Group items tagged

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.

The Mechanics of Materials program supports fundamental research on the behavior of solid materials and respective devices under external actions.?? A diverse and interdisciplinary spectrum of research is supported with emphasis placed on fundamental understanding that i) advances theory, experimental, and/or computational methods in Mechanics of Materials, and/or ii) uses contemporary Mechanics of Materials methods to address modern challenges in material and device mechanics and physics. Proposed research can focus on existing or emerging material systems across time and length scales. Intellectual merit typically includes advances in fundamental understanding of deformation, fracture, fatigue, and contact through constitutive modeling, multiscale and multiphysics analysis, computational methods, or experimental techniques.??Recent interests comprise, but are not limited to:?? contemporary materials including multiphase materials and material systems, soft materials, active materials, low-dimensional materials, phononic/elastic metamaterials, friction, wear;??multiphysics methods, mechanics at the nano, meso and microscale and multiscale integration thereof, as well as approaches incorporating fundamental understanding of physics and chemistry into the continuum-level understanding of the response characteristics of materials and material systems.

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.

The MPM program supports fundamental, hypothesis-driven research on the interrelationship of materials processing, structure, properties, performance and process control. Analytical, experimental, and numerical studies are supported, including novel processing methods for any materials system (metals, polymers, ceramics, hybrids, composites, etc.). Proposed research should include the consideration of cost, performance, and feasibility of scale-up, as appropriate. Research that address multi-scale and/or multi-functional materials systems is encouraged as is research in support of environmentally-benign manufacturing. Collaborative proposals with industry (GOALI) are encouraged. Research on micro-scale (and larger) processes is funded by the MPM program; research on processing at the submicron or nano scale is funded by the Nanomanufacturing (NM) program. Research on solid freeform fabrication processes is funded by the Manufacturing Machines and Equipment (MME) program, as are material removal process proposals such as cutting or grinding. Proposals that focus on research leading to new paradigms of material systems design should consider the Design of Engineering Material Systems (DEMS) program. Proposals that primarily focus on fundamental material composition-structure-property studies, where neither processing nor manufacturing plays a significant role in the proposed work, should be submitted to the Materials and Surface Engineering (MSE) program or to the appropriate program in the DMR division.Investigators wishing to serve on a proposal review panel should email the Program Director with a short biographical sketch, a list of areas of expertise and/or a link to their home page. REU/RET supplement requests should be submitted by March 31 each year.

Fundamental research topics of interest in SusChEM include the replacement of rare, expensive, and/or toxic chemicals/materials with earth-abundant, inexpensive, and benign chemicals/materials; recycling of chemicals/materials that cannot be replaced; development of non-petroleum based sources of important raw materials; the elimination of waste products and enhancement in efficiencies of chemical reactions and processes; discovery of new separation science that will facilitate recycling and production of valuable chemicals/materials; and development and characterization of low cost, sustainable and scalable-manufactured materials with improved properties.

The MoM program supports fundamental research in interdisciplinary solid mechanics.  Emphasis is placed on fundamental understanding that i) advances theory, experimental, and/or computational methods in MoM, and/or ii) uses contemporary MoM methods to address modern challenges in material and device mechanics and physics. Proposed research can focus on existing or emerging material systems across time and length scales; especially of interest are contemporary materials including complex solids, phononic/elastic metamaterials, soft materials, and active materials.  Research is welcome in emerging areas of multiscale methods, nanomechanics, manufacturing mechanics, and areas that incorporate fundamental understanding of physics and chemistry into the continuum-level understanding of solids.

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.

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.

The MSE program supports fundamental research leading to a better understanding of the effect of microstructure, surfaces, and coatings on the properties and performance of engineering materials; and the ultimate control of these properties through material design.  Of particular interest is materials service under conditions such as impact, temperature extremes, corrosion, oxidation, and friction.  The program also supports research leading to biomedical applications of materials.  Funded research includes both experimental and theoretical approaches.

Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) provide sustained support of interdisciplinary materials research and education of the highest quality while addressing fundamental problems in science and engineering. MRSECs address research of a scope and complexity requiring the scale, synergy, and interdisciplinarity provided by a campus-based research center. They support materials research infrastructure in the United States, promote active collaboration between universities and other sectors, including industry and international institutions, and contribute to the development of a national network of university-based centers in materials research, education, and facilities. A MRSEC may be located at a single institution, or may involve multiple institutions in partnership.

Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) provide sustained support of interdisciplinary materials research and education of the highest quality while addressing fundamental problems in science and engineering. MRSECs address research of a scope and complexity requiring the scale, synergy, and interdisciplinarity provided by a campus-based research center. They support materials research infrastructure in the United States, promote active collaboration between universities and other sectors, including industry and international institutions, and contribute to the development of a national network of university-based centers in materials research, education, and facilities. A MRSEC may be located at a single institution, or may involve multiple institutions in partnership.

Individual Warfighter protection against battlefield threats such as ballistics, enemy detection, chemical and biological agents, and IEDs is essential to the continued effectiveness of the fighting force. At the same time, protective materials (clothing/armor, etc.) must also be effective and ensure survival under extremes of environmental (temperature and humidity) conditions without significant sacrifices in Warfighter comfort. Current textile technologies require multiple components to be added to the Warfighter uniform in order to meet these threats. Development of novel multifunctional materials would have significant impact on Warfighter load, increasing their sustainability in the field. In addition to threat survivability, there is a strong interest in the new and growing field of "wearables." The wearables field is of interest insofar as it relates to the integration of electronic capabilities in to textile materials, combat clothing and combat field equipment worn by Warfighters.

The SMM program supports fundamental research on the behavior of civil infrastructure materials and the mechanics of structural components in the built environment.  Of particular interest is research on structural components consisting of natural and synthetic materials, their response to mechanical, hydrothermal, and time-dependent loads, and their impact on life-cycle performance and sustainable development of the civil infrastructure.

DMREF will support activities that accelerate materials discovery and development by building the fundamental knowledge base needed to design and make materials with specific and desired functions or properties from first principles.  This will be accomplished by understanding the interrelationships of composition, structure, properties, processing, and performance.  Achieving this goal will involve modeling, analysis, and computational simulations, validated and verified through sample preparation, characterization, and device demonstration.

The GEOMM program supports fundamental research on the mechanical and engineering properties of geologic materials including natural, mechanically stabilized, and biologically or chemically modified soil and rock.  The program also addresses hydraulic, biological, chemical and thermal processes that affect the behavior of geologic materials.  Research at the micro-scale on soil-structure interaction and liquefaction are included in the scope of this program.  Support is provided for theoretical studies, constitutive and numerical modeling, laboratory, centrifuge, and field testing.  Cross-disciplinary and international collaborations are encouraged.

With this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot Initiative is soliciting collaborative research teams to define and fabricate model systems that utilize a single p-n junction device structure and have the potential to approach Shockley-Queisser power conversion efficiency limits (for a chosen bandgap and absorber material). The emphasis of this FOA is assembling cohesive and highly diverse teams of experts within and outside the PV community who can achieve the goals of creating a model system concept and a subsequent device that can approach theoretical limits. DOE SunShot anticipates significant collaboration between experts in fundamental materials, characterization, device physics, ab-initio simulations, and PV device integration to adequately address these issues.

DARPA's Living Foundries: 1000 Molecules program seeks to build a scalable, integrated, rapid design and prototyping infrastructure for the facile engineering of biology. This infrastructure will enable transformative and currently inaccessible projects to develop advanced chemicals, materials, sensing capabilities, and therapeutics. Furthermore, the infrastructure will provide a flexible, efficient, and continuously improving capability to Department of Defense (DoD) and the engineering biology community. A final proof-of-principle demonstration of capabilities will require rapid design and prototyping centers to generate 1000 novel molecules and chemical building blocks, thus enabling access to radical new materials.

The Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announces its interest in receiving applications from small collaborative groups of investigators for support of combined experimental and theoretical efforts to advance ultrafast chemical and materials science. 

DMR's Office of Special Programs im Materials Research (OSP) coordinates and supports crosscutting activities in DMR and in conjunction with NSF-wide programs, including activities that focus on education, broaden participation of underrepresented groups, or engage participants from several disciplines across the division. Many OSP activities are co-funded with other NSF units. OSP activities include Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET).