Opportunity Information: Apply for PD 09 1765

  • The NSF in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Condensed Matter and Materials Theory" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.049,.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Oct 30, 2015 and posted on Oct 30, 2015.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 02, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • 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) grant opportunity titled "Condensed Matter and Materials Theory" (Funding Opportunity Number PD 09 1765) funds theoretical and computational research, along with related educational activities, that advance fundamental understanding of materials. It sits within NSF's Division of Materials Research (DMR) and is meant to strengthen the core ideas, models, and computational tools used to explain and predict how materials behave, how their properties emerge, and how new phenomena can be discovered through theory-driven insight. The program is broad by design and covers many of the topic areas represented across DMR, including condensed matter physics, polymers, solid-state and materials chemistry, metals, nanostructures, electronic and photonic materials, ceramics, and biomaterials.

A central theme of the program is fundamental research that pushes forward conceptual, analytical, and computational techniques for materials science. In practice, this means proposals are expected to do more than apply standard methods to a specific system; they should contribute to the deeper theoretical framework or the computational approach itself, yielding results that generalize or open up new ways to study materials. The solicitation explicitly highlights a wide range of modeling and simulation approaches, including electronic structure methods, many-body theory, statistical mechanics, and computational techniques such as Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations. It also notes that many projects will involve advanced scientific computing, reflecting the expectation that modern materials theory often depends on high-performance computation, scalable algorithms, or sophisticated numerical workflows.

The program emphasizes multiscale thinking that starts from the smallest length scale appropriate for the question being asked. That can include electronic, atomic, molecular, nano-, micro-, meso-, and related scales, with the key requirement being that the chosen starting point enables fundamental insight into material properties, processes, and behavior. The intent is to support theory and computation that can connect microscopic mechanisms to measurable macroscopic outcomes, explain why certain behaviors occur, and reveal new materials phenomena that may not be obvious from experiment alone. This focus on starting at an underlying length scale also signals interest in predictive understanding: identifying how structure, interactions, and dynamics at small scales produce emergent properties at larger scales.

The solicitation lists several areas of recent interest to illustrate the kinds of frontier problems the program is interested in supporting. These include strongly correlated electron systems, low-dimensional systems, and nonequilibrium phenomena. Nonequilibrium topics are described broadly, covering pattern formation, microstructural evolution, and fracture, which points to interest in how materials evolve over time under driving forces such as stress, temperature gradients, irradiation, or chemical reactions. Additional highlighted topics include high-temperature superconductivity, nanostructured materials and mesoscale phenomena, quantum coherence and its control, and soft condensed matter, including systems with biological relevance. Taken together, these examples indicate that the program is open to both traditional and emerging areas, especially where new theory, new computation, or a new conceptual picture can clarify complex behavior.

In terms of applicant eligibility and administrative details, the opportunity is classified as a discretionary grant within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category, with CFDA numbers 47.049. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any applicant type as allowed under the full program rules and any additional eligibility language in the solicitation. The posted and creation dates in the source data are October 30, 2015, with a closing date of November 2, 2015; no award ceiling or expected number of awards is specified in the provided excerpt. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NSF support for theory and computation that deepen the scientific foundations of materials research while also building the tools and training needed for continued advances across condensed matter and materials science.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF Condensed Matter and Materials Theory (PD 09 1765)

What is the NSF "Condensed Matter and Materials Theory" grant opportunity?

It is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunity within the Division of Materials Research (DMR) that supports theoretical and computational research, along with related educational activities, aimed at advancing fundamental understanding of materials. The program focuses on strengthening the core ideas, models, and computational tools used to explain and predict materials behavior and to discover new phenomena through theory-driven insight.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?

The Funding Opportunity Number is PD 09 1765, and the program title is "Condensed Matter and Materials Theory."

Which NSF division hosts this program?

The program sits within NSF's Division of Materials Research (DMR).

What kinds of activities does the program fund?

The program funds theoretical and computational research and also supports related educational activities that contribute to advancing fundamental materials understanding.

What is the main goal or central theme of the program?

A central theme is fundamental research that pushes forward conceptual, analytical, and computational techniques for materials science. The emphasis is on advancing underlying theory or computational approaches, not just applying standard methods to a single material system.

Does the program support projects that only apply existing methods to a specific system?

The expectation described is that proposals should do more than apply standard methods to a specific system. Projects are expected to contribute to deeper theoretical frameworks or computational approaches and produce results that generalize or open new ways to study materials.

How broad is the program scope across materials topics?

The program is broad by design and covers many topic areas represented across DMR. Examples named include condensed matter physics, polymers, solid-state and materials chemistry, metals, nanostructures, electronic and photonic materials, ceramics, and biomaterials.

What modeling and simulation approaches are specifically highlighted?

The solicitation explicitly highlights a wide range of approaches, including electronic structure methods, many-body theory, statistical mechanics, and computational techniques such as Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations.

Is advanced or high-performance computing relevant to this program?

Yes. The opportunity notes that many projects will involve advanced scientific computing, reflecting the role of high-performance computation, scalable algorithms, and sophisticated numerical workflows in modern materials theory.

What does the program mean by "multiscale thinking"?

Multiscale thinking is emphasized as starting from the smallest length scale appropriate for the question and using that starting point to develop fundamental insight into properties, processes, and behavior. The program describes relevant scales that can include electronic, atomic, molecular, nano-, micro-, meso-, and related scales.

What is meant by "starting from the smallest length scale appropriate for the question"?

The program signals interest in choosing a starting scale (for example, electronic or atomic) that is most suitable for generating fundamental insight and enabling predictive understanding of how microscopic mechanisms connect to measurable macroscopic outcomes.

What kinds of scientific outcomes is the program trying to enable?

The stated intent is to support theory and computation that can connect microscopic mechanisms to macroscopic outcomes, explain why certain behaviors occur, and reveal new materials phenomena that may not be obvious from experiment alone.

Which frontier research areas are listed as examples of recent interest?

The solicitation lists examples including strongly correlated electron systems, low-dimensional systems, and nonequilibrium phenomena. It also highlights high-temperature superconductivity, nanostructured materials and mesoscale phenomena, quantum coherence and its control, and soft condensed matter (including systems with biological relevance).

How does the opportunity describe "nonequilibrium phenomena" in materials?

Nonequilibrium topics are described broadly and include pattern formation, microstructural evolution, and fracture. This points to interest in how materials evolve over time under driving forces such as stress, temperature gradients, irradiation, or chemical reactions.

Is the program open to both traditional and emerging areas?

Yes. The examples provided indicate openness to traditional and emerging areas, especially where new theory, new computation, or a new conceptual picture can clarify complex behavior.

What grant type and category is this opportunity listed under?

It is classified as a discretionary grant within the "Science and Technology and other Research and Development" category.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 47.049.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any applicant type as allowed under the full program rules and any additional eligibility language in the solicitation.

What are the posted and creation dates for the opportunity in the provided information?

The posted date and creation date shown in the source data are October 30, 2015.

What is the closing date listed in the provided excerpt?

The closing date listed is November 2, 2015.

Is there an award ceiling or expected number of awards stated in the provided information?

No. The provided excerpt does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards.

How should someone interpret the overall purpose of this NSF opportunity?

Based on the description provided, it is best understood as NSF support for theory and computation that deepen the scientific foundations of materials research, while also building tools and training that enable continued advances across condensed matter and materials science.

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