MaterialsMaterials Research 

through the U.S. National ScienceNational Science 

FoundationFoundationDrs. Lynnette D. Madsen

& Sean L. JonesProgram Directors, Division of Materials ResearchN i l S i F d i l d @ f

1Many thanks to our colleagues at NSF, particularly Dr. DeAndra Beck

National Science Foundation, lmadsen@nsf.gov

Outline: Materials Research through the U.S. National Science Foundation1. What is the U.S. National Science Foundation?2. International Linkages / Programs3. Industry Linkages / Programs4. Academic Focused Programs funding Materials 

Research5. Recent and New Funding Opportunities of Interest 

to Materials Scientists and Engineers6. How to navigate NSF7. How to work positively with/at NSF8. What makes your proposal strong?

2

• NSF funds basic research primarily at US Academic Institutions with US Government money

• Cooperates with international organizations, industry, other government entities, etc.

NSF Offices

• Paris• Tokyo

•Beijing

Europe OfficeEmail:  nsfeurope@nsf.govCarmen Huber, Office Head

Tokyo OfficeEmail: nsftokyo@nsf.govEd Murdy, Office Head

Beijing OfficeEmail:  nsfbeijing@nsf.govEmily Ashworth, Office Head

• Arlington, VA

HeadquartersDr. Subra Suresh, Director

http://www.nsf.gov/about/partners/

Resources• Access to unique facilities and equipment• Share costs and risks• Exchange techniques and insights

Capacity• Strengthen / Expand knowledge base• Attract talent• Enhance S&T‐led economic performance

Objectives• Address national, transnational or global 

problems• Foster science diplomacy• Access foreign markets• Pursue personal / professional goals

Drivers for International Research Collaboration

Fostering an internationally‐engaged workforce

• International Research Experiences for Undergraduates*• Graduate Research Fellowship Program• Integrative Graduate Education & Research Traineeships• East Asia Pacific Summer Institutes• Pan‐American Advanced Studies Institutes• International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program*

*Alignment of International programs with NSF‐wide programs

Co‐Funding Tools to Enhance Engagement and/or Mitigate Cost/Risk• Internal only: Global Venture Fund• INSPIREFostering New Partnerships• Catalyzing New International Collaborations (CNIC)• Science Across Virtual Institutes (SAVI)Tools to Engage International Partners• Informal bilateral agreements• Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER Science)

New Tools for International Engagement

NSF 11‐087

• Provides research and education partnerships (“glue”) among NSF funded research centers/institutes (both virtual and real) & their international counterparts

• Teams with active NSF awards are eligible to apply• Joint workshops, study institutes, student exchanges, etc.• Proposals come into the regular programs according to their target dates

• $50K to $400K per year for up to 5 years9

NSF International Programs

10

NSF 11‐134• For Collaborations with DEVELOPING COUNTRIES• Capitalizes on competitively‐awarded investments to support and build scientific and technical capacity in the developing world.

•NSF pays for the US, USAID pays for the developing country partners

•US PI must have an NSF grant already• Round #1: 41 projects from 25 countries  were funded•Applications handled by NAS:  http://sites.nationalacademies.org/peer 

NSF International Programs

12

DMR Materials World Network 12-593Due Nov. 14, 2012

• Corresponding submissions to NSF and to national/regional funding agencies abroad• NSF funds US institutions; organizations abroad fund their researchers• NSF supports all costs associated with the research in the US side (not just mobility)• Parallel (most cases) or single joint review (Germany)• DMR reviews proposals within programmatic areas• NSF standard review criteria (intellectual merit & broader impacts) + (1) value added by international collaboration, (2) balance of intellectual efforts in the US and abroad & (3) participation of junior researchers in international research experiences• Coordination with foreign funding agencies for joint identification of awards

57 Participating Countries FY08-12

• European Research Council (ERC) will identify researchers to host NSF‐funded investigators, & NSF will solicit proposals from CAREER awardees & Postdoctoral Research Fellows

• Agreement allows US scientists to be incorporated in ERC‐funded teams & supported as other ERC team members

• NSF covers travel for US scientists• Minimum stay 3 months• Dear Colleague Letter will be issued at NSF with details

Manufacturing in NSF’s Budget Request….

NSF Linkages to Industry• GOALI ‐ Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaisons with Industry 

promotes university‐industry partnerships by funding fellowships/traineeships for faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students to conduct relevant industrial research. 

• I/UCRC – Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers coordinates industrial driven research with shared research staff and facilities at university centers through leveraged funding from all participating industrial members and NSF. 

• PFI – Partnerships for Innovation builds innovation capacity by funding researchers working toward marketable innovations; and additionally, PFI focuses on the acceleration of the innovation process by funding the translation of research to commercialization (Acceleration Innovation Research). 

Requirements:• PI, student & mentor team• Monthly webinars throughout project

• Authorization from NSF to submit proposal: 5‐page Project Description

NSF 12‐602:• Team learns aspects of developing, organizing & managing a business

• $50K for 6 mos.4 deadlines/year  e.g., Dec. 15,  201216

InnovationI‐CORPS

NSF Linkages to Industry• SBIR – Small Business Innovation Research funds small companies 

that undertake cutting‐edge innovation and high risk engineering research or science education research that have a high potential for economic payoff. 

• STTR – Small Business Technology Transfer funds innovative technology that has been jointly developed by small companies who have teamed up with university researchers. The resulting collaboration may result in the spin‐off of commercially promising ideas. 

FY11 Scalable Nanomanufacturing (SNM) Address manufacturing signature theme Novel processes & techniques for continuous & scalable 

nanomanufacturing Directed (physical/chemical/biological) self‐assembly

processes leading to heterogeneous nanostructures with the potential for high‐rate production

Principles & design methods to produce machines & processes to manufacture nanoscale structures, devices & systems

Long‐term societal & educational implications of large‐scale production & use of nanomaterials, devices & systems, incl. life‐cycle analysis of such nanomaterials, devices and systems

FY 2011: 74 proposals, 71 reviewed by ENG / MPS panels

NSF made 9 four‐year team awards  (total: $11M)

FY12 Scalable Nanomanufacturing (SNM) CHANGES to solicitation:

Additional theme: Fundamental Scientific Research in Well‐Defined Areas that are Compellingly Justified as Critical Roadblocks to Scale‐Up

Encouraging collaborations between research universities and community colleges 

Statement that proposed project does not substantially overlap with ongoing federally‐funded research and shared allowed with other federal agencies

Mods to Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria FY 2012:   94 proposals, 88 reviewed in ENG / MPS panels 8 Awards were made Typical award size: $250 ‐ $375K / year x 4 years

Materials Genome Initiative“twice as fast, at a fraction of the cost”

Time(yrs)

Num

ber o

f Materials “to Market”

3- 5 years

1

2

3

45

67

1 Discovery2 Development3 Property Optimization4 Systems Design & 

Integration5 Certification6 Manufacturing7 Deployment & Sustainment

20

Materials Genome Initiative

Experimental tools

Computational tools

Digital Data

Electronic structureElectronic structure

QMCQMC

Phase-fielPhase-fiel

Workforce development

Workforce development

Quantum Field theory

Quantum Field theory

Molecular dynamicsMolecular dynamics

Microstructure evolution

Microstructure evolution

DMFTDMFT

??

Computational Tools – algorithm

development, Software, etc.

21

Data for accelerated discovery of new materials & phenomena – new paradigms?

PreviouslyComputed

Data

KnownExperimental

data

Data Mining Method: extraction of

correlations

Structure determination:Calculation or experiment

Prediction of materialsproperties

Additional/new

computations

Additional/new

experiments

Data repository??

Adapted from Ceder and Morgan

VisualizationCorrelation

Manipulation

Workforce Development

Storage

Access

Data Mining

Digital Data

22

Webinars: June & Aug. 2012DataWay Charette: Feb. 2013

http://www.nsf.gov/mps/dataway/dataway.jsp

Extend to 3‐Dimensional 

space

Time‐resolved

?

Workforce development

Environments reflecting application

Multi‐probe instruments

New Techniques

Purificationand crystal growth

Thin film growth

?

Workforce development

Novel synthesis and processing routes

Combinatorial methods

Self‐assembly

23

Characterizationtools Synthesis

andprocessing

Experimental Tools

NSF Response:  NSF 11‐089 DCL Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF) under OneNSF CEMMSS initiative; similar call in 2013 with a similar deadline               FY 13 BUDGET REQUEST for DMREF:  MPS $20M; ENG $15M

24

Cyberinfrastructure Framework for 21st Century Science, Engineering and Education

Comprehensive and integrated CI To transform research, innovation and education

Focus on computational and data‐intensive science to address complex problems

Four major components Data‐enabled science New computational infrastructure Community research networks Access and connections to CI facilities

Cyber-Infrastructure Framework for the 21st Century (CIF21)

25

1. Submit to sub‐disciplinary programs 

2. EAGER ‐ EArly‐concept Grants for Exploratory Research

3. DMREF4. Supplements to current awards

MPS FY13 request $19.55M

26

U. S. National Science Foundation

Mathematical& PhysicalSciences

(MPS)

Geosciences(GEO)

Engineering(ENG)

( )

Computer &Information Science &Engineering

(CISE)

BiologicalSciences

(BIO)

Office of theInspector General

(OIG)

Director& Deputy Director

National Science Board (NSB)

( )

Social, Behavioral,& Economic

Sciences(SBE)

Education & Human

Resources(EHR)

Budget, Finance, &

Award Management

(BFA)

Information& Resource Management

(IRM)

Office of Diversity & InclusionOffice of the General CounselOffice of Integrative & International Activities

Office of Legislative & Public Affairs

27

Directorate of Mathematical & Physical Sciences

Office of MultidisciplinaryActivities

C. Cooper

Chemistry (CHE)Matthew Platz

2013 DD Jacquelyn

Gervay-Hague

Materials Research (DMR)

Ian Robertson

2013 DD Mary Galvin

Mathematical Sciences (DMS)Sastry Pantula

Astronomy (AST)Jim Ulvestad

Physics (PHY)Denise Caldwell

(Acting)

Office of the Assistant Director (AD)Celeste Rohlfing, AD(Acting)

Mark Suskin, Deputy AD(Acting)

2013 AD: Dr. F. Fleming Crim

Materials Research Across NSFMathematical  & Physical Sciences Directorate

Division of Materials Research

• Centers• Instrumentation & 

Facilities• Topical Programs 

(ceramics, metals, polymers, SSMC, CMP, Computational and Data driven Materials Research  (CDMR), CMMT, EPM, BMAT) 

Chemistry Macro, Supra and Nano‐Science Program

Engineering DirectorateDivision of Electrical, Communications and Cyber 

Systems (ECCS)• Electronics, Photonics, and Magnetic Devices 

(EPMD)• Energy, Power & Adaptive Systems (EPAS)

Division of Civil, Mechanical & Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI)

• Nanomanufacturing• Material Processing & Manufacturing• Mechanics & Engineering Materials (5 programs)

Division of Chemical, Bioengineering,  Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET)

• Biomedical Engineering • Energy for Sustainability • Environmental Health and Safety of Nanotech

28

Science, Engineering & Education for Sustainability (SEES)

29

SusChEM: Sustainability Research in Chemistry, Engineering & Materials NSF 12‐097 and 12‐095Fundamental Materials Research for:• Extension of Natural Resources• Material Replacement for a Safer & More Secure Future

• Improved Materials during Operating Conditions

• Materials Designed for Zero Waste• SusChEM.DMR@nsf.govHow does nature make materials that are sustainable, responsive, adaptive and self healing, and can we mimic these ideas to make new materials of complex function?

TEM along [112] zone‐axis of originally phase‐pure P4bm grain in 0.94(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3‐0.06BaTiO3 under different electric fields demonstrate creation and destruction of R3c/P4mmMPB during poling. (a) 0 kV/mm. (b) 3.2 kV/mm. (c) 3.6 kV/mm. (d) 4.0 kV/mm.

Xiaoli Tan, IA St. U., 1037898

30

Materials Research & Engineering Centers (MRSEC)23 MRSECs & 3 MIRTS: 58 Interdisciplinary Research Groups 

2010‐2011 Data for 27 Centers• 901 Faculty participants • 224 Ph.D.s awarded• 129 Post‐docs• 1500 publications• 76 patents issued

Faculty by Department

Next competition:  FY 14

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

2006200820102012

2013 solicitation to be announced

31

• Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) • Division of Materials Research competition• Collaboration between a Minority Serving Institution and Division of Materials Research (DMR) supported centers, institutes and/or facilities 

• Examples of Centers: MRSEC, STC, NSEC, IMI, …• Over $5M annually• www.prem‐mrsec.org • Next competition 2015

Broadening Participation

(left) 3D quasi photonic crystals fabricated through multi‐beam interference based holographic lithography; (right) A Laue diffraction pattern from the quasi‐crystal..

Karen Lozano, University of Texas Pan American 

32

Broadening Participation through Flexibility• no‐cost extensions or temporary suspensions of NSF awards due to family leave

• flexible start dates for NSF awards• supplements for additional personnel to sustain research when principal investigators are on family leave

• flexible postdoctoral fellowships to accommodate dual‐career placements  

• options for remote panel participation• local child care recommendations for panelists• instructions for panelists describing family‐friendly practices

33

Alliances for Graduate Education & the Professoriate (AGEP)•NSF 12‐554, Due Oct. 30, 2012

•AGEP‐Transformation: Strategic alliances of institutions and organizations to develop, implement, and study innovative evidence‐based models and standards for STEM graduate education, postdoctoral training, and academic STEM career preparation that eliminate or mitigate negative factors and promote positive practices for URMs.

•Video recording of Webinar www.nsf.gov/materials

•AGEP‐Graduate Research Supplement (MPS)  NSF 12‐021

Broadening Participation

34

AGEP‐GRS Supplement Opportunity• Identification of a new doctoral student who is a United States citizen, national, or 

permanent resident

• A mentoring plan signed by the PI

• An explanation of how the proposed doctoral candidate and project will serve to broaden participation

• A currently active MPS research award – note that instrumentation acquisition awards, REU awards and large awards governed by cooperative agreements are not eligible.

• A letter signed by the PI of an Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) award, certifying that the proposed Ph.D. student is or will be a beneficiary of the AGEP infrastructure

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12021/nsf12021.jsp

MAGNETS:• 100 T non-destructive pulsed field magnet – world

record• 45 T DC hybrid – highest steady magnetic field in

the world• Split coil 25 T magnet• 900 Mhz MRI – world’s strongest MRI machine• 21 T Ion Cyclotron Resonance Spectrometer

under construction – highest field ICR in the world

USER Programs: https://users.magnet.fsu.edu/• Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging and

Spectroscopy• DC Field• Electron Magnetic Resonance• High B/T (magnetic field/temperature)• Ion Cyclotron Resonance• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance• Pulsed Field

35

National High Magnetic Field Laboratory:Florida State U., U. Florida, Los Alamos

NAS Study Bert Halperin

11 HIGH ENERGY X-RAY BEAMLINES:

• National High Pressure Facility: High pressure cell allows exploration of utilizing pressure to induce metastable states and studies of nucleation processes.

• Real time observation of materials synthesis discovery of new materials phases and optimization of synthesis conditions. EXAFS, SAXS,fluorescence spectroscopy (including micro‐science utilizing focusing capillary optics), single crystal diffraction, scattering experiments using extremely small specimens, and instrumentation development.

• Understand the details of how enzymes work and to be able to mutate, or even ab initio predict and synthesize enzymes that catalyze.(2 Nobel Prizes)

36

Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source Cornell University

To apply for beam time:http://www.chess.cornell.edu/prposals/index.htm

37

Center For High Resolution Neutron Scattering (CHRNS)National Institute of Standards and Technology

http://www.ncnr.nist.gov/proposal.html

• 30 m high resolution, small‐angle neutron scattering instrument

• Diffractometer for ultra‐high‐resolution small angle scattering

• Cold neutron, triple axis neutron scattering spectrometer

• Multi axis crystal spectrometer• Very flexible cold‐neutron time‐of‐flight spectrometer

• Backscattering spectrometer with 1 micro eVresolution

• Neutron spin echo spectrometer

National NanotechnologInfrastructure Network14 Sites: www.nnin.org

Nanocontacts, quantum dots, break junctions,Superconduction nanostructures;advanced siliconDevice structure, process integrations,microwaveand mm WaveDevices, gratings couplers,waveguides,lasers,Detectors, photonic crystals, semiconductor LEDsMaterials, biocompatible surfaces, sensors, actuatorsLab on a chip, nanophase materials, catalysts, self ‐assembled films

• Network of Shared Facilities run and managed by the Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs).

• Provides basic characterization tools along with specialty instrumentation unique due to the science of the MRSEC.

• Easy access, wide geographical distribution• Established co‐ordination between centers to use a variety of 

tools and techniques to conduct experiments.• Can provide varied levels of assistance and collaboration • Large established instrument base

www.mrfn.org

Materials Research Facilities Network (MRFN)

39

Major Research InstrumentationAcquisition and Development :

Electron MicroscopesX‐ray DiffractometersX‐ray Photoelectron SpectroscopyX‐ray FluorescenceUltrafast LasersAtomic force microscopesSurface Plasmon ResonanceElectron beam lithographyCryo‐systems for magnets, etc.And many others…

http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/mri/Proposals typically due 4th Thursday in January.

40

1. Develop a network of centers – to provide a “characterization suite” of instrumentation to the external community or to fulfill a specific need/expertise (i.e. X-ray, microscopy, crystal growth).

2. Support professional staffing to manage instrumentation and train students.

3. Increase co-funding for MRI proposals - acquisition and stewardship of equipment $100,000-$500,000.

4. Funding for instrument developers, to keep a pipeline of new instrumentation.

Materials 2022:  Recommendations

DMR Response:  November 2012

http://www.nsf.gov/attachments/124926/public/DMR_Materials_2022_Report.pdf Responses may be directed to materials2022@nsf.gov.

Materials 2022A subcommittee of the MPS-Advisory CommitteeCharge: Provide direction for best utilization of resources

Emerging Frontiers in Research & Innovation (EFRI)

• invites Community to submit topic suggestions via an internal Wiki (NEW!) ‐ https://nsfwiki.nsf.gov/x/lAHc

• forward‐looking views / identify opportunities in emerging frontiers of research and innovation

Background• established FY 2007 to serve a critical role in focusing engineering community on important emerging areas in a timely manner

• Rosemarie D. Wesson, Ph.D., P.E.• www.nsf.gov/eng/efri

Acknowledge your support from NSFSupport from the NSF must be appropriately acknowledged in all presentations and publications as well as web sites.

Reporting work supported by multiple agencies or programs within NSF is accepted but the contribution from each funding agency must be acknowledged appropriately.

Centers, institutes and facilities need to display the program name, for example “MRSEC” , should appear on websites, publications, and presentations.  The  “brand name” must be featured prominently. 

We need your support to ensure NSF activities receive appropriate recognition 42

Job Opportunities in DMR Manage the proposal review process.  Interact with potential principal investigators. Recommend funding decisions.  Manage post‐award activities. Collaborate and interact with members of your specific scientific communities.  Organize/inspire workshops, conferences, and forums.  Help identify areas of potentially transformative research. Liaise with research or research education communities.. Build new national and international collaborations. Play an important role in broadening participation of underrepresented groups in the science and engineering community and the implementation of family friendly policies. Create new cross‐disciplinary and cross‐agency partnerships.  Influence new directions in the fields of science, engineering, and education.  Support cutting‐edge interdisciplinary research.  Mentor future leaders in science and engineering.

43

Program Directors Openings (10/29):• Biomaterials• Electronic and Photonic Materials• Condensed Matter PhysicsSend a C.V. to dmr‐recruit@nsf.gov 

www.nsf.gov/about/career_opps/rotators/

www.nsf.gov

QUICK LINKS

Ceramics

DMR proposal pressure –internal & external impact

How you can help…. • One strong proposal has a better

chance of success than flooding the system.

• Think carefully about resubmitting declined proposals. Ask what have you done beyond trying to directly address the comments of a few reviewers. A minimalist approach rarely leads to success.

• Consult with the relevant Program Director.

Num

ber o

f propo

sals

1. Before you start read the GPG!  Follow the instructions on proposal preparation.

2. Any questions make sure to contact the cognizant program  director at NSF

3. Work with your sponsored research office to have your proposal submitted prior to the deadline. 47

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

Return Without ReviewThe proposal:1. is inappropriate for funding by the National Science Foundation;2. is submitted with insufficient lead-time before the activity is scheduled to

begin;3. is a full proposal that was submitted by a proposer that has received a “not

invited” response to the submission of a preliminary proposal;4. is a duplicate of, or substantially similar to, a proposal already under

consideration by NSF from the same submitter;5. does not meet NSF proposal preparation requirements, such as page

limitations, formatting instructions, and electronic submission, as specified in the Grant Proposal Guide or program solicitation;

6. is not responsive to the GPG or program announcement/solicitation;7. does not meet an announced proposal deadline date;8. was previously reviewed and declined and has not been substantially

revised; and9. duplicates another proposal that was already awarded.

Proposals that do not separately address both merit review criteria within the one-page Project Summary will be returned without review. 48

What Makes a Strong Proposal?1. New / original ideas  ‐What? How does it differ 

from what was done before?  2. Scientific impact ‐ So what? 3. Justification ‐Why now? Context?4. Sound, succinct, detailed focused plan ‐ How?  

How does it differ from past approaches?5. Preliminary data and/or feasibility calculations 

‐ Is it realistic/sound? Why will you be successful?6. Relevant experience ‐Why you?7. Well‐articulated broader impacts – Why? What? 

How? Assessment?                            lmadsen@nsf.govsljones@nsf.gov