Research Proposal Opportunities

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. (NSF)

SYNOPSIS

Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) provide sustained support of interdisciplinary materials research and education of the highest quality while addressing fundamental problems in science and engineering. MRSECs address research of a scope and complexity requiring the scale, synergy, and interdisciplinarity provided by a campus-based research center. They support materials research infrastructure in the United States, promote active collaboration between universities and other sectors, including industry and international institutions, and contribute to the development of a national network of university-based centers in materials research, education, and facilities. A MRSEC may be located at a single institution, or may involve multiple institutions in partnership.

Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC’s) Proposal

FY2011 Materials Research Centers and Teams competition results

DUE DATES

Preliminary Proposal Deadline Date:  August 26, 2013

Full Proposal Deadline Date:  January 10, 2014

Environmental Engineering and Sustainability. (NSF)

SYNOPSIS

The Environmental Engineering and Sustainability cluster supports engineering research with the goal of reducing adverse effects of solid, liquid, and gaseous discharges into land, fresh and ocean waters, and air that result from human activity and impair the value of those resources in the context of ecological tenets. This cluster focuses on research on innovative biological, chemical, and physical processes used alone or as components of engineered systems to restore the usefulness of polluted land, water, and air resources.

Environmental Engineering Proposal

Environmental Sustainability Proposal

DUE DATES

Full Proposal Window:  January 15, 2014 – February 20, 2014

Thermal Transport Processes. (NSF)

SYNOPSIS

The Transport and Thermal Fluids Phenomena cluster supports fundamental work on thermal, mass, and momentum transport. These fundamental advances in transport processes enable new technological solutions to understand pressing issues in energy, the environment, manufacturing, health care, and other fields. The cluster considers research in engineering science areas related to interfacial phenomena, separation science, and phase equilibrium solution thermodynamics. Work on the fundamental engineering science of combustion and plasmas is supported. The cluster is also focused on research on physical mechanisms and phenomena governing multiphase processes, particle/bubble/droplet interactions, and self and directed assembly of nanostructures.

Thermal Transport Processes Proposal

DUE DATES

Full Proposal Window:  January 15, 2014 – February 20, 2014

Campus Cyberinfrastructure – Network Infrastructure and Engineering Program. (NSF) 

SYNOPSIS

The “Campus Cyberinfrastructure – Network Infrastructure and Engineering (CC-NIE)” program invests in improvements and re-engineering at the campus level to support a range of data transfers supporting computational science and computer networks and systems research. The program also supports Network Integration activities tied to achieving higher levels of performance, reliability and predictability for science applications and distributed research projects. Two types of CC-NIE awards will be made. Data Driven Networking and Infrastructure for the Campus and Researcher awards will be supported at up to $500,000 total for up to 2 years. Network Integration and Applied Innovation awards will be supported at up to $1,000,000 total for up to 2 years.

Campus Cyberinfrastructure – Network Infrastructure and Engineering Program (CC-NIE)

DUE DATES

Full Proposal Deadline:  April 03, 2013

Integrated NSF Support Promoting Interdisciplinary Research and Education (INSPIRE). (NSF) 

SYNOPSIS

The INSPIRE awards program was established to address some of the most complicated and pressing scientific problems that lie at the intersection of traditional disciplines.  It is intended to encourage investigators to submit bold, exceptional proposals that some may consider to be at a disadvantage in a standard NSF review process; it is not intended for proposals that are more appropriate for existing award mechanisms.  INSPIRE is open to interdisciplinary proposals on any NSF-supported topic, submitted by invitation only after a preliminary inquiry process initiated by submission of a required Letter of Intent.  In fiscal year 2013, INSPIRE provides support through the following three pilot grant mechanisms:

• INSPIRE Track 1.  This is essentially a continuation of the pilot CREATIV mechanism from FY 2012, which was detailed for 2012 in Dear Colleague Letter NSF 12-011.
• INSPIRE Track 2.  These are “mid-scale” research awards at a larger scale than Track 1, allowing for requests of up to $3,000,000 over a duration of up to five years.  Expectations for cross-cutting advances and for broader impacts are greater than in Track 1, and the review process includes external review.
• Director’s INSPIRE Awards.  These are prestigious individual awards to single-investigator proposals that present ideas for interdisciplinary advances with unusually strong, exciting transformative potential.

Integrated NSF Support Promoting Interdisciplinary Research and Education (INSPIRE)

DUE DATES

Full Proposal Deadline Date:  May 13, 2013

INSPIRE Track 2 Full Proposals

Full Proposal Deadline Date:  May 29, 2013

INSPIRE Track 1 Full Proposals

Full Proposal Deadline Date:  May 29, 2013

Director’s INSPIRE Awards Full Proposals

Full proposal submission is by invitation only, based on evaluation by NSF staff of the required Letter of Intent.