Overview
Cisco Requests for Proposals (RFPs) connect Cisco engineers to researchers and educators to facilitate collaboration and research opportunities. RFPs give researchers a way to identify and submit proposals on pressing issues, topics, and problems in networking research. The RFP process includes compilation of a public repository of current issues and problems along with submission instructions, guidelines, and time frames. Cisco provides support in the form of gifts, contracts, and gifts-in-kind; the exact form of support depends on the project. Awards are made to institutions, not to individual persons.
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Scope
The scope of research described in RFPs is highly varied. It can include the following elements:
- Open-ended research or collaboration in a loosely defined topic area
- Research on a specific issue, often with a short time frame
- Expert literature review, specifying deliverables such as the following: "Of the 40+ papers in this area, describe the three most important, and lessons for Cisco engineers"
- Experts to provide tutorial or training on a specific subject
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How to Apply
Each RFP is unique and provides instructions on how to submit a proposal or apply for funding, including proposal requirements, guidelines, time frames, and details of the funding opportunity. Only the RFP opportunities summarized below are eligible for proposal submissions.
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Who May Apply
The Applicant and Principal Investigator listed on a proposal must each be a full-time faculty or research staff member at a university or other research institution. Students, adjunct faculty, or part-time faculty/staff may participate in the research and be listed on the proposal but may not be a Principal Investigator.
To be eligible to receive an award, an institution subject to U.S. tax law must qualify as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Non-U.S. institutions must provide proof of non-profit equivalency.
Please see a discussion of award types and intellectual property here.
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