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PD 15-1637, Structural and Architectural Engineering (SAE) program replaces Hazard Mitigation and Structural Engineering (HMSE) program. The overall goal of the Structural and Architectural Engineering (SAE) program is to evolve sustainable structures, such as buildings, that can be continuously occupied and /or operational during the structure's useful life. The SAE program supports fundamental research for advancing knowledge and innovation in structural and architectural engineering that enables holistic approach to design, construction, operation, maintenance, retrofit, repair and end-of-life disposal of structures. For buildings, holistic approach incorporates the foundation-structure-envelope-nonstructural system, as well as the façade and roofing. Research topics of interest for sustainable structures include the following: strategies for structures that over their lifecycle are cost-effective, make efficient use of resources and energy, and incorporate sustainable structural and architectural materials; deterioration due to fatigue and corrosion; serviceability concerns due to large deflections and vibrations; and advances in physics-based computational modeling and simulation. Research is encouraged that integrates discoveries from other science and engineering fields, such as materials science, building science, mechanics of materials, dynamic systems and control, reliability, risk analysis, architecture, economics and human factors. The program also supports research in sustainable and holistic foundation-structure-envelope-nonstructural systems and materials as described in the following reports: * National Science and Technology Council, High Performance Buildings; Final Report: Federal R & D Agenda for Net Zero Energy, High-Performance Green Buildings. Building Technology Research and Development (BTRD) Subcommittee, OSTP, U.S. Government, September 2008. http://www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/ostp/NSTC%20Reports/Federal%20RD%20Agenda%20for%20N

The Engineering for Civil Infrastructure (ECI) program supports fundamental research that will shape the future of our nation's constructed civil infrastructure, subjected to and interacting with the natural environment, to meet the needs of humans. In this context, research driven by radical rethinking of traditional civil infrastructure in response to emerging technological innovations, changing population demographics, and evolving societal needs is encouraged. The ECI program focuses on the physical infrastructure, such as the soil-foundation-structure-envelope-nonstructural building system; geostructures; and underground facilities. It seeks proposals that advance knowledge and methodologies within geotechnical, structural, architectural, materials, coastal, and construction engineering, especially that include collaboration with researchers from other fields, including, for example, biomimetics, bioinspired design, advanced computation, data science, materials science, additive manufacturing, robotics, and control theory. Research may explore holistic building systems that view construction, geotechnical, structural, and architectural design as an integrated system; adaptive building envelope systems; nonconventional building materials; breakthroughs in remediated geological materials; and transformational construction processes. Principal investigators are encouraged to consider civil infrastructure subjected to and interacting with the natural environment under “normal” operating conditions; intermediate stress conditions (such as deterioration, and severe locational and climate conditions); and extreme single or multi natural hazard events (including earthquakes, windstorms, tsunamis, storm surges, sinkholes, subsidence, and landslides).

The overall goal of the Structural and Architectural Engineering and Materials (SAEM) program is to enable sustainable buildings and other structures that can be continuously occupied and/or operated during the structure's useful life. The SAEM program supports fundamental research for advancing knowledge and innovation in structural and architectural engineering and materials that promotes a holistic approach to analysis and design, construction, operation, maintenance, retrofit, and repair of structures. For buildings, all components including the foundation-structure-envelope (the façade, curtain-wall and roofing) and interior systems, are of interest to the program. Research in new engineering concepts and design paradigms for buildings that have significantly reduced dependence and interdependence on municipal infrastructure through, for example, self-hydrating (closed-loop water system) and self-heating-cooling-ventilating (energy usage) is encouraged. In addition, the program targets research in the building systems that are reconfigurable for rapid construction, disassembly and disposal, are reliable and resilient, and are less complex. Research topics of interest for sustainable structures include the following: strategies for structures that over their lifecycle are cost-effective, make efficient use of resources and energy, and incorporate sustainable structural and architectural materials; mitigation of deterioration due to fatigue and corrosion; serviceability related to large deflections and vibrations; and advances in physics-based computational modeling and simulation.

The Civil Infrastructure Systems (CIS) program supports fundamental and innovative research necessary for designing, constructing, managing, maintaining, operating and protecting efficient, resilient and sustainable civil infrastructure systems. Research that recognizes the role that these systems play in societal functioning and accounts for how human behavior and social organizations contribute to and affect the performance of these systems is encouraged. While component-level, subject-matter knowledge may be crucial in many research efforts, this program focuses on the civil infrastructure as a system in which interactions between spatially-distributed components and intersystem connections exist. Thus, intra- and inter-physical, information and behavioral dependencies of these systems are also of particular interest. Topics pertaining to transportation systems, construction engineering, infrastructure systems and infrastructure management are a focus of this program. Research that considers either or both ordinary and disrupted operating environments is relevant. Methodological contributions pertaining to systems engineering and design, network analysis and optimization, performance management, vulnerability and risk analysis, mathematical and simulation modeling, exact and approximate algorithm development, control theory, statistical forecasting, dynamic and stochastic systems approaches, multi-attribute decision theory, and incorporation of behavioral and social considerations, not excluding other methodological areas or the integration of methods, specific to this application are encouraged. Additional research of interest exploits data/information, and takes advantage of relevant technological advances, such as social media. In general, research that has the promise of long-lasting, cascading (hopefully escalating) impact on the wider research community through its theoretical, scientific, mathematical or computational contributions is valued. The program d

The Geotechnical Engineering and Materials Program (GEM) supports fundamental research in soil and rock mechanics and dynamics in support of physical civil infrastructure systems. Also supported is research on improvement of the engineering properties of geologic materials for infrastructure use by mechanical, biological, thermal, chemical, and electrical processes. The Program supports the traditional areas of foundation engineering, earth structures, underground construction, tunneling, geoenvironmental engineering, and site characterization, as well as the emerging area of bio-geo engineering, for civil engineering applications, with emphasis on sustainable geosystems. Research related to the geotechnical engineering aspects of geothermal energy and geothermal heat pump systems is also supported. The GEM program encourages knowledge dissemination and technology transfer activities that can lead to broader societal benefit and implementation for provision of physical civil infrastructure. The Program also encourages research that explores and builds upon advanced computing techniques and tools to enable major advances in Geotechnical Engineering.

The overall goal of the Structural and Architectural Engineering and Materials (SAEM) program is to enable sustainable buildings and other structures that can be continuously occupied and/or operated during the structure's useful life. The SAEM program supports fundamental research for advancing knowledge and innovation in structural and architectural engineering and materials that promotes a holistic approach to analysis and design, construction, operation, maintenance, retrofit, and repair of structures. For buildings, all components including the foundation-structure-envelope (the façade, curtain-wall, windows, and roofing) and interior systems (flooring, ceilings, partitions walls), are of interest to the program. The SAEM program encourages the integration of research with knowledge dissemination and activities that can lead to broader societal benefit for provision of sustainable structures.

The ACI Foundation is a nonprofit organization established by the American Concrete Institute to promote progress, innovation, and collaboration by supporting research and scholarships, while also serving as an independent resource to provide thought leadership and strategic direction for the concrete industry. The foundation advances this mission through its Concrete Research Council, which seeks to advance the concrete industry through the funding of concrete research projects that further the knowledge and sustainability of concrete materials, construction, and structures. To that end, the council will award grants of up to $50,000 for research projects that further the knowledge and sustainability of concrete materials, construction, and structures. Industry partnering and project cost sharing are encouraged. To be eligible, applicants must be considered tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. In addition, a letter of support of the research concept by an ACI Technical Committee.

The Defense Sciences Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative research proposals in the area of optical systems capable of extreme performance and/or capabilities, which utilize Engineered optical Materials (EnMats). Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, and/or systems. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.

The Defense Sciences Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative research proposals in the area of optical systems capable of extreme performance and/or capabilities, which utilize Engineered optical Materials (EnMats). Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, and/or systems. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.

Through this EPA program, college students can benefit people, promote prosperity and protect the planet by designing environmental solutions that move us towards a sustainable future. EPA considers projects that address challenges from a wide range of categories including water, energy, agriculture, built environment, and materials and chemicals. These can be challenges found in the developed or developing world. The P3 Award competition is a two-phase team contest. For the first phase, interdisciplinary student teams compete for $15,000 grants. Recipients use the money to research and develop their design projects during the academic year. The final projects include a Phase I project report and a Phase II proposal. In the spring, all teams submit their reports and proposals. Scores from the reports, proposals and the design presentations are combined into a final overall score for each P3 team. Based on these scores, a panel of expert judges recommend to EPA which teams should receive the EPA P3 Award and the opportunity for Phase II funding. Given to the best student designs, this is an award and opportunity for grant funding up to $75,000 to further the project design, implement it in the field, and move it to the marketplace.

We are pleased to announce that the new OARS website is up and running (although the new Research Compliance and Undergraduate Research sections are still in development).   If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, we hope you will soon.  Once you've visited, we'd be grateful if you'd give us five minutes of your time to let us know how we're doing by completing a brief eight-question survey at https://miamioh.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_erhRsEFwwWVP6m1 Finally, don't forget to update any bookmarks you may have to material on our old website!

Preservation Assistance Grants help small and mid-sized institutions-such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, cultural organizations, town and county records offices, and colleges and universities-improve their ability to preserve and care for their significant humanities collections. These may include special collections of books and journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, moving images, sound recordings, architectural and cartographic records, decorative and fine art objects, textiles, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, furniture, historical objects, and digital materials. Applicants must draw on the knowledge of consultants whose preservation skills and experience are related to the types of collections and the nature of the activities on which their projects focus. Within the conservation field, for example, conservators usually specialize in the care of specific types of collections, such as objects, paper, or paintings. Applicants should therefore choose a conservator whose specialty is appropriate for the nature of their collections. Similarly, when assessing the preservation needs of library, museum, or archival holdings, applicants should seek a consultant specifically knowledgeable about the preservation of collections in these types of institutions. The program encourages applications from the following sorts of institutions with significant humanities collections: * small and mid-sized institutions that have never received an NEH grant; * community colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Tribal Colleges and Universities; and * Native American tribes and Native Alaskan and Native Hawaiian organizations.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to seek information from developers and manufacturers of gasifier equipment, power generation equipment manufacturers, utilities, power plant architects and engineers, and other stakeholders that can be used as input to a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) research and development (R&D) program for versatile gasification technology for modular or small-scale conversion/consumption of a wide range of feedstocks, including coal, biomass, municipal solid waste (MSW), energetic materials and munitions, and other opportunity feedstocks. Modular implementations of gasification imply unit sizes of approximately 1 to 5 MWe equivalent, while applications for the syngas produced could range from power generation to fuels synthesis and beyond. Modular gasification implementations or systems are expected to find a place in the market through high efficiency, thoughtful integration of system components, and reduction of costs. For example, combined heat and power (CHP) applications of modular gasification technology would enable higher overall efficiencies and diversity of product value.

2019 Preservation Technology and Training Grants (PTT Grants) are intended to create better tools, better materials, and better approaches to conserving buildings, landscapes, sites, and collections. The PTT Grants are administered by the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), the National Park Services innovation center for the preservation community. The competitive grants program will provide funding to federal agencies, states, tribes, local governments, and non-profit organizations. PTT Grants will support the following activities: 1. Innovative research that develops new technologies or adapts existing technologies to preserve cultural resources (typically $25,000 to $30,000) 2. Specialized workshops or symposia that identify and address national preservation needs (typically $15,000 to $25,000) 3. How-to videos, mobile applications, podcasts, best practices publications, or webinars that disseminate practical preservation methods or provide better tools for preservation practice (typically $5,000 to $15,000) The maximum grant award is $30,000. The actual grant award amount is dependent on the scope of the proposed activity. NCPTT does not fund bricks and mortar grants.

A single grant of up to $15,000 will be awarded to a mid-career professional whose research project relates to the appreciation, interpretation, preservation, study, and teaching of European art, architecture, and related disciplines, from antiquity to the early nineteenth century, in the context of historic preservation in the United States. Potential Kress Fellow projects could include the exploration of shared European and American influences in style, design, materials, construction techniques, building types, conservation and interpretation methodologies, philosophical and theoretical attitudes, and other factors applicable to preservation in both Europe and America.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of the P3-People, Prosperity and the Planet Award Program, is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real world challenges involving the overall sustainability of human society. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative projects focused on sustainability. The P3 Award program was developed to foster progress toward sustainability by achieving the mutual goals of improved quality of life, economic prosperity and protection of the planet -- people, prosperity, and the planet - the three pillars of sustainability. The EPA offers the P3 competition in order to respond to the technical needs of the world while moving towards the goal of sustainability. Please see the P3 website for more details about this program.

The following programs have due dates that fall between October 1 - 25, 2013, and these dates are being revised due to the Federal  government shutdown. These revised dates apply whether the proposal is being submitted via the NSF FastLane System or  Grants.gov. Due to compressed proposal deadlines resulting from the shutdown, proposers are advised that they may experience a  delay when contacting IT Help Central with technical support questions. Frequently asked questions regarding these date changes  are available on the Resumption of Operations page on the NSF website at: http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/postshutdown.jsp. 

The confluence of transistor scaling, increases in the number of architecture designs per process generation, the slowing of clock frequency growth, and recent success in research exploiting thread-level parallelism (TLP) and data-level parallelism (DLP) all point to an increasing opportunity for innovative microarchitecture techniques and methodologies in delivering performance growth in the future. The NSF/Intel Partnership on Foundational Microarchitecture Research will support transformative microarchitecture research targeting improvements in instructions per cycle (IPC). This solicitation seeks microarchitecture technique innovations beyond simplistic, incremental scaling of existing microarchitectural structures. Specifically, FoMR seeks to advance research that has the following characteristics: (1) high IPC techniques ranging from microarchitecture to code generation; (2) "microarchitecture turbo" techniques that marshal chip resources and system memory bandwidth to accelerate sequential or single-threaded programs; and (3) techniques to support efficient compiler code generation. Advances in these areas promise to provide significant performance improvements that continue the trends characterized by Moore's Law.