OARS funding Engineering

The Design of Engineering Material Systems (DEMS) program supports fundamental research intended to lead to new paradigms of design, development, and insertion of advanced engineering material systems.  Fundamental research that develops and creatively integrates theory, processing/manufacturing, data/informatics, experimental, and/or computational approaches with rigorous engineering design principles, approaches, and tools to enable the accelerated design and development of materials is welcome.    Research proposals are sought that strive to develop systematic scientific methodologies to tailor the behavior of material systems in ways that are driven by performance metrics and incorporate processing/manufacturing.  While an emphasis on a specific material system may be appropriate to provide the necessary project focus, techniques developed should transcend materials systems.  Ultimately it is expected that research outcomes will be methodologies to enable the discovery of materials systems with new properties and behavior, and enable their rapid insertion into engineering systems. Proposals that focus on modeling, simulation, and prediction of material performance (even when research is coupled with experiments for validation or guidance) without an intellectual emphasis on design are not appropriate for this program and should be submitted to other disciplinary programs.

This program supports fundamental research and education that will enable innovative processes for the sustainable production of electricity and transportation fuels.  Processes for sustainable energy production must be environmentally benign, reduce greenhouse gas production, and utilize renewable resources. 

The Environmental Sustainability program supports engineering research with the goal of promoting sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining natural (environmental) systems.  These systems provide ecological services vital for human survival.  The long-term viability of natural capital is critical for many areas of human endeavor.  Research in Environmental Sustainability typically considers long time horizons and may incorporate contributions from the social sciences and ethics. This program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions.  There are four principal general research areas which are supported, but others can be proposed by contacting the program director by email at:  bhamilto@nsf.gov Industrial Ecology Green Engineering Ecological Engineering Earth Systems Engineering

The Materials Engineering and Processing (MEP) program supports fundamental research addressing the interrelationship of materials processing, structure, properties and/or life-cycle performance for targeted applications. Research proposals should be driven by the performance or output of the material system relative to the targeted application(s). Research plans driven by scientific hypotheses are encouraged when suitable. Materials in bulk form or focus on special zones such as surfaces or interfaces that are to be used in structural and/or functional applications are appropriate. All material systems are of interest including polymers, metals, ceramics, semiconductors, composites and hybrids thereof. Analytical, experimental, and numerical studies are supported and collaborative proposals with industry (GOALI) are encouraged.

Projects selected under this FOA will develop characterization tools, technologies, and or methodologies that improve the ability to predict geologic storage capacity within 30 percent, improve the utilization of the reservoir by understanding how faults and fractures in a reservoir affect the flow of CO2, and ensure storage permanence.

The Directorate for Engineering at the National Science Foundation (NSF) has established a partnership with the Fuel Cell Technologies (FCT) Office of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in order to address critical fundamental and applied research challenges associated with advanced technologies for the production of hydrogen fuel via solar water splitting processes. The goal of the partnership is to leverage the complementary missions of applied research, development and demonstration (DOE) and use-inspired fundamental research and education (NSF) to address issues of national importance that impact the sustainable production of fuels using renewable resources.   The Directorate for Engineering seeks proposals with transformative ideas that meet the detailed requirements delineated in this solicitation.

CAREER: The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. Such activities should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from junior faculty members at all CAREER-eligible organizations and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to apply.

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!

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encourages grant applications for national Biomedical Technology Research Resources. These Resources conduct research and development on new technologies and new/improved instruments driven by the needs of basic, translational, and clinical researchers. The Resources are charged to make their technologies available, to train members of the research community in the use of the technologies, and to disseminate these technologies and the Resources experimental results broadly. New applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a pre-application to PAR-14-023. The pre-application process provides feedback regarding the appropriateness for this program and competitiveness of a potential application.

This program supports fundamental research including combined experiment and theory projects in ceramics (e.g., oxides, carbides, nitrides and borides), glass-ceramics, inorganic glasses, ceramic-based composites and inorganic carbon-based materials. The objective of the program is to increase fundamental understanding and to develop predictive capabilities for relating synthesis, processing, and microstructure of these materials to their properties and ultimate performance in various environments and applications. Research to enhance or enable the discovery or creation of new ceramic materials is welcome. Development of new experimental techniques or novel approaches to carry out projects is encouraged. Topics supported include basic processes and mechanisms associated with nucleation and growth of thin films; bulk crystal growth; phase transformations and equilibria; morphology; surface modification; corrosion, interfaces and grain boundary structure; and defects. The microstructures investigated range from crystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous to composite and nanostructured materials. 

The objective of the Air Force Reasearch Laboratory (AFRL) Alternative Energy funding for FY13 is to accelerate the transition of energy efficiency and alternative energy technologies to meet Air Force and the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) Office of Operational Energy Plans and Programs energy goals. The Air Force has received FY13 Research Development Test & Evaluation (RDT&E, 3600) funds for this purpose. The majority of this funding will be awarded to aviation fuel saving efforts at a minimum Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6, such that the technology would be mature enough for consideration in future major acquisition strategies after successful demonstration. A portion of this funding may go to ground based advanced power and alternative energy efforts that are at a TRL 6 or higher to show military utility and promote the need to transition into the USAF's inventory of ground vehicles, aerospace ground support equipment, Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources, and base infrastructure - with an emphasis on energy efficiency and environmental responsibility.

Applicants must choose one of the following categories they feel their project best exemplifies: 1.) Outstanding Emerging Innovation: The winning nominee is a person or company working on the basic research phase of an innovation - for three years or less, pre-commercialization - that has received grant money or outside money and that demonstrates the potential for continued growth and success. 2.) Outstanding Bioscience Innovation: The winning nominee is a company that has achieved a significant milestone in the life sciences, including but not limited to drug therapeutics, medical devices, medical imaging and pharmacogenetics. 3.) Outstanding Information Technology Innovation: The winning nominee is a company that has achieved a significant milestone in information technology, including hardware and software, packaged applications, custom applications and digital media. 4.) Outstanding Marketing Innovation: The winning nominee is a company that has achieved a significant milestone in consumer marketing. 5.) Outstanding Advanced Engineering Innovation: The winning nominee is a company that has achieved a significant milestone in advanced engineering - where technology is used to design a product.

Recognizing disciplinary differences and priorities, NSF's investment in research and development in undergraduate STEM education encompasses a range of approaches. These approaches include: experiential learning, assessment/metrics of learning and practice, scholarships, foundational education research, professional development/institutional change, formal and informal learning environments, and undergraduate disciplinary research. Both individually and integrated in a range of combinations, these approaches can lead to outcomes including: developing the STEM and STEM-related workforce, advancing science, broadening participation in STEM, educating a STEM-literate populace, improving K-12 STEM education, encouraging life-long learning, and building capacity in higher education.

The Directorates for Engineering (Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental & Transport Systems), Geosciences (Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences) and Mathematical and Physical Sciences (Divisions of Astronomical Sciences and Physics) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Office of Science/Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (SC/FES) of the Department of Energy (DOE) are continuing in FY2014 the joint Partnership in Basic Plasma Science and Engineering begun in FY1997 and continued in FY2000, FY2003, FY2006 and FY2009. As stated in the original solicitations (NSF 97-39, NSF 99-159, NSF 02-84, NSF 05-619, NSF 09-596), which are superseded by the present solicitation, the goal of the initiative is to enhance plasma research and education in this broad, multidisciplinary field by coordinating efforts and combining resources of the two agencies. The current solicitation also encourages submission of proposals to perform basic plasma experiments on the Large Aperture Plasma Device (LAPD) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a unique user facility designed to serve the needs of the broader plasma community.

NSF and selected foreign counterpart science and technology agencies sponsor international research institutes for U.S. graduate students in seven East Asia and Pacific locations at times set by the counterpart agencies between June and August each year. The Summer Institutes (EAPSI) operate similarly and the research visits to a particular location take place at the same time. Although applicants apply individually to participate in a Summer Institute, awardees become part of the cohort for each location. Applicants must propose a location, host scientist, and research project that is appropriate for the host site and duration of the international visit. An EAPSI award provides U.S. graduate students in science, engineering, and education: 1) first-hand research experiences in Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, or Taiwan; 2) an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and 3) an orientation to the society, culture, and language. It is expected that EAPSI awards will help students initiate professional relationships to enable future collaboration with foreign counterparts. The NSF award includes participation in the Pre-Departure Orientation, summer stipend of $5,000, and roundtrip airplane ticket to the host location. EAPSI partner agencies pay in-country living expenses during the Summer Institutes.

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 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program stimulates technological innovation in the private sector by strengthening the role of small business concerns in meeting Federal research and development needs, increasing the commercial application of federally supported research results, and fostering and encouraging participation by socially and economically disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses. The topics, listed below, are detailed on the SBIR/STTR topics homepage: Educational Technologies and Applications (EA) Information and Communication Technologies (IC) Semiconductors (S) and Photonic (PH) Devices and Materials Electronic Hardware, Robotics and Wireless Technologies (EW) Advanced Manufacturing and Nanotechnology (MN) Advanced Materials and Instrumentation (MI) Chemical and Environmental Technologies (CT) Biological Technologies (BT) Smart Health (SH) and Biomedical (BM) Technologies

The challenge to the teams competing in Solar Decathlon 2015 is to safely and effectively design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive in less than 24 months. The Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is an educational workforce development program designed to educate university-level students. The Solar Decathlon is also a public outreach demonstration designed to foster greater adoption of clean energy technologies and energy efficiency. 

The Global Innovation Initiative is a joint effort of the United States and the United Kingdom to strengthen global multilateral collaboration through grants to university consortia focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related issues of global significance that foster cutting-edge multinational research and strengthen institutional international partnerships.

The Geospace Section of the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, to ensure the health and vitality of solar and space sciences on university teaching faculties, is pleased to offer awards for the creation of new tenure-track faculty positions within the intellectual disciplines which comprise the space sciences. The aim of these awards is to integrate research topics in solar and space physics into basic physics, astronomy, electrical engineering, geoscience, meteorology, computer science, and applied mathematics programs, and to develop space physics graduate programs capable of training the next generation of leaders in this field. Space Science is interdisciplinary in nature and the Faculty Development in the Space Sciences awardees will be expected to establish partnerships within the university community.