Materials Research is the field of science where physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering naturally converge in the pursuit of the fundamental understanding of the properties of materials and the phenomena they host. Materials are abundant and pervasive, serving as critical building blocks in technology and innovation. Materials Research impacts life and society, as it shapes our understanding of the material world and enables significant advances spanning the range from nanoelectronics to health-related fields. The development and deployment of advanced materials are major drivers of U.S. economic growth.
Research supported by the Division of Materials Research (DMR) focuses on advancing the fundamental understanding of materials, materials discovery, design, synthesis, characterization, properties, and materials-related phenomena. DMR awards enable understanding of the electronic, atomic, and molecular structures, mechanisms, and processes that govern nanoscale to macroscale morphology and properties; manipulation and control of these properties; discovery of emerging phenomena of matter and materials; and creation of novel design, synthesis, and processing strategies that lead to new materials with unique characteristics. These discoveries and advancements transcend traditional scientific and engineering disciplines. Projects supported by DMR are not only essential for the development of future technologies and industries that address societal needs, but also for the preparation of the next generation of materials researchers.
Full Proposal Accepted Anytime
Investigators are advised that the dates from April 15th to June 15th should, optimally, be avoided for submissions.
Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
- Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.
- Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities.
The NSF fiscal year begins on October 1st and ends on September 30th of the following year. The submission date of a proposal from an investigator, whether as PI or co-PI, to any of the programs covered by this solicitation cannot be within the same fiscal year as another proposal from the same investigator, whether as PI or co-PI, to any DMR-TMRP. A list of DMR-TMRPs can be found at https://www.nsf.gov/funding/programs.jsp?org=DMR, under "Topical Materials Research Programs." Failure to observe this submission constraint will lead to the offending proposal(s) being returned without review. This restriction also includes proposals under Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI), Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (RUI/ROA), Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering (CDS&E), international collaborative research programs, as well as any other type of proposal submitted directly to the TMRPs. There are no limits to participating as Faculty Associate (as defined in PAPPG Exhibit II-3.A.2) on multiple proposals concurrently under review.
Exceptions:
In the rare case involving continued funding of two current DMR projects that are expiring in the same fiscal year an exception may be considered after consultation with the cognizant Program Officer(s).
Proposals for EAGER, RAPID, RAISE, and conferences, as well as supplemental funding requests for existing grants, are not subject to the limitations in this solicitation and may be submitted any time after consultation with and approval from the cognizant Program Officer(s). EAGER/RAPID/RAISE and conference proposals, as well as requests for supplemental funding submitted without prior approval by a Program Officer will be returned without review.
CAREER proposals are exempt from the limitation on the number of proposals per fiscal year, as are proposals to non-TMRP programs within DMR, such as Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF), Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC), Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM), Materials Innovation Platforms (MIP), national facilities, and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) sites. The number of proposal submissions to divisions of NSF other than DMR is not limited. Only proposals that have been withdrawn do not count against the submission limit.
Anticipated Funding Amount: $66,000,000
Approximately $66,000,000 pending availability of funds. Average award sizes vary greatly among Programs since they may fund different proportions of standard vs. continuing grants. For specific information, Investigators may consult the individual Program or use the NSF Award Search engine at https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/advancedSearch.jsp to search for awards by Program or Program Officer.
Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.