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The Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) supports fundamental research on populations, species, communities, and ecosystems. Scientific emphases range across many evolutionary and ecological patterns and processes at all spatial and temporal scales. Areas of research include biodiversity, phylogenetic systematics, molecular evolution, life history evolution, natural selection, ecology, biogeography, ecosystem structure, function and services, conservation biology, global change, and biogeochemical cycles. Research on organismal origins, functions, relationships, interactions, and evolutionary history may incorporate field, laboratory, or collection-based approaches; observational or manipulative experiments; synthesis activities; as well as theoretical approaches involving analytical, statistical, or computational modeling.

Description: The Communications, Circuits, and Sensing-Systems (CCSS) Program supports innovative research in circuit and system hardware and signal processing techniques. CCSS also supports system and network architectures for communications and sensing to enable the next-generation cyber-physical systems (CPS) that leverage computation, communication, and sensing integrated with physical domains. CCSS invests in micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), physical, chemical, and biological sensing systems, neurotechnologies, and communication & sensing circuits and systems. The goal is to create new complex and hybrid systems ranging from nano- to macro-scale with innovative engineering principles and solutions for a variety of applications including but not limited to healthcare, medicine, environmental and biological monitoring, communications, disaster mitigation, homeland security, intelligent transportation, manufacturing, energy, and smart buildings. CCSS encourages research proposals based on emerging technologies and applications for communications and sensing such as high-speed communications of terabits per second and beyond, sensing and imaging covering microwave to terahertz frequencies, personalized health monitoring and assistance, secured wireless connectivity and sensing for the Internet of Things, and dynamic-data-enabled autonomous systems through real-time sensing and learning.

The Science of Science & Innovation Policy (SciSIP) program supports research designed to advance the scientific basis of science and innovation policy. Research funded by the program thus develops, improves and expands models, analytical tools, data and metrics that can be applied in the science policy decision making process. For example, research proposals may develop behavioral and analytical conceptualizations, frameworks or models that have applications across a broad array of SciSIP challenges, including the relationship between broader participation and innovation or creativity. Proposals may also develop methodologies to analyze science and technology data, and to convey the information to a variety of audiences. Researchers are also encouraged to create or improve science and engineering data, metrics and indicators reflecting current discovery, particularly proposals that demonstrate the viability of collecting and analyzing data on knowledge generation and innovation in organizations. Among the many research topics supported are:examinations of the ways in which the contexts, structures and processes of science and engineering research are affected by policy decision, the evaluation of the tangible and intangible returns from investments in science and from investments in research and development, the study of structures and processes that facilitate the development of usable knowledge, theories of creative processes and their transformation into social and economic outcomes, the collection, analysis and visualization of new data describing the scientific and engineering enterprise. The SciSIP program invites the participation of researchers from all of the social, behavioral and economic sciences as well as those working in domain-specific applications such as chemistry, biology, physics, or nanotechnology. The program welcomes proposals for individual or multi-investigator research projects, doctoral dissertation improvement awards, conferences, wo

The objective of this award is to provide non-salary funds for new and established investigators to research and develop new devices, design and test a significant improvement to an existing technology, develop a new diagnostic, develop a novel research method technology, and/or investigate the application of nanotechnology or methodologies such as computational biology to the field of gastroenterology.

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 Theoretical Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics (TAMOP) program supports theoretical and computational research in all areas of atomic structure, the molecular structure of small molecules, electron, and atomic collisions, photoionization and photodetachment of electrons from atoms and small molecules, time-dependent interactions with atoms and small molecules, quantum optics, ultracold phenomena in Bose and Fermi gases, and quantum information. Investigations primarily directed toward a theoretical understanding of larger molecules or condensed matter systems should be directed toward the appropriate programs in the Division of Chemistry or the Division of Materials Research.

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 Program leverages advances in the understanding of nano-scale phenomena and processes (physical, chemical, electrical, thermal, mechanical and biological), nanomaterials discovery, novel nanostructure architectures, and new nanodevice and nanosystem concepts. It seeks to address quality, efficiency, scalability, reliability, safety and affordability issues that are relevant to manufacturing. To address these issues, the Program encourages research on processes and production systems based on computation, modeling and simulation, use of process metrology, sensing, monitoring, and control, and assessment of product (nanomaterial, nanostructure, nanodevice or nanosystem) quality and performance.The Program seeks to explore transformative approaches to nanomanufacturing, including but not limited to: micro-reactor and micro-fluidics enabled nanosynthesis, bio-inspired nanomanufacturing, manufacturing by nanomachines, additive nanomanufacturing, hierarchical nanostructure assembly, continuous high-rate nanofabrication such as roll-to-roll processing or massively-parallel large-area processing, and modular manufacturing platforms for nanosystems.

he Metals and Metallic Nanostructures (MMN) Program supports fundamental research and education on the relationships between processing, structure and properties of metals and their alloys. The program focuses on experimental research while strongly encouraging the synergistic use of theory and computational materials science. Structure spanning atomic, nanometer, micrometer and larger length scales controls properties and connects these with processing.   The program emphasizes the role of structure across all these length scales, including structural imperfections such as vacancies, solutes, dislocations, boundaries and interfaces. Research should advance fundamental materials science that will enable the design and synthesis of metallic materials to optimize superior behaviors and enable the prediction of properties and performance. The program aims to advance the materials science of metals and alloys through transformative research on a diverse array of topics, including, but not limited to, phase transformations; equilibrium, non-equilibrium and far-from equilibrium structures; thermodynamics; kinetics; diffusion; interfaces; oxidation; performance in extreme environments; recyclability; magnetic behavior; thermal transport; plastic flow; and similar phenomena. Yield strength, flow stress, creep, fatigue and fracture are structural-materials examples. Magnetic energy density, shape-memory strain and thermoelectric efficiency are examples for functional materials.  Broader impacts are expected in education and other areas, such as workforce development, sustainability, environmental impact or critical infrastructure needs.  High-quality proposals that integrate research, education, and other broader impacts are invited.

This Program encourages research on processes and production systems based on computation, modeling and simulation, use of process metrology, sensing, monitoring, and control, and assessment of product (nanomaterial, nanostructure, nanodevice or nanosystem) quality and performance. The Program seeks to explore transformative approaches to nanomanufacturing, including but not limited to: micro-reactor and micro-fluidics enabled nanosynthesis, bio-inspired nanomanufacturing, manufacturing by nanomachines, additive nanomanufacturing, hierarchical nanostructure assembly, continuous high-rate nanofabrication such as roll-to-roll processing or massively-parallel large-area processing, and modular manufacturing platforms for nanosystems. 

The Metals and Metallic Nanostructures (MMN) Program supports fundamental research and education on the relationships between processing, structure and properties of metals and their alloys. The program focuses on experimental research while strongly encouraging the synergistic use of theory and computational materials science. Structure spanning atomic, nanometer, micrometer and larger length scales controls properties and connects these with processing. The program emphasizes the role of structure across all these length scales, including structural imperfections such as vacancies, solutes, dislocations, boundaries and interfaces. 

Supports research on perception, action and cognition. Emphasis is on research strongly grounded in theory. Central research topics for consideration by the Perception, Action, and Cognition panel include vision, audition, haptics, attention, memory, reasoning, written and spoken discourse, and motor control. The program encompasses a wide range of theoretical perspectives, such as symbolic computation, connectionism, ecological, nonlinear dynamics, and complex systems, and a variety of methodologies including both experimental studies and modeling.

The Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) will make strategic investments to support expanded opportunities for students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical (STEMM) fields. The investments will directly impact the ability of the state of Ohio to educate and train students to meet Ohio's career and job opportunities today and tomorrow. Choose Ohio First provides scholarships to students in innovative academic programs developed by Ohio's two-year and four-year, public and private colleges and universities, along with their business partners. The scholarships connect students to work-based learning experiences and careers in STEMM fields in order to recruit and retain these students in Ohio. Choose Ohio First is part of a strategic effort to deepen Ohio's economic strength by increasing the talent pipeline for STEMM-related industries, including computer science, through degree and certificate completion.

Pandemics have far reaching consequences that range from deaths to shutting down the economy as we have witnessed during the recent COVID19 crisis. Hence there is a need to be better prepared for such pandemics. We need to solve problems ranging from predictive analytics innovative devices for saving lives to technology for devising voting machines. The social and economic impact for the above areas is huge and some of the work can be transformative and save lives. Areas of interest to us include, but are not limited to: - Mathematical models for spread and the impact of pandemics. - Scalable simulation techniques for pandemics (e.g. with multi agents). - Biomedical/Nano sensor devices for detecting symptoms and agents. - Algorithms for rapid exploration of the drug screening and discovery workflows (e.g. use reinforcement learning) - Advanced computational biology techniques for sequencing, detecting viral evolution (e.g. in COVID-19). - Algorithms and systems for contact tracing (with privacy preserving). - Algorithms and recommendation systems for curating media and news. - Collaboration techniques for more effective health, and efficiency during pandemics. Improved identity and security techniques. - Distributed Ledgers, their applications and their governance for and during pandemics. - Pandemic data science - understanding the patterns and the impact of a pandemic like COVID-10. Creation of curated data sets. We are interested in both the science and technology aspects of these problem sets, and, particularly, in the intersections between them.

NSF-supported science and engineering research increasingly relies on cutting-edge infrastructure. With its Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program and Major Multi-user Facilities (Major Facilities) projects, NSF supports infrastructure projects at the lower and higher ends of infrastructure scales across science and engineering research disciplines. The Mid-scale Research Infrastructure Big Idea is intended to provide NSF with an agile, Foundation-wide process to fund experimental research capabilities in the mid-scale range between the MRI and Major Facilities thresholds. NSF defines Research Infrastructure (RI) as any combination of facilities, equipment, instrumentation, or computational hardware or software, and the necessary human capital in support of the same. Major facilities and mid-scale projects are subsets of research infrastructure. The NSF Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 Program (Mid-scale RI-1) supports the design or implementation of unique and compelling RI projects. Mid-scale RI-1 implementation projects may include any combination of equipment, instrumentation, cyberinfrastructure, broadly used large-scale datasets, and the commissioning and/or personnel needed to successfully complete the project, or the design efforts intended to lead to eventual implementation of a mid-scale class project. Mid-scale RI-1 design projects will include the design efforts intended to lead to eventual implementation of a mid-scale class RI project. Mid-scale RI-1 projects should fill a research community-defined scientific need or enable a national research priority to be met. Mid-scale RI-projects should also enable US researchers to remain competitive in a global research environment and involve the training of a diverse workforce engaged in the design and implementation of STEM infrastructure.

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. This solicitation features two mechanisms for support of student research: (1) REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department or may offer interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. Proposals with an international dimension are welcome. (2) REU Supplements may be included as a component of proposals for new or renewal NSF grants or cooperative agreements or may be requested for ongoing NSF-funded research projects.

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation makes grants on six broad subject matters, known within the Foundation as major program areas.  Basic Research STEM Higher Education Public Understanding of Science Economic Performance and the Quality of Life Select National Issues Civic Initiatives

The INSPIRE awards program was established to address some of the most complicated and pressing scientific problems that lie at the intersection of traditional disciplines.  It is intended to encourage investigators to submit bold, exceptional proposals that some may consider to be at a disadvantage in a standard NSF review process; it is not intended for proposals that are more appropriate for existing award mechanisms.

The Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (EESE) program funds research and educational projects that improve ethics education in all fields of science and engineering that NSF supports, with priority consideration given to interdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and international contexts.  Although the primary focus is on improving ethics education for graduate students in NSF-funded fields, the proposed programs may benefit advanced undergraduates as well.

The SNM-IS solicitation seeks proposals that investigate novel scalable nanomanufacturing and integration methods for nano-enabled integrated systems with a clear commercial relevance. Proposals should consider addressing key aspects of the nanomanufacturing value chain comprised of nano-scale building-blocks → complex nanomaterials and nanostructures → functional components and devices → integrated sub-systems and systems

The SNM-IS solicitation seeks proposals that investigate novel scalable nanomanufacturing and integration methods for nano-enabled integrated systems with a clear commercial relevance. Proposals should consider addressing key aspects of the nanomanufacturing value chain comprised of nano-scale building-blocks → complex nanomaterials and nanostructures → functional components and devices → integrated sub-systems and systems