Zimin Institute for Smart & Sustainable Cities -- Call for Proposals

Zimin Institute for Smart & Sustainable Cities Request for Proposals 2020

Arizona State University is excited to announce its new institute: Zimin Institute for Smart & Sustainable Cities (the ‘Institute’).  The Institute’s vision is hands-on seeking to identify needs and connect with researchers to fund projects that help to grow the Smart Cities ecosystem and engage the community in new, integrative solutions. The Institute is seeking proposals within the four track types: Visioning & Ideation Projects, Proof-of-Concept Projects, Technology Demonstrator Development Projects, and Field Test Projects. Below you will find more information about the project types and proposal requirements. If interested you can apply through the ASU Infoready site.

Introduction & Background

The newly-established Zimin Institute for Smart & Sustainable Cities (the ‘Institute’) at Arizona State University (ASU) is seeking proposals for research and development aimed at rapidly advancing innovative solutions toward practical realization and societal impact in the four priority areas aligned with its Vision and Mission.

Institute VISION

The Zimin Institute for Smart & Sustainable Cities is driving a people-centric vision of future cities.  We are creating a world where the rich functionality and power of advanced technologies are seamlessly integrated with the physical spaces where people live, work, learn and play to make them safer and more secure, healthier, more sustainable and resilient, and more personally enriching.

Institute MISSION

The Institute will realize the Vision by initiating, catalyzing, connecting, supporting, leveraging, and growing the smart cities and regions ecosystem. Specifically, we will:

• Identify the needs, challenges, and problems in the people-centric Smart Cities and Regions application space and thus effectively target promising, transformative technology designs and solutions
• Connect researchers across disparate disciplines and application spaces to catalyze new synergistic collaborations within the academy and beyond, including industry, government, and communities
• Fund critical-stage, cutting edge research to break barriers and advance nascent technology solutions
• Leverage ASU / local testbeds and innovative regional initiatives, collaboratives, and funding streams
• Grow the Smart Cities entrepreneurial ecosystem: venture funding à startups à new revolutionary products
• Engage the community and stakeholders to ensure that new integrated solutions realize and deliver genuine and profound social and public value.

The Institute’s Priority Themes are:

1. Daily Life & Human Connection / Interaction / Engagement
2. Sustainable and Healthy Environments & Spaces
3. Inherent Security, Safety & Public Well-being
4. Infrastructure Surety, Resilience, and Integrated Functionality

Funding Intent & Project Types

Funding from the Institute is intended to speed technology development and catalyze a path to practical realization and positive societal impact within communities. Although all proposed projects should be use-inspired and application-driven, they may fall anywhere along the early-stage, mid-stage, or later-stage innovation value chain. In this context, compelling new concepts and ideas are sought for which conventional federal, state, or industry funding may be inherently difficult to secure. 

Projects may be of one of the following four types:

• Visioning & Ideation Projects where stakeholders are directly engaged to identify and prioritize their perceived needs and desires, envision compelling candidate solutions and anticipate both positive and negative impacts, as well as imagine unintended consequences of these innovations.
• Proof-of-Concept Projects where novel and high-risk ideas are explored, and innovative concepts are tested and proven in a laboratory environment.
• Technology Demonstrator Development Projects where proofs-of-concept are advanced to the creation of physical prototypes that could be tested in a controlled-laboratory or a field test environment.  This Technology Demonstrator could represent the forerunner of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in the commercial arena.  
• Field Test Projects where Technology Demonstrators or prototypes are evaluated in a simulated or an actual field environment. 

In this first competitive round, we anticipate funding 3-5 projects with awards ranging from $50K to $150K.  Projects should be proposed for a one-year duration.  Regardless of the project type, the offerers’ should outline critical elements of follow-on projects for potential funding by other sources, and in exceptional cases, by the Institute.  Testing and demonstration should ideally be oriented not just around the technical specifications of the underlying technology solutions but also the pursuit of positive societal impact.

Funding Priorities and Characteristics of Competitive Proposals

In this inaugural competitive round, we will give priority to Themes 1 & 2, although we will consider compelling proposals in any category, as well as ideas that cut across the themes.  Competitive proposals will have the following inherent strengths and characteristics:

• Tight alignment with the RFP articulated focus theme(s)
• High promise for transformative impact on city inhabitants’ quality of life (healthy, meaningful, joyful, rewarding)
• Well-defined and innovative approaches and methods that embody use-inspired R&D of the highest quality
• Explicit cross- or trans-disciplinary approach and team, with appropriate inclusion of the social sciences, design and other relevant expertise to ensure solutions are explored and developed in a comprehensive societal context
• Identified paths for follow-on funding and transition to real-world application in a time horizon of 3-5 years or less
• Funding level request and budget that is consistent with scope, scale, tasks, and deliverables

For more information, and to apply, please see: https://asu.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1809036  

Points of Contact

• Administrative:      Lisa Irimata, Insititute Project Manager     lisa.irimata@asu.edu
• Technical:                Gregory Raupp, Institute Director              raupp@asu.edu