Ceramics  (CER)

PROGRAM GUIDELINES

Apply to PD 09-1774 in FastLane. (standard Grant Proposal Guidelines) apply.)

As announced on May 21st, proposers must prepare and submit proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF) using the NSF FastLane system at http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/. This approach is being taken to support efficient Grants.gov operations during this busy workload period and in response to OMB direction guidance issued March 9, 2009. NSF will continue to post information about available funding opportunities to Grants.gov FIND and will continue to collaborate with institutions who have invested in system-to-system submission functionality as their preferred proposal submission method. NSF remains committed to the long-standing goal of streamlined grants processing and plans to provide a web services interface for those institutions that want to use their existing grants management systems to directly submit proposals to NSF.

Please be advised that the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) includes revised guidelines to implement the mentoring provisions of the America COMPETES Act (ACA) (Pub. L. No. 110-69, Aug. 9, 2007.) As specified in the ACA, each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. Proposals that do not comply with this requirement will be returned without review (see the PAPP Guide Part I: Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II for further information about the implementation of this new requirement).

DUE DATES

Full Proposal Window:  September 1, 2009 - October 31, 2009

September 1 - October 31, Annually Thereafter

Full Proposal Window:  September 1, 2010 - October 31, 2010

September 1 - October 31, Annually Thereafter

If the closing date for the submission window falls on a weekend, the closing date moves to the following Monday. The last date of the submission window is an absolute deadline date and proposals must be received by NSF by 5:00 p.m. submitter's local time on that date.

The submission window applies to unsolicited proposals submitted to DMR programs, except for the following which may be submitted at any time during the year: Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID), EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER), proposals for workshops or conferences, proposals to the DMR National Facilities Program, and supplements to existing grants. For proposals submitted in response to special announcements or solicitations, the deadline dates specified in the announcement or solicitation apply.

We strongly advise Principal Investigators and Sponsored Research Offices to submit early and avoid a last-minute rush, which can cause problems in timely and correct transmission to NSF.

DMR discourages the submission of more than one proposal from the same Principal Investigator during the proposal-submission window.

SYNOPSIS

This program supports fundamental research including combined experiment and theory projects in ceramics (e.g., oxides, carbides, nitrides and borides), glasses, ceramic-based composites and inorganic carbon-based materials. The objective of the program is to increase fundamental understanding and develop predictive capabilities for relating synthesis, processing, and microstructure of these materials to their properties and ultimate performance in various environments and applications.  Development of new experimental techniques or novel approaches to carry out projects is encouraged. Topics supported include basic processes and mechanisms associated with nucleation and growth of thin films; bulk crystal growth; phase transformations and equilibria; morphology; surface modification; corrosion, interfaces and grain boundary structure; and defects. The microstructures investigated range from crystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous to composite and nanostructured materials.

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) (NSF 09-516)

Research in Undergraduate Institutions (NSF 00-144)

Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program (NSF 08-557)

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RELATED URLS

Time Window for submitting unsolicited proposals to DMR Programs

NSF Alert Service

Science Nation Highlight: co-funded with BMAT (Antlers, Shells and Beaks at UCSD)

ACerS listing of funding opportunities in ceramics

Nanoceramics (Nanoscale Science and Engineering)

NSF-AFOSR Joint Workshop on Future Ultra-High Temperature Materials, January 13-14, 2004

First Industrial Workshop in Ceramics: Data Storage Technology, Arlington, VA, January 22-23, 2004

Aerospace, Chemical and Material Sciences (AFOSR)

Bio-ceramics (NIH)

Composite Materials, Cellular Materials, etc. (ONR)

Fibers (DARPA)

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Fuel Cells - SECA (DOE)

High Temperature and Aerospace Materials (AFOSR)

High Temperature Ceramics (NASA)

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Abstracts of Recent Awards Made Through This Program

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