiotemporal data analysis, and quantitative modeling of human dynamics, supported through NSF-style research grants and shaped by NGA-relevant application needs.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Algorithms for Threat Detection" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.630, 47.049.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-01-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-19. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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