The goal of the Energy for Sustainability program is to support fundamental engineering research that will enable innovative processes for the sustainable production of electricity and fuels, and for energy storage. Processes for sustainable energy production must be environmentally benign, reduce greenhouse gas production, and utilize renewable resources. Research projects that stress molecular level understanding of phenomena that directly impacts key barriers to improved system level performance (e.g. energy efficiency, product yield, process intensification) are encouraged. Proposed research should be inspired by the need for economic and impactful conversion processes. All proposals should include in the project description, how the proposed work, if successful, will improve process realization and economic feasibility and compare the proposed work against current state-of-the-art. Highly integrated multidisciplinary projects are encouraged.
The Nano-Biosensing Program supports innovative, transformative, and insightful fundamental investigations of original technologies with broad long-term impact. The program also supports fundamental development of applications that require novel use of nano-scale bio-inspired engineering principles and approaches that will meet the engineering and technology needs of the nation. The program is targeting research in the area of the monitoring, identification and/or quantification of biological signals and is particularly interested in projects at the intersection of engineering, life sciences, and information technology. Projects submitted to the Program must advance both engineering and life sciences.
Proposals outside of these specific interest areas are welcome. In particular, the Interfacial Processing and Thermodynamics Program and the Nano-Biosensing Program may jointly support novel projects related to surface functionalization at the molecular level.
The goal of this program is to advance the field of electronics and photonics through basic, potentially transformative materials science research. The scope of the program encompasses the discovery and understanding of materials and material combinations with potential for major technological advantages. Program focus is on identification and understanding of fundamental atomic and molecular level mechanisms and phenomena associated with synthesis and processing of electronic and photonic materials. High risk, high payoff research is encouraged. For example, novel materials are sought that may offer new paradigms in critical computing and communications components, or enable low cost, highly efficient, and stable photovoltaics, solid state lighting, and displays. Research topics include, but are not limited to, nucleation and growth of thin films and nanostructures; self-assembly; nanostructure definition and etching processes; interface bonding and structure; crystal and interface defects; doping; bulk crystal growth; and interrelationships between synthesis/processing, structure, and properties.
The Division of Physics (PHY) supports physics research and education in the nation's colleges and universities across a broad range of physics disciplines that span scales of space and time from the largest to the smallest and the oldest to the youngest. The Division is comprised of disciplinary programs covering experimental and theoretical research in the following major subfields of physics: Accelerator Science; Atomic, Molecular, Optical and Plasma Physics; Computational Physics; Elementary Particle Physics; Gravitational Physics; Nuclear Physics; Particle Astrophysics; Physics of Living Systems; Quantum Information Science; Education and Interdisciplinary Research.
The Energy, Power, and Adaptive Systems (EPAS) program invests in the design and analysis of intelligent and adaptive engineering networks, including sensing, imaging, controls, and computational technologies for a variety of application domains. EPAS places emphasis on electric power networks and grids, including generation, transmission and integration of renewable, sustainable and distributed energy systems; high power electronics and drives; and understanding of associated regulatory and economic structures. Topics of interest include alternate energy sources, the Smart Grid, and interdependencies of critical infrastructure in power and communications. The program also places emphasis on energy scavenging and alternative energy technologies, including solar cells, ocean waves, wind, and low-head hydro. In addition, the program supports innovative test beds, and laboratory and curriculum development to integrate research and education. EPAS invests in adaptive dynamic programming, brain-like networked architectures performing real-time learning, neuromorphic engineering, telerobotics, and systems theory. The program supports distributed control of multi-agent systems with embedded computation for sensor and adaptive networks. EPAS provides additional emphasis on emerging areas, such as quantum systems engineering, quantum and molecular modeling and simulation of devices and systems.
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
The Electronics, Photonics, and Magnetic Devices (EPMD) program seeks to improve the fundamental understanding of devices and components based on the principles of micro- and nanoelectronics, photonics, magnetics, optoelectronics, electromechanics, electromagnetics, and related physical phenomena. The program enables discovery and innovation advancing the frontiers of nanoelectronics, spin electronics, molecular and organic electronics, bioelectronics, non-silicon electronics, flexible electronics, microwave photonics, micro/nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), sensors and actuators, power electronics, and mixed signal devices. EPMD supports related topics in quantum engineering and novel electromagnetic materials-based high frequency device solutions, radio frequency (RF) integrated circuits, and reconfigurable antennas needed for communications, telemedicine, and other wireless applications. The program supports cooperative efforts with the semiconductor industry on new nanoelectronics concepts beyond the scaling limits of silicon technology. EPMD additionally emphasizes emerging areas of diagnostic, wearable and implantable devices, and supports manipulation and measurement with nanoscale precision through new approaches to extreme ultraviolet metrology.
CMMT supports theoretical and computational materials research in the topical areas represented in DMR's Topical Materials Research Programs (these are also variously known as Individual Investigator Award (IIA) Programs, or Core Programs, or Disciplinary Programs), which include: Condensed Matter Physics (CMP), Biomaterials (BMAT), Ceramics (CER), Electronic and Photonic Materials (EPM), Metals and Metallic Nanostructures (MMN), Polymers (POL), and Solid State and Materials Chemistry (SSMC). The CMMT program supports fundamental research that advances conceptual understanding of hard and soft materials, and materials-related phenomena; the development of associated analytical, computational, and data-centric techniques; and predictive materials-specific theory, simulation, and modeling for materials research.Research may encompass the advance of new paradigms in materials research, including emerging data-centric approaches utilizing data-analytics or machine learning. Computational efforts span from the level of workstations to advanced and high-performance scientific computing. Emphasis is on approaches that begin at the smallest appropriate length scale, such as electronic, atomic, molecular, nano-, micro-, and mesoscale, required to yield fundamental insight into material properties, processes, and behavior, to predict new materials and states of matter, and to reveal new materials phenomena. Approaches that span multiple scales of length and time may be required to advance fundamental understanding of materials properties and phenomena, particularly for polymeric materials and soft matter.
On the occasion of its 350th anniversary, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany will fund innovative projects in applied biophysical & analytical research.
Projects will be based on the following challenges:
· Challenge 1: Analytical technologies for antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates, as well as technologies to determine drug target engagement, or the level of protein or nucleic acid or metabolic biomarkers.
· Challenge 2: Analytical technologies for display materials or semiconductors (Liquid Crystals, OLED Materials, Quantum Materials, Reactive Mesogens, Photoresist Materials). E.g. Spectroscopic Methods, MS Hyphenation, Capillary Chromatography and Comprehensive Separation Technologies; Surface analytics for displays (non- or destructive), Sample preparation techniques for ultra-sensitive investigations
· Challenge 3: Analytical technologies for the characterization of polymers, chemical imaging, bioanalytical methods or new methods in molecular biology. Technologies of interest for example are: field flow floractionation (FFF), dynamic light scattering (DLS), chemical imaging, new chromatographic techniques, spectroscopic and spectrometric methods, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), microwave analytics
The Human Cell Atlas (HCA) is a global effort to create a reference map of all cell types in the human body. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the Helmsley Charitable Trust are pleased to announce continued support for the Human Cell Atlas by collaborating on two new funding mechanisms that the community can access through a single application portal. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative seeks to continue the work of the HCA community with a focus on interdisciplinary work and collaboration through the formation of 3 year Seed Networks. The Helmsley Charitable Trust welcomes applications that will construct a detailed atlas of the human gut.
Project Specifications
This Request for Applications (RFA) seeks to support the continued growth of nascent projects and to incubate new networks. The Seed Networks should generate new tools, open source analysis methods, and significant contributions of diverse data types to the Human Cell Atlas Data Coordination Platform. Applications should have a primary focus on the healthy tissues that will contribute to a reference atlas.
Seed Networks
Seed Networks should consist of at least three principal investigators, including at least one computational biologist or software engineer, together with additional computational biologists, engineers, experimental biologists, and/or physicians. CZI Seed Networks aim to support foundational tools and resources for the HCA and will not require a gut component in the application.
CZI Seed Network Grants have four overarching scientific goals:
- Build and support networks of collaborating scientists and engineers;
- Contribution of high-quality data to v1.0 of the HCA;
- Development of new technologies and benchmark data sets, particularly those anchored in spatial as well as molecular information;
- Support of computational biology within the Human Cell Atlas community.
CIFAR invites exceptional early career researchers to join CIFAR's global network of 370 researchers from 18 countries who together are pursuing answers to some of the most complex challenges facing the world today. The CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars program provides funding, skills training, mentorship, and opportunities to collaborate with outstanding colleagues from diverse disciplines to position scholars as leaders and agents of change within academia and beyond.
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars receive:
* $100,000 CDN in unrestricted research support
* A two-year membership to a CIFAR research program, with outstanding research leaders from across disciplines. Learn what it's like to be a CIFAR Fellow
* Specialized leadership and communication skills training
Applicants can be from anywhere in the world, must hold a PhD (or equivalent) and be within the first five years of a full-time academic appointment. Please note that postdoctoral fellows are not eligible to apply to the program. Scholars' research interests must be aligned with the themes of an eligible CIFAR research program.
In 2018, the eligible programs are:
* Azrieli Program in Brain, Mind & Consciousness
* Bio-Inspired Solar Energy
* Gravity & the Extreme Universe
* Humans & the Microbiome
* Molecular Architecture of Life
This effort is an open 2 Step BAA soliciting innovative research concepts for the overall mission of the Human-Centered Intelligence, Surveillance, & Reconnaissance (ISR) Division (711 HPW/RHX). The overall RHX research objective is to develop human-centered S&T that enables the Air Force to more effectively execute the ISR mission. This research objective is dual natured: (1) improve the capability to identify, track and locate human targets in the ISR environment and (2) improve the performance of humans who process, exploit, analyze, produce, and disseminate the ISR data and information. Human-centered ISR research encompasses three major research areas: (1) human signatures, (2) human trust and interaction and (3) human analyst augmentation. The human signatures research develops technologies to sense and exploit human bio-signatures at both the molecular level and macro (anthropometric) level. The human trust and interaction research develops technologies to improve human-to-human interactions as well as human-to- machine interactions. The human analyst augmentation research develops technologies to enhance analyst performance and to test the efficacy of newly developed technologies within a simulated operational environment.
The HFSP supports novel, innovative and interdisciplinary basic research focused on the complex mechanisms of living organisms; topics range from molecular and cellular approaches to systems and cognitive neuroscience and the interactions between organisms. A clear emphasis is placed on novel collaborations that bring biologists together with scientists from fields such as physics, mathematics, chemistry, computer science and engineering to focus on problems at the frontier of the life sciences.
Research supported by the Division of Materials Research (DMR) focuses on advancing 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. The Division supports research and education activities in the United States through funding of individual investigators, teams, centers, facilities, and instrumentation. Projects supported by DMR are essential for the development of future technologies and industries that meet societal needs, as well preparation of the next generation of materials researchers.
The BMMB Program supports fundamental research in biomechanics and mechanobiology. An emphasis is placed on multiscale mechanics approaches in the study of organisms that integrate across molecular, cell, tissue, and organ domains. The influence of in vivo mechanical forces on cell and matrix biology in the histomorphogenesis, maintenance, regeneration, and aging of tissues is an important concern. In addition, the relationships between mechanical behavior and extracellular matrix composition and organization are of interest. Funded projects may include theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches. The program encourages the consideration of diverse living tissues as smart materials that are self-designing.
The Catalysis program is part of the Chemical Process Systems cluster, which also includes: 1) the Electrochemical Systems program; 2) the Interfacial Engineering program; and 3) the Process Systems, Reaction Engineering, and Molecular Thermodynamics program. The goals of the Catalysis program are to increase fundamental understanding in catalytic engineering science and to advance the development of catalytic materials and reactions that are beneficial to society. Research in this program should focus on new concepts for catalytic materials and reactions, utilizing synthetic, theoretical, and experimental approaches. Target applications include fuels, specialty and bulk chemicals, environmental catalysis, biomass conversion to fuels and chemicals, conversion of greenhouse gases, and generation of solar hydrogen, as well as efficient routes to energy utilization. Heterogeneous catalysis represents the main thrust of the program. Proposals related to both gas-solid and liquid-solid heterogeneous catalysis are welcome, as are proposals that incorporate concepts from homogeneous catalysis. Topic areas that are of particular interest include: · Renewable energy-related catalysis with applications in electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, and catalytic conversion of biomass-derived chemicals. Catalysis aimed at closing the carbon cycle (especially conversion of CO2, methane, and natural gas to fuels and chemical intermediates). · Catalytic alternatives to traditionally non-catalytic reaction processes, as well as new catalyst designs for established catalytic processes. · Environmental catalysis (including energy-efficient and green routes to fuels and chemicals). ·
The Electrochemical Systems program is part of the Chemical Process Systems cluster, which also includes: 1) the Catalysis program; 2) the Interfacial Engineering program; and 3) the Process Systems, Reaction Engineering, and Molecular Thermodynamics program. The goal of the Electrochemical Systems program is to support fundamental engineering research that will enable innovative processes involving electro- or photochemistry for the sustainable production of electricity, fuels, and chemicals. Processes for sustainable energy and chemical production must be scalable, environmentally benign, reduce greenhouse gas production, and utilize renewable resources. Research projects that stress fundamental understanding of phenomena that directly impact key barriers to improved system or component-level performance (for example, energy efficiency, product yield, process intensification) are encouraged. Processes for energy storage should address fundamental research barriers for the applications of renewable electricity storage or for transport propulsion. For projects concerning energy storage materials, proposals should involve hypotheses that involve device or component performance characteristics that are tied to fundamental understanding of transport, kinetics, or thermodynamics. Advanced chemistries are encouraged. Proposed research should be inspired by the need for economic and impactful conversion processes. All proposal project descriptions should address how the proposed work, if successful, will improve process realization and economic feasibility and compare the proposed work against current state of the art. Highly integrated multidisciplinary projects are encouraged.
The National Science Foundation (NSF), through its Divisions of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS), Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF), Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB), and Materials Research (DMR) announces a follow-up solicitation on the Semiconductor Synthetic Biology for Information Storage and Retrieval Program (SemiSynBio-II). Future ultra-low energy storage-based computing systems can be built on principles derived from organic systems that are at the intersection of physics, chemistry, biology, computer science and engineering. Next-generation information storage technologies can be envisioned that are driven by biological principles and use biomaterials in the fabrication of devices and systems that can store data for more than 100 years with storage capacity 1,000 times more than current storage technologies. Such a research effort can have a significant impact on the future of information storage and retrieval technologies. This focused solicitation seeks high-risk/high-return interdisciplinary research on novel concepts and enabling technologies that will address the fundamental scientific issues and technological challenges associated with the underpinnings of synthetic biology integrated with semiconductor technology. This research will foster interactions among various disciplines including biology, physics, chemistry, materials science, computer science and engineering that will enable in heretofore unanticipated breakthroughs.
The National Science Foundation (NSF), through its Divisions of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS), Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF), Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB), and Materials Research (DMR) announces a follow-up solicitation on the Semiconductor Synthetic Biology for Information Storage and Retrieval Program (SemiSynBio-II). Future ultra-low energy storage-based computing systems can be built on principles derived from organic systems that are at the intersection of physics, chemistry, biology, computer science and engineering. Next-generation information storage technologies can be envisioned that are driven by biological principles and use biomaterials in the fabrication of devices and systems that can store data for more than 100 years with storage capacity 1,000 times more than current storage technologies. Such a research effort can have a significant impact on the future of information storage and retrieval technologies. This focused solicitation seeks high-risk/high-return interdisciplinary research on novel concepts and enabling technologies that will address the fundamental scientific issues and technological challenges associated with the underpinnings of synthetic biology integrated with semiconductor technology. This research will foster interactions among various disciplines including biology, physics, chemistry, materials science, computer science and engineering that will enable in heretofore unanticipated breakthroughs.
This funding opportunity supports projects that test whether modifying electrophysiological patterns during behavior can improve cognitive, affective, or social processing. Applications must use experimental designs that incorporate active manipulations to address at least one, and ideally more, of the following topics: (1) in animals or humans, determine which parameters of neural coordination, when manipulated in isolation, improve particular aspects of cognitive, affective, or social processing; (2) in animals or humans, determine how particular abnormalities at the genomic, molecular, or cellular levels affect the systems-level coordination of electrophysiological patterns during behavior; (3) determine whether in vivo, systems-level electrophysiological changes in behaving animals predict analogous electrophysiological and cognitive improvements in healthy persons or clinical populations; and (4) use biologically-realistic computational models that include systems-level aspects to understand the function and mechanisms by which oscillatory and other electrophysiological patterns unfold across the brain to impact cognitive, affective, or social processing.
