Multi-Functional Materials (MM)
This is a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Topic ONLY!

Pre-proposal Due Date: January 14, 2009

Proposal Due Date: February 25, 2009

Please direct inquiries for questions concerning the Multi-functional Materials topic to:

Cheryl Albus, Program Director (calbus@nsf.gov) and/or;

Joseph Hennessey, Senior Advisor (jhenness@nsf.gov)

The objective of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program is to stimulate technology innovation through cooperative research between small businesses and research institutions.  In the STTR program, research is to be conducted jointly by a small business and a nonprofit research institution. Not less than 40 percent of the work (as measured by the budget) conducted under an STTR award must be performed by the small business, and not less than 30 percent of the work (as measured by the budget) must by performed by the nonprofit research institution.

The project summary discussing the intellectual merit (200 words) and broader/commercial impact (200 words) must specifically answer the following questions: What is the problem to be solved? How will the problem be solved and what is the innovation in the proposed approach? Why is your solution better than the existing competitive technologies? Who is ultimately going to buy your solution? Who are the other key players? If these answers are not addressed, the proposal may be returned without review. Proposals must address the potential for commercialization of the innovation. It is important that the proposed technology increase the competitive capability of industry, is responsive to societal needs, and is sensitive to solving "real" problems driven by critical market requirements.

Importance of Communication with Program

A company planning to submit a proposal in response to Multi-functional Materials (MM) is strongly encouraged to discuss the innovation and business opportunity to the cognizant program officer and receive feedback prior to proposal submission (see above for contact information). You may contact the program officer at any time before the submission deadline. Note, however, that communication with the program officer will become increasingly difficult as the deadline nears.

Proposals must address one of the subtopics that are outlined below. Proposals that are not responsive to the subtopics outlined below will be returned without review. When submitting a proposal to the Multi-Functional Materials topic, code the proposal to the corresponding subtopic under which you are submitting the proposal, e.g., subtopic A. Bio-inspired Materials and Systems (BMS); should be coded with the three letter acronym "BMS" in the subtopic box on the cover page. In addition, use the code as the first item in the key words/phrases portion of the Project Summary of your proposal.

Only proposals responding to this topic and subtopics will be accepted.

NSF expects synergism in the proposed research. An interdisciplinary and interdependent team approach is required in response to this STTR topic.  Multi-functional materials combine multiple functions including mechanical, electronic, photonic, optical, biological, and magnetic functions, and are capable of exhibiting diverse controllable, and predictable physical responses when subjected to various external conditions. Multifunctional materials are expected to bring important breakthroughs in various technological fields. The subtopics for this solicitation are as follows:

1. Bio-inspired Materials and Systems (BMS) – Materials and systems of interest include biologically related materials and associated phenomena, and biological pathways to new materials.   Examples are biomolecules, biomolecular assemblies, biomolecular systems (vesicles, membranes, and various other assemblies and networks of biomolecules), and biomimetic, bioinspired, or biocompatible materials and their hybrids with conventional materials. Bio-inspired materials may or may not employ biological constructs directly; they tend to be inherently multifunctional, adaptive, and hierarchical. Topics of interest include synthesis, processing and modeling of biomimetic and bio-inspired multi-functional materials and structures.

2. Materials for Sustainability (MS) - There are a number of material research activities that aim at sustainability for the present and future generations in terms of energy independence, water purification, and environmental preservation and remediation, while embracing the goal of economic development. Examples include fundamental research on synthesis, properties and mechanisms of environmentally-friendly chemicals and materials, on materials used for protection and prolonging the life of infrastructures (e.g., bridges, buildings, automobiles) and critical components (e.g., gas turbine engines, bearings), advanced energy harvesting methods (e.g., photovoltaics for solar energy harvesting, biomass, thermoelectric conversion, nuclear waste fixation), new energy storage methods (e.g., fuel cells, batteries), new materials for drinking water purification (membranes or adsorbents), and more efficient use of resources (e.g., solid state lighting, advanced catalysis for efficient production of commodity chemicals). The energy issue is important because of its increasing demand for economic development world-wide and the global environmental consequences.

3. Nanostructured Materials (NM) - Nanostructured materials are defined as those materials whose structural elements – such as clusters and crystallites —have dimensions in the approximate 1 to 100 nm range. Some materials have molecular or supramolecular structures at the nanoscale, such as fullerenes, graphene and nanotubes.  What is special about the nanoscale is that materials can and often do have different properties from micro- and macrosructures— some are better at conducting electricity or heat, some are stronger, some have different magnetic properties, and some reflect light better or change colors as their size is changed.  In part these effects are due to the quantum effects and to the far larger surface-to-volume ratio that results in a greater surface area for interactions, which are important in processes such as catalysis. For illustration, potential applications of one material, graphene, include sensors, lightweight paperlike material, ballistic transistors, integrated circuits and transparent conducting electrodes.  Although scientifically interesting to the condensed matter physics and microelectronics communities, preparing perfect and stable sheets of graphene remains a challenge.  Likewise, carbon nanotubes still present many sorting and control challenges in terms of processing.  Determining the toxicity of carbon nanotubes (and nanoparticles as well as other nanostructures) has been one of the most pressing questions.  Some researchers believe that boron nanotubes (discovered in 2004) could be superior to carbon nanotubes for some electronic applications.  Potential and current applications for nanotubes are numerous and varied.  They include electronics, controlling nanoscale structures to provide strength (in clothing, sports gear, combat jackets and space elevators), sensors, vessels for drug delivery, electric brushes, and composite fibers.  Another area of intense scientific research is nanoparticles, due to their wide variety of actual and potential applications, in biomedical, optical, and electronic fields.  Quantum effects in nanoparticles are being discovered and modeled effectively, which could find uses in information science and technology, particularly in the important area of spintronics for high performance memory. The inclusion of certain nanoparticles in photovoltaics has substantially increased the performance of solar cells. Nanoparticles addition to certain biotech processes like gene sequencing have been found to enhance the PCR process as well as in high performance instruments based on Raman spectrometry. Nanostructured coatings based on nanocrystalline diamond have found important application in high performance cutting tools. Nanofibres made in advanced electrospinning of polymers can be very effective in ultrafiltration applications.   Nanoparticles present possible risks, both medically and environmentally. (http://www.nsec.wisc.edu/NanoRisks/NS--NanoRisks.php) due to unknown interactions and effects nanoparticles have on cells and living organisms in addition to dramatic reactive or catalytic properties that nanoparticles may exhibit.

4. Smart Materials and Structures (SMS) – Smart materials and structures are defined as having one or more properties that can be significantly changed in a controlled fashion --via sensing, actuating and bio-inspired engineering autonomy--by external stimuli, such as stress, temperature, moisture, pH, electric or magnetic fields, and biological stimuli. Applications of such adaptive materials and structures range from the ability to control or morph the aero-elastic form of an aircraft wing, minimizing drag and improving operational efficiency, to vibration control of mechanical systems and structures. These "responsive" materials also have the potential to be self-healing and self-regenerating.   The innovation potential of research in this subtopic is high and the impacts could be broad, including but not limited to: dramatic improvement of health and medical treatment, safety and security of society, and protection of the nation's civil infrastructures. The consumer environment is also a potential market for such materials and structures, with the possibility of touch sensitive materials for seating, domestic appliances, and food packaging for monitoring safe storage and cooking.