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The Communications, Circuits, and Sensing-Systems (CCSS) Program is intended to spur visionary systems-oriented activities in collaborative, multidisciplinary, and integrative engineering research. CCSS supports systems research in hardware, signal processing techniques, and architectures to enable the next generation of cyber-physical systems (CPS) that leverage computation, communication, and algorithms integrated with physical domains. CCSS supports innovative research and integrated educational activities in micro- and nano- electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), communications and sensing systems, and cyber-physical systems. The goal is to design, develop, and implement new complex and hybrid systems at all scales, including nano and macro, that lead to innovative engineering principles and solutions for a variety of application domains including, but not limited to, healthcare, medicine, environmental and biological monitoring, communications, disaster mitigation, homeland security, intelligent transportation, manufacturing, energy, and smart buildings. CCSS also supports integration technologies at both intra- and inter- chip levels, new and advanced radio frequency (RF), millimeter wave and optical wireless and hybrid communications systems architectures, and sensing and imaging at terahertz (THz) frequencies.

The Communications, Circuits, and Sensing-Systems (CCSS) Program is intended to spur visionary systems-oriented activities in collaborative, multidisciplinary, and integrative engineering research. CCSS supports systems research in hardware, signal processing techniques, and architectures to enable the next generation of cyber-physical systems (CPS) that leverage computation, communication, and algorithms integrated with physical domains. CCSS supports innovative research and integrated educational activities in micro- and nano- electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), communications and sensing systems, and cyber-physical systems. The goal is to design, develop, and implement new complex and hybrid systems at all scales, including nano and macro, that lead to innovative engineering principles and solutions for a variety of application domains including, but not limited to, healthcare, medicine, environmental and biological monitoring, communications, disaster mitigation, homeland security, intelligent transportation, manufacturing, energy, and smart buildings. CCSS also supports integration technologies at both intra- and inter- chip levels, new and advanced radio frequency (RF), millimeter wave and optical wireless and hybrid communications systems architectures, and sensing and imaging at terahertz (THz) frequencies.

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 High Priority (HP) Grant Program is a discretionary (i.e., competitive) program which provides financial assistance to: 1)advance the technological capability and promote HP Innovative Technology Deployment (HP-ITD) to include the deployment of intelligent transportation system (i.e., formerly CVISN) applications for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operations, including CMVs, commercial drivers, and carrier-specific information systems/networks; to support/maintain CMV information systems/networks; to link Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) information systems with State CMV information systems; to improve the safety and productivity of CMVs and commercial drivers; to reduce costs associated with CMV operations and Federal and State CMV regulatory requirements; and/or 2)carry out HP-CMV Safety activities and projects that augment motor carrier safety activities and projects planned in accordance with the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) including projects related to Performance and Registration Information Systems Management (PRISM) and Safety Data Quality (SaDIP).

NineSigma, representing a leading company in water treatment and processing, invites proposals for technologies that enable a non-phosphorus (non-P), non-metal (no Zn, Sn, or Mo) solution for prevention of carbon steel corrosion in open-loop water cooling systems. The proposed system must perform as well as current benchmark chemical programs containing phosphorus and zinc for corrosion control. The focus of this RFP is on breakthrough technology to match growing market needs in environmentally friendly treatment approaches for corrosive waters that require improved localized corrosion control.  The technology must: Enable system owners to discharge cooling tower blowdown directly to environments without further treatment expense Assist system owners to maintain reliable production and preserve assets with robust corrosion control without seriously compromising simultaneous control of both mineral scaling and microbial growth. Help system owners comply with corporate environmental objectives by selecting green cooling water treatment solutions (e.g. without phosphorus compounds and proscribed metals such Zn, Sn, and Mo)

The U.S. Army Research Office (ARO) in partnership with the National Security Agency (NSA) is soliciting proposals for research in Trapped Ion Qubits. This BAA has three research goals; (a) substantially reduce noise levels detrimental to high fidelity gates in trapped ion systems and to improve the stability of these gates once achieved; (b) explore novel quantum information encoding schemes and/or entanglement generation schemes with trapped ion systems; (c) development of critical supporting technology required for successful highly stable high fidelity trapped ion systems. Proposals are sought that address one of the three BAA goals: 1. Highly stable high fidelity trapped ion systems 2. Novel encoding and entanglement generation schemes 3. Key supporting technology to enable highly stable high fidelity trapped ion systems

The NSF ADVANCE program provides grants to enhance the systemic factors that support equity and inclusion and to mitigate the systemic factors that create inequities in the academic profession and workplaces. Systemic (or organizational) inequities may exist in areas such as policy and practice as well as in organizational culture and climate. For example, practices in academic departments that result in the inequitable allocation of service or teaching assignments may impede research productivity, delay advancement, and create a culture of differential treatment and rewards. Similarly, policies and procedures that do not mitigate implicit bias in hiring, tenure, and promotion decisions could lead to women and racial and ethnic minorities being evaluated less favorably, perpetuating historical under-participation in STEM academic careers and contributing to an academic climate that is not inclusive. All NSF ADVANCE proposals are expected to use intersectional approaches in the design of systemic change strategies in recognition that gender, race and ethnicity do not exist in isolation from each other and from other categories of social identity. The solicitation includes four funding tracks: Institutional Transformation (IT), Adaptation, Partnership, and Catalyst, in support of the NSF ADVANCE program goal to broaden the implementation of systemic strategies that promote equity for STEM faculty in academic workplaces and the academic profession.

The large energy consumption associated with space heating and cooling is primarily driven by the need to provide a comfortable range of temperatures to the building?s occupants. In practice the ?dead-band? is usually between 71 and 75oF , the temperature range between set points where no action is taken by the building?s heating and cooling systems. This practice is tighter than the ANSI/ASHRAE standards with acceptable target temperatures within appropriate humidity levels of 68?F during the heating season and 76?F during the cooling season, which is de emed satisfactory for 80% of the occupants. Due to the potential for large energy savings, there is ongoing research to improve building heating and cooling efficiency; expanding the dead-band can significantly reduce energy use. In order to enable this strategy of expanding the dead-band, local, in particular, personal environmental control is necessary to ensure an occupant?s thermal comfort. In the context of building energy consumption, the occupants have largely been treated as static thermal objects. However, work has been undertaken for advancing personal comfort systems. Personal garments are part of the thermal comfort system for an individual. Little effort has been devoted to developing adaptive clothing solutions to improve the thermal comfort of building occupants that would enable an expansion of the dead-band and reduction in building energy consumption. ARPA-E is thus seeking input from the broad research and development community with regard to developing personal comfort systems, in particular, advanced clothing and textiles, to enable a wider temperature set point range for buildings while maintaining or improving personal thermal comfort.

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.

This ROSES NRA (NNH16ZDA001N) solicits basic and applied research in support of NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD). This NRA covers all aspects of basic and applied supporting research and technology in space and Earth sciences, including, but not limited to: theory, modeling, and analysis of SMD science data; aircraft, scientific balloon, sounding rocket, International Space Station, CubeSat and suborbital reusable launch vehicle investigations; development of experiment techniques suitable for future SMD space missions; development of concepts for future SMD space missions; development of advanced technologies relevant to SMD missions; development of techniques for and the laboratory analysis of both extraterrestrial samples returned by spacecraft, as well as terrestrial samples that support or otherwise help verify observations from SMD Earth system science missions; determination of atomic and composition parameters needed to analyze space data, as well as returned samples from the Earth or space; Earth surface observations and field campaigns that support SMD science missions; development of integrated Earth system models; development of systems for applying Earth science research data to societal needs; and development of applied information systems applicable to SMD objectives and data

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. 

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.

The Mechanics of Materials and Structures program supports fundamental research in mechanics as related to the behavior of deformable solid materials and respective structures under internal and external actions. A diverse and interdisciplinary spectrum of research is supported with emphasis on research that leads to advances in i) theory, experimental, and/or computational methods in mechanics, and/or ii) uses contemporary mechanics methods to address modern challenges in materials and structures. Proposed research can focus on existing or emerging materials and structural systems, across time and length scales. Proposals related to material response are welcome, and would propose, but not limited to, advances in fundamental understanding of deformation, fracture, fatigue, as well as on contact and friction through constitutive modeling, multi-scale (spatial or temporal) and multi-physics analysis, computational methods, or experimental techniques. Proposals that relate to structural response are welcome and would propose, but not limited to, advances in the understanding of nonlinear deformation, instability and collapse in the context of large deformation, wave propagation, multi-scale (spatial or temporal) and multi-physics analysis, computational methods, or experimental techniques. Proposals at the intersection or considerate of the integration of material and structure (such as, but not limited to, metamaterials, hierarchical, microarchitectured and low-dimensional materials) are especially welcome. Of particular interest are research questions that address the integration and combination of geometry, topology of material distributions, lengthscales and deformation/failure mechanics. Within this context, the challenge of the notion of what constitutes a ??material?? or a ??structure?? is expected to lead to unique opportunities in terms of analysis and experimentation of novel response characteristics. While the research results should contribute to ultimatel

The Client is engaged in the development of high-throughput inspection systems for hazardous materials (explosives and/or illegal drugs), to be used at airports, etc. These inspection systems consist of a mechanism to collect particulate matters of explosives or drugs that are attached to inspection targets such as pieces of luggage or clothing, and a sensor to inspect the collected particulate matters. The development of a particulate matter collecting system has been completed, as has been the development of a high-speed, high-accuracy sensor for the detection mechanism. However, lower-cost sensors are needed for the development of less expensive versions of the system with priority given to the cost over the accuracy, intended for use in developing countries.

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 objectives of the Distributed RF Sensing (DRS) are to conduct cutting edge R&D of RF system and sub-system technology concepts to provide next-gen radio frequency (RF) sensing technologies to external customers and the warfighter with the technology required for enduring success. These objectives include: · Development and demonstration of advanced sensor models, concepts, and technologies in existing and emerging RF intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) sensor systems · Improvement of active and passive RF sensor operation in stressing interference environments and against advanced and non-conventional targets and threats · Development of target and environment RF scattering theory, computational electromagnetics, and radar measurements for efficient and accurate simulations of advanced radar operations in complex interference environments · Perform extensive modeling and simulation, algorithm development, data analysis, experimentation, and validation to assess promising technologies, evaluate advanced concepts and ensure appropriate system-level trades are balanced as technology is matured · Conduct radar measurements and experiments for validation and verification purposes

In 2010, NSF established the Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES)1 investment area to lay the research foundation for decision capabilities and technologies aimed at mitigating and adapting to environmental changes that threaten sustainability. Some SEES investments advanced a systems-based approach to understanding, predicting, and reacting to stress upon, and changes in, the linked natural, social, and built environments. In this context, the importance of understanding the interconnected and interdependent systems involving food, energy, and water (FEW) has emerged. The NSF aims to specifically focus on advancing knowledge of the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles; the production and use of fertilizers for food production; and the detection, separation, and reclamation/recycling of nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing species in and from complex aqueous environments.

In 2010, NSF established the Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES)1 investment area to lay the research foundation for decision capabilities and technologies aimed at mitigating and adapting to environmental changes that threaten sustainability. Some SEES investments advanced a systems-based approach to understanding, predicting, and reacting to stress upon, and changes in, the linked natural, social, and built environments. In this context, the importance of understanding the interconnected and interdependent systems involving food, energy, and water (FEW) has emerged. The NSF aims to specifically focus on advancing knowledge of the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles; the production and use of fertilizers for food production; and the detection, separation, and reclamation/recycling of nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing species in and from complex aqueous environments.

The goal of the Particulate and Multiphase Processes (PMP) program is to support fundamental research on physico-chemical phenomena that govern particulate and multiphase systems, including flow of suspensions, drops and bubbles, granular and granular-fluid flows, behavior of micro- and nanostructured fluids, and self-assembly/directed-assembly processes that involve particulates. The program encourages transformative research to improve our basic understanding of particulate and multiphase processes with emphasis on research that demonstrates how particle-scale phenomena affect the behavior and dynamics of larger-scale systems. Although proposed research should focus on fundamentals, a clear vision is required that anticipates how results could benefit important applications in advanced manufacturing, energy harvesting, transport in biological systems, biotechnology, or environmental sustainability. Collaborative and interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged, especially those that involve a combination of experiment with theory or modeling.

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.Areas of interest include: Functional Materials - materials that possess native properties and functions that can be controlled by external forces such as temperature, light, electric field, pH, etc. These include materials that exhibit properties such as electronic, magnetic, piezoelectric, ferroelectric, photovoltaic, chromogenic, shape memory, thermoelectric or self-healing, etc. Structural Materials - materials that, in service, bear mechanical load. Length scales from nano to meso to macro are of interest as are materials in the bulk or in special configuration such as thin film. These include materials such as metals, polymers, composites, biomaterials, ceramics, hybrids, cement, etc. Materials Processing - processes that convert material into useful form as either intermediate or final composition. These include processes such as extrusion, molding, casting, deposition, sintering, printing, etc. Research that addresses multi-scale and/or multi-functional materials systems is encouraged as is research in support of environmentally-benign manufacturing.

In 2013, a new NSF-funded petascale computing system, Blue Waters, was deployed at the University of Illinois.  The goal of this project and system is to open up new possibilities in science and engineering by providing computational capability that makes it possible for investigators to tackle much larger and more complex research challenges across a wide spectrum of domains.  The purpose of this solicitation is to invite research groups to submit requests for allocations of resources on the Blue Waters system. Proposers must show a compelling science or engineering challenge that will require petascale computing resources. Proposers must also be prepared to demonstrate that they have a science or engineering research problem that requires and can effectively exploit the petascale computing  capabilities offered by Blue Waters.  Proposals from or including junior researchers are encouraged, as one of the goals of this solicitation is to build a community capable of using petascale computing.

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.