The U.S. National Science Foundation once again funds blockchain research, with a maximum of $1 million per project

The National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent federal agency in the United States, is seeking to fund research into technologies that could improve internet infrastructure, such as blockchain.

NSF is looking to raise research funding to 850万美元, according to a request for proposals it issued last year and updated in early 2017. It is currently seeking to fund between seven and nine projects, each with a maximum grant of 100万美元.

While the NSF did not explicitly state that the funds would focus on blockchain projects, it did mention that blockchain would be one of the topics to be explored once the funding is authorized.

As stated in the solicitation:

“Science is becoming increasingly distributed and virtual, with the proliferation of remote tools and the amount of data collected by wireless and mobile sensors. Solutions such as blockchain technology are needed to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of data as it spans multiple environments such as mobile, cloud, campus and the Internet.”

This is not the first time NSF has decided to investigate blockchain technology.

In 2015, the agency funded a cryptocurrency research project with about $3 million involving researchers from Cornell University, the University of Maryland and the University of California, Berkeley.

In addition, over the past year and a half, various U.S. government agencies have promoted or funded several blockchain projects or startups.

It is reported that NSF is more willing to look for university research teams, as well as non-profit organizations and research institutions for the funding of this new fund. According to the request for comments, the deadline for project application submission is March 1.