OARS funding Engineering

The U.S. Army Research Office (ARO) in collaboration with the National Security Agency (NSA) is soliciting proposals for research in High Performance Superconducting Qubit Systems. This BAA has two primary goals; (a) substantially improve the fidelity of one and two-qubit operations over current state-of-the-art performance, and (b) design and test qubits with built-in error protection. While proposals that advance both primary goals in an integrated approach are encouraged, proposers may focus on either goal individually, given the state-of-the-art of their approach. There are two types of proposals with different research scopes covered in this announcement: 1. High performance superconducting qubit systems a. High Fidelity 2-qubit gates b. Error protected qubits 2. Key supporting technology to high-performance superconducting qubits

Purpose of Program: The purpose of the RERC program is to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act by conducting advanced engineering research on and development of innovative technologies that are designed to solve particular rehabilitation problems or to remove environmental barriers. RERCs also demonstrate and evaluate such technologies, facilitate service delivery system changes, stimulate the production and distribution of new technologies and equipment in the private sector, and provide training opportunities. NIDILRR seeks to fund an RERC on Technologies to Promote Exercise and Health Among People with Disabilities. This RERC must investigate access to exercise by people with disabilities in both recreational and clinical settings and evaluate the impact of exercise on health outcomes of people with disabilities.

Background A large amount of the research and development of post-combustion carbon capture technology focuses on three main technologies: adsorption, absorption and membranes. Each of these technologies have energy and techno-economic advantages and disadvantages. However, an optimal process may involve the integration of multiple technologies into a single, hybrid, transformative process that is more economical and energy efficient. The challenge of developing this type of process is the integration of rigorous process sub-models into a single framework, where hybrid designs can be evaluated and optimized. The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has significant expertise in the development of rigorous process models and modeling for the advancement and acceleration of the commercialization of carbon capture process systems. A large part of the effort is the Carbon Capture Simulation Initiative (CCSI) [Reference 1]. The computational tools and multi-scale modeling techniques comprising the CCSI Toolset can be broadly applied for the development of a wide variety of technologies well beyond carbon capture including chemicals production, petroleum refining, natural gas processing and biofuel production.

DARPA is soliciting innovative research proposals in the area of advanced design and analysis tools that can establish cyber resiliency as an explicit system property. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) seeks to develop and nurture a national innovation ecosystem that builds upon fundamental research to guide the output to facilitate the application of scientific discoveries closer to the development of technologies, products and processes that benefit society. In order to maintain, strengthen and grow a national innovation ecosystem, NSF has established the Innovation Corps - National Innovation Network Teams Program (I-Corps Teams). The NSF I-Corps Teams Program purpose is to identify NSF-funded researchers who will receive additional support in the form of entrepreneurial education, mentoring and funding to accelerate innovation that can attract subsequent third-party funding. The purpose of the NSF I-Corps Teams grant is to give the project team access to resources to help determine the readiness to transition technology developed by previously-funded or currently funded NSF projects. The outcomes of I-Corps Teams projects will be threefold: 1) a clear go /or no go decision regarding viability of products and services, 2) should the decision be to move the effort forward, a transition plan for those projects to move forward, and 3) a definition of a compelling technology demonstration for potential partners.

The NIOSH Disaster Science Responder Research (DSRR) Program, within Emergency Preparedness and Response Office (EPRO), anticipates that the knowledge resulting from the award made under this announcement will contribute significantly to the evidence base for preparedness, response, and research, and lead to improved operational planning efforts and capabilities for the collection of rapid and reliable occupational exposure via multiple routes (e.g., inhalation, dermal, ingestion, etc.) information for first responders. This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) under the provisions of FAR 35.016 and FAR 6.102(d)(2) which provides for the competitive selection of research proposals.

Future ultra-low-energy computing, storage and signal-processing systems can be built on principles derived from organic systems that are at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and engineering. New information technologies can be envisioned that are based on biological principles and that use biomaterials in the fabrication of devices and components; it is anticipated that these information technologies could enable stored data to be retained for more than 100 years and storage capacity to be 1,000 times greater than current capabilities. These could also facilitate compact computers that will operate with substantially lower power than today's computers. Research in support of these goals can have a significant impact on advanced information processing and storage technologies. This focused solicitation seeks high-risk/high-return interdisciplinary research on novel concepts and enabling technologies that will address the 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, engineering, physics, chemistry, materials science, computer science, and information science that will enable heretofore-unanticipated breakthroughs as well as meet educational goals.

Research Grants: Research grants are available to established scientists of all ages working at accredited institutions in the United States. Applications will be judged on the scientific merit and the innovative aspects of the proposal as well as on the competence of the applicant. Grants-in-Aid: The Grants-in-Aid program is designed for researchers at the assistant professor level who experience difficulty in competing for research funds because they have not yet become firmly established. Grants-in-Aid can also be made to senior scientists. All applications will be judged on the scientific merit and innovative aspects of the proposal, as well as on past performance and evidence of the applicant's continued productivity. Grants-in-Aid are awarded for a one-year period and do not exceed $30,000.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is sponsoring an event (D3) to (1) familiarize attendees with DSO's mission and the nature of the efforts we support; (2) promote understanding of how to do business with DSO and (3) facilitate discussions with potential performers. The event is scheduled for Thursday, June 15, 2017 at the DoubleTree Crystal City (300 Army Navy Drive Arlington, VA 22202); selected sessions will be webcast for those who would like to participate remotely.  Advance registration is required for attending the event in person or for viewing the webcast.

With the goal of encouraging research independence immediately upon obtaining one's first academic position after receipt of the PhD, the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) will award grants to initiate the course of one's independent research. Understanding the critical role of establishing that independence early in one's career, it is expected that funds will be used to support untenured faculty or research scientists (or equivalent) in their first three years in a primary academic position after the PhD, but not more than a total of five years after completion of their PhD. One may not yet have received any other grants or contracts in the Principal Investigator (PI) role from any department, agency, or institution of the federal government, including from the CAREER program or any other program, post-PhD, regardless of the size of the grant or contract, with certain exceptions noted below. Serving as co-PI, Senior Personnel, Postdoctoral Fellow, or other Fellow does not count against this eligibility rule. Grants, contracts, or gifts from private companies or foundations; state, local, or tribal governments; or universities do not count against this eligibility rule.

The goal of the Research in the Formation of Engineers (RFE) program is to advance our understanding of professional formation. It seeks to both deepen our fundamental understanding of the underlying processes and mechanisms that support professional formation and to demonstrate how professional formation is or can be accomplished. Ultimately, RFE aims to transform the engineering formation system. Therefore, the impact of proposed projects on this system must be described in the proposal. Proposers should provide a roadmap detailing how they envision the proposed research will eventually broadly impact practice within the engineering formation system, even if these activities are not within the scope of the submitted proposal.

The goal of the Biological and Environmental Interactions of Nanoscale Materials program is to support research to advance fundamental and quantitative understanding of the interactions of biological and environmental media with nanomaterials and nanosystems. Materials of interest include one- to three-dimensional nanostructures, heterogeneous nano-bio hybrid assemblies, and other nanoparticles. Such nanomaterials and systems frequently exhibit novel physical, chemical, and biological behavior in living systems and environmental matrices as compared to the bulk scale. This program supports research that explores the interaction of nanomaterials in biological and environmental media.    

This solicitation describes an Ideas Lab focused on the Practical Fully-Connected Quantum Computer (PFCQC) challenge. Ideas Labs are intensive meetings that bring together multiple diverse perspectives to focus on finding innovative cross-disciplinary solutions to grand challenge problems. The ultimate aim of this Ideas Lab is to facilitate the development and operation of a practical-scale quantum computer. The aspiration is that bringing together researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds will engender fresh thinking and innovative approaches that will provide a fertile ground for new ideas on the design and fabrication of quantum devices and processors and implementation of quantum information processing algorithms. This will enable the solution of science problems that are currently beyond the reach of modern high-performance computing applications on classical computers. U.S. researchers may submit preliminary proposals for participation in the Ideas Lab only via FastLane. The goal is to form teams of domain scientists and engineers that will develop multidisciplinary ideas that eventually will be submitted as full proposals.

The goals of the Critical Resilient Interdependent Infrastructure Systems and Processes (CRISP) solicitation are to: (1) foster an interdisciplinary research community of engineers, computer and computational scientists and social and behavioral scientists, that creates new approaches and engineering solutions for the design and operation of infrastructures as processes and services; (2) enhance the understanding and design of interdependent critical infrastructure systems (ICIs) and processes that provide essential goods and services despite disruptions and failures from any cause, natural, technological, or malicious; (3) create the knowledge for innovation in ICIs so that they safely, securely, and effectively expand the range of goods and services they enable; and (4) improve the effectiveness and efficiency with which they deliver existing goods and services.

The DREaM program will develop new materials and novel device structures to create RF/millimeter wave transistors that enable high dynamic range RF systems. Such RF systems fundamentally require either high transmitting power to increase the signal strength or high linearity signal reception to minimize the spurs or noise in the spectrum. The DREaM program will dramatically increase the output power density at the transistor level as compared to present GaN technology. In addition, DREaM devices with intrinsically higher linearity will enable circuit and system designs with superior reception at much lower power consumption penalties.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) hereby solicits proposals to manage and operate the Arecibo Observatory (AO). The AO is a multidisciplinary research and education facility. AO's cornerstone research instrument is a 305-meter diameter fixed spherical reflector, located on approximately 120 acres of U.S. Federal Government-owned land near Arecibo, Puerto Rico. AO conducts research in passive radio astronomy, solar system radar astronomy, and space and atmospheric sciences.

The International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program supports development of globally-engaged U.S. science and engineering students capable of performing in an international research environment at the forefront of science and engineering. The IRES program supports active research participation by students enrolled as undergraduates or graduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. IRES projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the IRES program.

Over the years, NASA has invested heavily in the development and execution of an extensive array of space astrophysics missions. The magnitude and scope of the archival data from those missions enables science that transcends traditional wavelength regimes and allows researchers to answer questions that would be difficult, if not impossible, to address through an individual observing program. To capitalize on this invaluable asset and enhance the scientific return on NASA mission investments, the Astrophysics Data Analysis Program (ADAP) provides support for investigations whose focus is on the analysis of archival data from NASA space astrophysics missions.

It is NASA's intent to update these foci and compete this element on an annual basis to best address scientific and programmatic priorities: 1. High-End Computing for ESI: Research advancing the use of High-End Computing (HEC) resources to answer specific questions in solid-Earth science. This subsection welcomes proposals addressing observational network design and augmentation, automated processing of large datasets, and advanced analysis and simulation. Proposals that demonstrate a clear need and robust plan for use of NASA HEC resources are especially encouraged. 2. Geomagnetic Research: Research that utilizes remotely sensed geomagnetic observations to further advance our understanding of the solid Earth. 3. Strengthening ESI Community Knowledge and Skills: New ESI-relevant activities that strengthen knowledge and skills of graduate students and/or postdoctoral researchers and broaden community awareness of the ESI mission. Prospective proposers are encouraged to contact the program point of contact to discuss the relevance of their proposal.