NSF 25-541: Test Bed: Toward a Network of Programmable Cloud Laboratories (PCL Test Bed)

To:	Chairs and Administrators, Departments in the Biological, Physical and Social Sciences; Associate Deans for Research; College/School Research Administrators
From:	Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research
Date:	August 27, 2025
Subject:	Test Bed: Toward a Network of Programmable Cloud Laboratories (PCL Test Bed)

Deadline

Deadline for Internal Review:

September 23, 2025

Project Description

The Test Bed: Toward a Network of Programmable Cloud Laboratories (PCL Test Bed) program seeks to establish and facilitate the operation of distributed autonomous laboratory facilities. These laboratories will combine technological and human capacity to enable integration, testing, evaluation, validation, and translation of cutting-edge technology solutions in automated science and engineering. The PCL Test Bed will consist of a set of Programmable Cloud Laboratory Nodes (PCL Nodes) that can be remotely accessed to run custom workflows specified and programmed by users, that are linked together via computational networking, shared science questions, and data and artificial intelligence (AI) standards.

The PCL Test Bed will facilitate access to advanced scientific equipment, accelerate translation and scaling of basic research into industry applications, enhance reproducibility and the exchange of experimental data, and assist in training the next generation of scientists and engineers in state-of-the art methodologies. It will help develop community norms, best practices, and formal standards for automated laboratory procedures, workflows, and instrument testing and validation. It will also advance consistent practices for the collection, sharing, and use of metadata and training data and the use and exploitation of AI methods. This program will also support the development of automated laboratory methods, including self-driving autonomous experiment workflows.

Proposals must have a set of well-defined science drivers poised to derive significant benefit from targeted use of the PCL Test Bed capabilities, including but not limited to synthesis, optimization, and/or characterization experiments, in specific sub-disciplines within materials science, biotechnology, chemistry or other areas of science and engineering. These science drivers will guide the protocols and standards necessary for each node and facilitate collaboration across the Test Bed. For example, science drivers could include but are not limited to:

• Materials science, materials synthesis and characterization efforts that advance U.S. competitiveness.
• Biotechnology experiments in scalable, high-throughput engineering and characterization services for proteins or microbes with novel applications in the U.S. bioeconomy.
• High-throughput experimentation for the accelerated development of catalysts to support more efficient chemical synthesis to address urgent national needs.

This solicitation invites organizations with pre-existing instrument facilities to apply to be a PCL Node, as part of a distributed PCL Test Bed. The solicitation also requires awardees to run Recruitment and On-Boarding Workshops to attract new users, including those from under-resourced institutions, who will conduct science on the PCL Node and Test Bed to result in accomplishments in basic and translational research, education, and workforce development.

A PCL Node may incorporate some or all of the instruments at an existing facility, including time-sharing of instruments with the PCL Node. In limited circumstances, and with adequate justification in the context of specified science drivers, a PCL Node may propose modest requests for acquiring a new instrument and/or enhancement of existing instruments or other lab capabilities that would become part of the PCL Node.

PCL Nodes are expected to develop and implement plans for continued operation after the period of this award.

Amount per Award: Up to $5M/year
Duration of Award: 4 years
Number of Awards: 4 – 6

Eligibility

An individual may serve as PI, co-PI, or Senior Personnel only on one proposal submitted in response to this solicitation.

Proposals must include at least one Co-PI with relevant expertise in data management and AI to support the activities described in the proposal.

UW-Madison may submit one proposal as the lead institution.

Website

The following link contains additional information on the program and specific application instructions:
https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/pcl-test-bed-test-bed-toward-network-programmable-cloud-laboratories/nsf25-541/solicitation

Internal Competition Application Instructions

Sponsor Deadlines

Applications are due to National Science Foundation by November 20, 2025.

Questions?

Contact grants@research.wisc.edu.