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FAQs: CHE DMR DMS Solar Energy Initiative (NSF 08-598)

What is the CHE DMR DMS Solar Energy Initiative (NSF 08-598)?

It is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant program focused on advancing solar energy research beyond incremental improvements. The initiative funds tightly integrated, interdisciplinary teams working on fundamental scientific challenges in highly efficient solar energy harvesting, conversion, and storage.

What is the central goal of this NSF opportunity?

The central aim is to address fundamental scientific challenges involved in highly efficient solar energy harvesting, conversion, and storage, and to do so through projects that can produce new paradigms and potentially transformative concepts in solar energy science and technology.

What kinds of projects is NSF trying to encourage through this solicitation?

NSF is seeking projects where chemistry, materials research, and mathematical sciences are genuinely interdependent. The solicitation emphasizes deliberate, tightly integrated collaboration where theoretical, computational, and analytical approaches inform chemical and materials innovations, and where scientific needs in chemistry and materials also drive new mathematical approaches.

How is this program different from typical single-discipline solar energy research grants?

Rather than supporting isolated efforts within a single field, this initiative is structured to create a deliberate bridge between chemistry, materials research, and mathematical sciences. A defining feature is that mathematics is positioned as an equal intellectual driver (not merely a support function) shaping models, predictive frameworks, design rules, and interpretation strategies.

What solar energy areas does the initiative cover?

The opportunity targets fundamental scientific challenges related to solar energy harvesting, conversion, and storage, with an emphasis on achieving highly efficient approaches through integrated interdisciplinary research.

How many Principal Investigators are required on a proposal?

Each proposal must include three or more co-Principal Investigators (co-PIs).

What expertise areas must be represented among the co-PIs?

Each proposal must explicitly cover three core areas of expertise: (1) at least one co-PI with demonstrated high expertise in chemistry, (2) a second with demonstrated high expertise in materials research, and (3) a third with demonstrated high expertise in the mathematical sciences.

Is the interdisciplinary team requirement optional or a strict eligibility/responsiveness rule?

It is a strict requirement. The solicitation emphasizes that proposals (and the associated preliminary proposals) must meet the co-PI composition rule, making compliance a threshold issue for responsiveness.

Does NSF expect mathematics to be included as a supporting service, or as a core research driver?

As a core research driver. The stated intent is to establish a new modality for linking mathematical sciences with chemical and materials sciences, where mathematical sciences shape core research directions such as modeling, predictive frameworks, and interpretation strategies.

What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?

The funding mechanism is a discretionary NSF research grant within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category.

What CFDA number is associated with this solicitation?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 47.049 (Mathematical and Physical Sciences).

How many awards did NSF anticipate making?

NSF anticipated making about 10 awards.

What was the estimated total program funding level?

The estimated total program funding level was $5,000,000.

Is cost-sharing or matching required?

No. The program states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is restricted to U.S. academic institutions: accredited universities and colleges, including two-year and four-year institutions. The solicitation explicitly includes community colleges. Applications are submitted by the institution on behalf of faculty members.

Are non-academic organizations eligible to apply under the information provided?

Based on the information provided, eligibility is restricted to accredited U.S. academic institutions (two-year and four-year, including community colleges). No other eligible applicant types are described in the provided summary.

Was a preliminary proposal required?

Yes. The application process included a required preliminary proposal followed by a full proposal submission.

What were the key deadlines for the original competition cycle?

The preliminary proposal deadline was December 16, 2008 (by 5 p.m. local time of the proposer). The full proposal deadline was March 9, 2009.

When was the opportunity posted, and when was it archived?

The opportunity was posted on August 21, 2008, and it carried an archive date of March 5, 2010.

What NSF publication number is associated with the full solicitation details?

The opportunity is associated with NSF Publication 08-598, which contains the full solicitation details.

Where should applicants go for technical support related to the announcement?

For access or technical issues related to the announcement, NSF directed applicants to Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

What would make a proposal competitive under this initiative, based on the description provided?

Competitive proposals would be expected to articulate an important solar energy problem and present a credible plan for deep cross-disciplinary integration. The program emphasizes synergy that can produce new concepts, methods, or frameworks capable of shifting the field, rather than proposals focused on merely optimizing existing approaches.

Is this program intended to fund many small projects or a smaller number of larger collaborations?

The structure indicates a competitive program intended to fund a limited number of substantial, high-impact collaborations rather than a large number of smaller individual awards.