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NSF OAC is the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, the unit of the National Science Foundation that funds the computing, data, software, networking and cybersecurity infrastructure researchers use. Its programs mostly fund teams that build or run infrastructure; researchers who want to use national computing time apply through ACCESS allocations instead, which are a service rather than a grant. Program details below are as described on the official NSF pages on 2026-10-29.
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Suggested question: “What does NSF OAC stand for?”
What it is and who runs it
OAC sits inside NSF’s Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE); see NSF CISE for the directorate. The official OAC overview page (updated June 30, 2026) says OAC funds the building, launching and running of research computing infrastructure, with investments spanning advanced computing, data systems, software, networking, cybersecurity and shared infrastructure. The same page lists CISE’s groupings as Center-Scale and Testbeds, Computing and AI Foundations, Cyber, Physical and Intelligent Systems, Human-Centered Computing and Education, Software and Systems Foundations, and OAC.
Is OAC a grant you apply to or a service you use?
Both, in different programs. If you want to build or sustain infrastructure, you apply to an OAC funding program. If you only need compute time, that is an allocation request; see NSF ACCESS compute allocations and ACCESS allocation versus campus recharge.
Eligibility
Eligibility is set per solicitation, not by OAC as a whole. The official Cyberinfrastructure Systems for Scientific Innovation (CSSI) page (also titled Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation) describes three award classes: Elements (small groups creating and deploying services for which there is a demonstrated need), Framework Implementations (larger, interdisciplinary teams) and Transition to Sustainability (existing infrastructure with a well-defined sustainability plan). The archived OAC Core solicitation NSF 18-567 (a 2018 document, replaced by NSF 19-589 and since by later versions) limited eligibility to accredited two- and four-year US institutions of higher education and US non-profit, non-academic organizations, with a PI holding a full-time paid appointment at an eligible US organization. Treat that as history, not current rules: read the solicitation you intend to answer.
What it funds
The OAC overview lists these program areas:
- Advanced Computing
- Data and Software Infrastructure
- Cyberinfrastructure Systems for Scientific Innovation (CSSI)
- Cybersecurity Innovation for Cyberinfrastructure (CICI)
- NSF-led National AI Research Resource (NAIRR)
- Campus Cyberinfrastructure (CC*)
- Training-based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure
For CSSI, the program page says funding is meant to be flexible and responsive to evolving and emerging needs in cyberinfrastructure, and that support for Elements and Framework awards, or their predecessor programs, is intended to be finite, limited to no more than 10 years.
Application and compliance steps
- Find the program on the OAC overview and open its current solicitation page; check its status first.
- Read the solicitation’s eligibility, title-prefix and limit rules. The archived 18-567 example required a title prefix of the form “OAC Core: Small: Title”, a 15-page project description, a data management plan of up to two pages, no letter of intent, and a cap of two proposals per PI, co-PI or senior personnel in any contiguous September through November period across the coordinated CISE core solicitations. Current solicitations may differ.
- Put program questions to the contact the page gives: [email protected] for OAC program questions and project ideas, [email protected] for CSSI. OAC also lists virtual office hours and webinars with CISE program directors.
- Prepare the data management plan and sustainability material the solicitation asks for; for how another NSF division describes its programs, see NSF CMMI.
Typical timeline phases
For any NSF solicitation the phases are the same in order: confirm the program is open, optionally consult a program director, prepare and submit by the solicitation’s deadline or window, then merit review and award decision. Dates are not stated here because they change with each publication.
Common mistakes
- Pursuing a program that is not open. The CSSI page shows the status “Waiting for new publication” for program 22-632, with no upcoming due dates.
- Following an archived solicitation. NSF 18-567 is marked archived and superseded.
- Treating an ACCESS allocation as a grant, or the reverse.
- Assuming one set of eligibility rules covers every OAC program.
Related programs
| Program | Status on the official page (2026-10-29) | What the page says |
|---|---|---|
| CSSI | Waiting for new publication; no due dates | Elements, Framework Implementations and Transition to Sustainability awards |
| OAC Core, NSF 18-567 | Archived, replaced by NSF 19-589 | Small projects up to $500,000 and 3 years in that version |
| CICI, CC*, NAIRR, workforce development, Advanced Computing, Data and Software Infrastructure | Listed on the OAC overview | Read each program’s own solicitation for status and rules |
For another NSF program see NSF Convergence Accelerator.
FAQ
What does NSF OAC stand for?
Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, a unit within NSF’s CISE directorate.
Does OAC give grants to individual researchers for computing time?
Computing time is requested through ACCESS allocations. OAC program areas fund building and operating infrastructure, software, data systems, security and training.
Who do I contact about an OAC project idea?
The OAC overview page lists [email protected] for program questions and project ideas.
Is the CSSI program open for proposals?
Not at the time checked. The official page showed “Waiting for new publication” and no upcoming due dates on 2026-10-29.
Sources
- NSF, Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure overview (updated June 30, 2026): https://www.nsf.gov/cise/oac/overview, checked 2026-10-29.
- NSF, Cyberinfrastructure Systems for Scientific Innovation (CSSI): https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/cyberinfrastructure-sustained-scientific, checked 2026-10-29.
- NSF 18-567, OAC Core Program solicitation (archived): https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/office-advanced-cyberinfrastructure-research-core-program/505571/nsf18-567/solicitation, checked 2026-10-29.
