OARS funding Chemistry

The new National Ocean Policy calls for actions to improve understanding of and capacity to respond to ocean acidification, recognizing the potential adverse impacts of an acidifying sea upon marine ecosystems. The effects of ocean acidification could significantly affect strategies for developing practices towards the sustainability of ocean resources. Basic research concerning the nature, extent and impact of ocean acidification on oceanic environments in the past, present and future is required. Research challenges include: Understanding the geochemistry and biogeochemistry of ocean acidification; Understanding how ocean acidification interacts with biological, chemical and physical processes at the organismal level, and how such interactions impact the structure and function of ecosystems, e.g. through life histories, adaptive evolution, food webs, biogeochemical cycling, and interactions with other changes in the ocean (e.g., temperature, stratification, circulation patterns); and Understanding how the earth system history informs our understanding of the effects of ocean acidification on the present day and future ocean. The Ocean Acidification program is in its fifth and anticipated last year of competition. We expect this to be the last solicitation specifically targeting Ocean Acidification.

The DMR Polymers Program supports fundamental research and education on polymeric materials and polymer science. The program portfolio is mainly experimental and highly diverse with components of materials science, chemistry, physics, and other related disciplines. While interdisciplinarity is stressed, central goals include advancing the foundations of polymer science through innovative research and education and pushing back the wide horizon of the field. Polymers are studied from the molecular level through the nano-to-macro continuum using fundamental materials-focused scientific approaches. Such approaches are experimental but may also closely integrate theoretical, computational, or cyber aspects. Broad areas addressed include synthesis, molecular and self-assembly, characterization, phase behavior, structure, morphology, and properties. Particular focus is on transformative approaches to innovative materials with superior properties, on advancing polymer fundamentals and optimizing structure-property relationships, as well as on basic research addressing major societal challenges. High-quality proposals that integrate research, education, and other broader impacts are invited.

This multidisciplinary program supports basic research in solid state and materials chemistry comprising the elucidation of the atomic and molecular basis for material development and properties in the solid state from the nanoscale to the bulk.  General areas of interest include but are not limited to innovative approaches to design, synthesis, bulk crystal and/or film growth, and characterization of novel organic, inorganic, and hybrid materials, as well as liquid crystal materials and multi-component material systems exhibiting new phenomena and/or providing new scientific insights into structure/composition/property relationships in the solid state.  Relevant topics include original material design principles, new approaches to assembly or crystalline material growth, characterization of new material phenomena or superior behavior, investigations of surface and interfacial effects on material system structures and properties, and unraveling the relationships between structure/composition (e.g. self- or program-assembled materials, crystalline material growth, and nanostructured material systems) and properties (e.g. charge, ionic, thermal or spin transport, exciton diffusion, chemical reactivity and selectivity, etc.).  Development of new organic solid state materials, environmentally-safe and sustainable materials, and fundamental studies of novel material and material systems for efficient energy harvesting, conversion and storage are encouraged.  The SSMC program works closely with other programs within the Division of Materials Research (DMR) and in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) and Engineering (ENG) directorates to accommodate the multidisciplinary nature of proposal submissions.

Integrated Earth Systems (IES) is a program in the Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) that focuses on the continental, terrestrial and deep Earth subsystems of the whole Earth system.  The overall goal of the program is to provide opportunity for collaborative, multidisciplinary research into the operation, dynamics and complexity of Earth systems at a budgetary scale between that of a typical project in the EAR Division's disciplinary programs and larger scale initiatives at the Directorate or Foundation level. Specifically, IES will provide research opportunities for the study of Earth systems from the core of the Earth to the top of the critical zone with a specific focus on subsystems that include continental, terrestrial and deep Earth subsystems at all temporal and spatial scales (NROES, 2012).  IES will provide opportunities to focus on Earth systems connected to topics which include (but are not limited to) the continents; the terrestrial, surficial Earth systems including physical, chemical and biotic dimensions; linkages among tectonics, climate, landscape change, topography and geochemical cycles including core and mantle processes.

The ASM-NSF Leaders Inspiring Networks and Knowledge (LINK) Program seeks to connect active research investigators and undergraduate educators interested in broadening participation in science and building interdisciplinary collaborations that benefit all partners and contribute to discovery and understanding while promoting teaching and learning. The LINK program is specifically interested in supporting collaborations involving trainees and early-career scientists underrepresented nationally in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to succeed in bioscience education, research and careers.

This two-day conference focuses on translational aspects of addiction research among chemists, biologists, and behavioral scientists. The diversity of participants and attendees at this meeting (undergraduate students to senior faculty, chemists to psychiatrists) provides a unique venue for cross-fertilization among different disciplines and in so doing promotes new and innovative approaches to medications development in addictions biology. The meeting provides a stimulating environment for young scientists who are strongly encouraged to present their work and interact with senior scientists.

The consequences of climate variability and change are becoming more immediate and profound than previously anticipated. Over recent decades, the world has witnessed the onset of prolonged droughts on several continents, increased frequency of floods, loss of agricultural and forest productivity, degraded ocean and permafrost ecosystems, global sea level rise and the rapid retreat of ice sheets and glaciers, loss of arctic sea ice, and changes in ocean currents. These important impacts highlight that climate variability and change can have significant effects on decadal and shorter time scales, with significant consequences for plant, animal, human, and physical systems. The EaSM funding opportunity enables interagency cooperation on one of the most pressing problems of the millennium: climate change and??how it is likely to affect our world. It allows the partner agencies -- National Science Foundation (NSF) and??U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) -- to combine resources to identify and fund the most meritorious and highest-impact projects that support their respective missions, while??avoiding duplication of effort and fostering collaboration between agencies and the investigators they support.This interdisciplinary scientific challenge calls for the development and application of next-generation Earth System Models that include coupled and interactive representations of such??components as ocean and atmospheric currents, agricultural working lands and forests,?? biogeochemistry, atmospheric chemistry,?? the water cycle and land ice.?? This solicitation seeks to attract scientists from the disciplines of geosciences, agricultural sciences, mathematics and statistics. Successful proposals will develop intellectual excitement in the participating disciplinary communities and engage diverse interdisciplinary teams with sufficient breadth to achieve the scientific objectives. 

The goal of research funded under the interdisciplinary P2C2 solicitation is to utilize key geological, chemical, atmospheric (gas in ice cores), and biological records of climate system variability to provide insights into the mechanisms and rate of change that characterized Earth's past climate variability, the sensitivity of Earth's climate system to changes in forcing, and the response of key components of the Earth system to these changes.  Important scientific objectives of P2C2 are to: 1) provide comprehensive paleoclimate data sets that can serve as model test data sets analogous to instrumental observations; and 2) enable transformative syntheses of paleoclimate data and modeling outcomes to understand the response of the longer-term and higher magnitude variability of the climate system that is observed in the geological and cryospheric records. 

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) seeks to facilitate the entry of new-to-NIH investigators into basic chemistry research applied to drug abuse and addiction.

The Biotechnology, Biochemical, and Biomass Engineering (BBBE) program supports fundamental engineering research that advances the understanding of cellular and biomolecular processes (in vivo, in vitro, and/or ex vivo) and eventually leads to the development of enabling technology and/or applications in support of the biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, and bioenergy industries, or with applications in health or the environment.  Quantitative assessments of bioprocesses are considered vital to successful research projects in the BBBE program.  Fundamental to many research projects in this area is the understanding of how biomolecules and cells interact in their environment, and how those molecular level interactions lead to changes in structure, function, phenotype, and/or behavior.  The program encourages proposals that address emerging research areas and technologies that effectively integrate knowledge and practices from different disciplines, and effectively incorporate ongoing research into educational activities. Research projects of particular interest in BBBE include, but are not limited to: Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology Quantitative systems biotechnology Tissue engineering and stem cell culture technologies Protein engineering/protein design Development of novel "omics" tools for biotechnology applications

This Dear Colleague Letter is to alert all basic science and engineering communities, including education researchers, to the Foundation's interest in receiving proposals that, while investigating fundamental questions, seek to pose and test hypotheses that could inform research in forensic sciences. The interest spans both disciplinary and interdisciplinary research. Additionally, the wide public interest in forensics can provide an effective vehicle for basic research in science education. International partnerships, where appropriate, are encouraged, as are synergistic interactions with forensics and/or law enforcement agencies and organizations. Proposals for workshops to explore fundamental science drivers and their relevance to forensics are also welcome. 

The AAAS Early Career Award for Public Engagement with Science, established in 2010, recognizes early-career scientists and engineers who demonstrate excellence in their contribution to public engagement with science activities. A monetary prize of $5,000, a commemorative plaque, complimentary registration to the AAAS Annual Meeting, and reimbursement for reasonable hotel and travel expenses to attend the AAAS Annual Meeting to receive the prize are given to the recipient. Nominee must be an early-career scientist or engineer in academia, government or industry actively conducting research in any scientific discipline (including social sciences and medicine).  "Early career" is defined as an individual who has been in his/her current field for less than seven years and pre-tenure or job equivalent. Post-doctoral students are eligible for this award. Nominee will have demonstrated excellence in his/her contribution to public engagement with science activities, with a focus on interactive dialogue between the individual and a non-scientific, public audience(s). Types of public engagement activities might include: informal science education, public outreach, public policy, and/or science communication activities, such as mass media, public dialogue, radio, TV and film, science café, science exhibit, science fair, and social and online media.

The new National Ocean Policy calls for actions to improve understanding of and capacity to respond to ocean acidification, recognizing the potential adverse impacts of an acidifying sea upon marine ecosystems. The effects of ocean acidification could significantly affect strategies for developing practices towards the sustainability of ocean resources. Basic research concerning the nature, extent and impact of ocean acidification on oceanic environments in the past, present and future is required. Research challenges include: Understanding the geochemistry and biogeochemistry of ocean acidification; Understanding how ocean acidification interacts with biological, chemical and physical processes at the organismal level, and how such interactions impact the structure and function of ecosystems, e.g. through life histories, adaptive evolution, food webs, biogeochemical cycling, and interactions with other changes in the ocean (e.g., temperature, stratification, circulation patterns); and Understanding how the earth system history informs our understanding of the effects of ocean acidification on the present day and future ocean. The Ocean Acidification program is in its fifth and anticipated last year of competition. We expect this to be the last solicitation specifically targeting Ocean Acidification.

The MURI program supports basic research in science and engineering at U.S. institutions of higher education that is of potential interest to DoD. The program is focused on multidisciplinary research efforts where more than one traditional discipline interacts to provide rapid advances in scientific areas of interest to the DoD. As defined by the DoD, "basic research is systematic study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications towards processes or products in mind. It includes all scientific study and experimentation directed toward increasing fundamental knowledge and understanding in those fields of the physical, engineering, environmental, and life sciences related to long-term national security needs. It is farsighted high payoff research that provides the basis for technological progress." (DoD 7000.14.R, vol. 2B, chap.5). DoD's basic research program invests broadly in many specific fields to ensure that it has early cognizance of new scientific knowledge. 

The Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI) Program supports research centers focused on major, long-term fundamental chemical research challenges. CCIs that address these challenges will produce transformative research, lead to innovation, and attract broad scientific and public interest. CCIs are agile structures that can respond rapidly to emerging opportunities and make full use of cyberinfrastructure to enhance collaborations. CCIs may partner with researchers from industry, government laboratories and international organizations. CCIs integrate research, innovation, education, and informal science communication and include a plan to broaden participation of underrepresented groups. The CCI program is a two-phase program, but only Phase II will be offered in FY 2014. Only organizations receiving Phase I awards in FY 2011 and renewals of Phase II CCIs initiated in FY 2009 are eligible to request Phase II funding in FY 2014.

The Process and Reaction Engineering program supports fundamental and applied research on: Rates and mechanisms of important classes of catalyzed and uncatalyzed chemical reactions as they relate to the design, production, and application of catalysts, chemical processes, biochemical processes, and specialized materials Chemical and biochemical phenomena occurring at or near solid surfaces and interfaces Electrochemical and photochemical processes of engineering significance or with commercial potential Design and optimization of complex chemical and biochemical processes Dynamic modeling and control of process systems and individual process units Reactive processing of polymers, ceramics, and thin films Interactions between chemical reactions and transport processes in reactive systems, and the use of this information in the design of complex chemical and biochemical reactors  Recent emphasis on the development of sustainable energy technologies means that the support of projects on the processing aspects of chemical systems that further such technologies have high priority when funding decisions are made. Areas that focus on reactors of all types - fuel cells, batteries, microreactors, biochemical reactors, etc.; reactor design in general; and design and control of all systems associated with energy from renewable sources, have high priority for funding.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) seeks to enhance opportunities for collaborative activities between U.S. and foreign investigators. To realize this goal, the Division of Chemistry at NSF has partnered with the Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung  (Austrian Science Fund) of Austria (FWF), the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo), Brazil (FAPESP), the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (National Agency for Research) of France (ANR), the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the National Research Foundation of Korea (NFR), the Fonds National de la Recherche (National Research Fund) of Luxembourg (FNR), the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR), and the National Science Council of Taiwan (NSC).  The NSF Division of Chemistry will accept collaborative research proposals in basic research in chemistry, written in English, which establish bilateral collaborations between US investigators and investigators from the countries listed above. 

The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation supports emeritus faculty who maintain active research programs with undergraduates in the chemical sciences. The Senior Scientist Mentor Program provides an award of $20,000 over two years for undergraduate stipends and modest research support. Successful applicants are expected to be closely engaged in a mentoring relationship with undergraduate students. The evaluation will be based on both an assessment of the research proposed and the plans for undergraduate participation in the research. An applicant's history of mentoring undergraduates is favorably viewed. 

The Chemical and Biological Separations (CBS) program supports fundamental research on novel methods and materials for separation processes.  These processes are central to the chemical, biochemical, materials, energy, and pharmaceutical industries.  A fundamental understanding of the interfacial, transport, and thermodynamic behavior of multiphase chemical systems as well as quantitative descriptions of processing characteristics in the process-oriented industries is critical for efficient resource management and effective environmental protection.  The program encourages proposals that address emerging research areas and technologies, have a high degree of interdisciplinary thought coupled with knowledge creation, and integrate education and research.

Due to the ubiquitous presence of catalysis in the many aspects of goods and services impacting our lives, the Catalysis and Biocatalysis program has many potential directions for funding support.  Programs in this area encompass a blend of fundamental and innovative applied research drivers.  All programs are hypothesis-driven, and the experimental programs aimed at resolving the issues frequently combine a variety of approaches.  Chemical engineering and chemistry are intertwined.  Proposals which receive funding in this Program may include any number of the following broad scopes: Catalyst Synthesis, Characterization, Behavior and Performance Kinetics and Mechanisms of Key Catalytic Reactions Catalysis at Surfaces or in Reactor Process Streams Synthesis and Fabrication of Component Materials and Catalyst Composites Modeling and Fundamental Studies of a Catalyst or Catalytic Process Catalysts and Studies for Renewable Energy Systems. These approaches apply equally to classical inorganic or carbon catalysts as well as to enzymatic or biocatalysts.  Specialized materials synthesis procedures may be necessary to provide active catalysts in any of the studies.  Applications-driven studies, such as Biomass conversion catalysis, Electrocatalysis and Photocatalysis, involving energy interconversion devices or systems employing catalysts are highly desired.