Opportunity Information: Apply for PD 12 1407
Apply for PD 12 1407
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Combustion, Fire, and Plasma Systems" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041 Engineering Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 8, 2011 and posted on Jun 8, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 17, 2012 Submission Window Date(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposers local time) January 15, 2012 February 17, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $5,100,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 28 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Combustion, Fire, and Plasma Systems program (Funding Opportunity Number PD 12-1407) funds fundamental, engineering-oriented research and education in combustion, fire science, and plasma systems. The program is explicitly aimed at basic science rather than near-term applications, with the idea that stronger underlying knowledge, validated models, and broadly usable experimental, diagnostic, and computational tools are what ultimately enable improved technologies. The broader impacts NSF highlights include cleaner air and reduced emissions, improved public safety, stronger energy and homeland security, new or better materials, and more efficient manufacturing, largely through advances in how combustion, fires, and plasmas are understood and controlled.
Within combustion, the program emphasizes basic combustion science across a wide range of fuels (gas, liquid, solid) and regimes, including premixed, non-premixed, partially premixed, and homogeneous combustion, spanning varied temperatures, pressures, and length scales. A key theme is developing and improving predictive models and diagnostic capabilities that can generalize across many combustion problems, rather than solving a single specific device or industrial case. A related emphasis is combustion science connected to climate and environmental concerns, such as approaches that increase efficiency while reducing pollutants, enable renewable and alternative fuels, support oxy-fuel combustion strategies relevant to carbon capture and sequestration, and investigate chemical looping combustion concepts.
For fire research, the focus is on fire prevention and mitigation through improved scientific understanding of how fires start, grow, spread, and can be inhibited or suppressed. This includes both building fires and wildland/forest fires, with the intent of producing foundational insights that can inform better prevention strategies, suppression methods, and safety practices. The program frames this area not as operational firefighting support, but as the underlying science needed to predict and limit fire behavior.
The plasma portion supports plasma science that is relevant to combustion and industrial/materials processing applications, including plasma processing for material synthesis and nanomaterials. The solicitation notes an important boundary: atmospheric science plasmas and fusion-energy plasmas are generally supported by other NSF programs, so proposals should align plasma work with combustion-related uses or industrial processing/materials contexts covered here.
NSF describes desired outcomes that connect basic research to long-run societal benefits: science and technology foundations for clean and efficient power generation (both stationary and mobile), combustion science that can enable more energy-efficient manufacturing, knowledge that supports efficient production and use of renewable "green" fuels, and research that leads to cleaner environments through reductions in combustion-generated pollutants (including greenhouse gases, NOx, and soot). The program also stresses public safety and homeland security benefits through better understanding of fire growth, inhibition, and suppression, alongside education and workforce development for industries tied to power, transportation, and manufacturing.
From a funding and submission standpoint, the program is a discretionary grant opportunity under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants), with an estimated total funding level of about $5.1 million and an expected 28 awards (as listed in the source notice). Unsolicited research awards are typically 1 to 3 years in duration, with an average annual award size of about $90,000. Proposals requesting substantially more than that average without prior discussion with the Program Director risk being returned without review, which is a key practical constraint for budgeting. The program will also consider small equipment proposals under $100,000, but they must be submitted within the program’s specified submission windows. Proposals submitted outside the announced window dates are returned without review, so timing is treated as a strict compliance item rather than a guideline.
The solicitation also lays out expectations common to many NSF CBET programs: proposals should clearly state what is novel or potentially transformative compared to prior work, and explain why the work matters for engineering science as well as the likely societal and/or industrial impacts if successful. At minimum, the novelty/transformative element should appear in the Project Summary. NSF also notes that final funding decisions consider more than reviewer scores alone, including portfolio balance across subfields, available funds, overlap with other funding sources, and broader NSF policies and priorities. The program encourages CAREER proposals for early-career faculty (with the standard five-year duration and an Engineering CAREER deadline typically in July), and it also considers conference/workshop proposals, supplements, and special mechanisms like RAPID and EAGER, with the important caveat that RAPID/EAGER (and typically other special submissions) should be discussed with the Program Director in advance.
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity, subject to any clarifications in the full announcement). The original posting details in the provided notice include a submission window running from January 15, 2012 to February 17, 2012 (by 5 p.m. local time), an award floor listed as $270,000, and no cost sharing requirement. The program also signals flexibility: innovative proposals that do not fit neatly within the named topic areas may be considered, but prospective principal investigators are advised to contact the Program Director before submitting to reduce the chance of a return without review due to scope mismatch.
NSF Combustion, Fire, and Plasma Systems (PD 12-1407) - FAQs
What is the NSF Combustion, Fire, and Plasma Systems program (PD 12-1407)?
It is a National Science Foundation (NSF) program that funds fundamental, engineering-oriented research and education in three areas: combustion, fire science, and plasma systems. The program emphasizes basic science and engineering foundations rather than near-term, device-specific applications.
Is this opportunity focused on basic research or near-term applications?
The program is explicitly aimed at basic science rather than near-term applications. The stated intent is to build stronger underlying knowledge, validated models, and broadly usable experimental, diagnostic, and computational tools that can later enable improved technologies.
What broader impacts does NSF highlight for this program?
NSF highlights societal benefits such as cleaner air and reduced emissions, improved public safety, stronger energy and homeland security, new or improved materials, and more efficient manufacturing. These impacts are framed as resulting from better understanding and control of combustion, fires, and plasmas.
What combustion topics are encouraged?
The program emphasizes basic combustion science across many fuels (gas, liquid, solid) and combustion regimes (premixed, non-premixed, partially premixed, homogeneous), over varied temperatures, pressures, and length scales. A key theme is work that advances predictive models and diagnostic capabilities that generalize across many combustion problems.
Does the program support combustion research tied to climate and environmental concerns?
Yes. The program emphasizes combustion science connected to climate and environmental concerns, including approaches to increase efficiency while reducing pollutants, enabling renewable and alternative fuels, supporting oxy-fuel combustion strategies relevant to carbon capture and sequestration, and investigating chemical looping combustion concepts.
What kind of work is NOT the main target in combustion proposals?
Based on the program description, proposals that mainly solve a single specific device or industrial case (without broader scientific generalization) are not the central focus. The program prefers broadly usable models, diagnostics, and foundational insights rather than narrowly tailored, near-term solutions.
What fire research topics are supported?
Fire research is focused on prevention and mitigation through improved scientific understanding of how fires start, grow, spread, and can be inhibited or suppressed. This includes both building fires and wildland/forest fires, with the goal of producing foundational insights that inform better prevention strategies, suppression methods, and safety practices.
Is the fire portion intended to support operational firefighting?
No. The program frames the fire area as the underlying science needed to predict and limit fire behavior, not as direct operational firefighting support.
What plasma research is in scope for this program?
The plasma portion supports plasma science relevant to combustion and to industrial/materials processing applications. Examples mentioned include plasma processing for material synthesis and nanomaterials, as long as the work aligns with combustion-related uses or industrial processing/materials contexts supported here.
Are atmospheric science plasmas or fusion-energy plasmas supported under this program?
Generally no. The solicitation notes that atmospheric science plasmas and fusion-energy plasmas are generally supported by other NSF programs, so proposals should instead align plasma work with combustion-related uses or industrial processing/materials contexts covered by this program.
What outcomes does NSF want this program to enable over the long run?
Desired outcomes include foundations for clean and efficient power generation (stationary and mobile), combustion science that enables more energy-efficient manufacturing, knowledge supporting efficient production and use of renewable "green" fuels, and cleaner environments through reduced combustion-generated pollutants (including greenhouse gases, NOx, and soot). The program also stresses public safety and homeland security benefits through better understanding of fire growth, inhibition, and suppression, plus education and workforce development.
What is the CFDA number and what type of funding is this?
The opportunity is described as a discretionary grant under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants).
How much total funding and how many awards are expected?
The notice lists an estimated total funding level of about $5.1 million and an expected 28 awards.
How long are typical awards under this program?
Unsolicited research awards are typically 1 to 3 years in duration.
What is the typical annual award size?
The average annual award size is described as about $90,000.
Can I request significantly more than the average annual award size?
Requests substantially above the stated average annual award size may be returned without review if they are submitted without prior discussion with the Program Director. This is described as a practical budgeting constraint for this program.
Are there small equipment opportunities under this program?
Yes. The program will consider small equipment proposals under $100,000, but they must be submitted within the program's specified submission windows.
How strict are the submission windows?
Timing is treated as strict compliance. Proposals submitted outside the announced window dates are returned without review.
What were the submission window dates listed in the provided notice?
The notice lists a submission window running from January 15, 2012 to February 17, 2012 (by 5 p.m. local time).
Is cost sharing required?
No cost sharing requirement is listed in the provided notice.
What is the listed award floor in the notice?
The provided notice lists an award floor of $270,000.
What does NSF expect proposals to include about novelty and impact?
Proposals should clearly state what is novel or potentially transformative compared to prior work, explain why the work matters for engineering science, and describe likely societal and/or industrial impacts if successful. At minimum, the novelty/transformative element should appear in the Project Summary.
Are reviewer scores the only factor in NSF funding decisions?
No. NSF notes that final funding decisions consider additional factors beyond reviewer scores, including portfolio balance across subfields, available funds, overlap with other funding sources, and broader NSF policies and priorities.
Does the program encourage CAREER proposals?
Yes. The program encourages CAREER proposals for early-career faculty, with the standard five-year duration and an Engineering CAREER deadline typically in July (as described in the solicitation summary).
Are conference or workshop proposals allowed?
Yes. The program considers conference/workshop proposals, supplements, and special mechanisms such as RAPID and EAGER.
Do RAPID and EAGER submissions require advance contact?
Yes. The solicitation notes that RAPID/EAGER (and typically other special submissions) should be discussed with the Program Director in advance.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any clarifications in the full announcement.
What if my idea does not fit neatly into the listed topic areas?
The program signals flexibility and notes that innovative proposals that do not fit neatly within named topic areas may be considered. However, prospective principal investigators are advised to contact the Program Director before submitting to reduce the chance of a return without review due to scope mismatch.
When should I contact the Program Director?
The provided information suggests contacting the Program Director before submitting if (a) the proposed work may be out of scope, (b) the budget is substantially higher than the typical average annual award size, or (c) using special mechanisms like RAPID or EAGER.
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