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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF Electronics, Photonics, and Magnetic Devices (EPMD) Program

1) What is the NSF Electronics, Photonics, and Magnetic Devices (EPMD) program?

The EPMD program is an NSF research grant opportunity focused on strengthening the fundamental science that underpins electronic and photonic devices and the physical phenomena that enable them. The program supports discovery-driven research aimed at enabling new device concepts and opening new directions for devices, components, and integrated systems.

2) What is the main goal of EPMD-funded research?

The main goal is to improve basic understanding of device-relevant physical phenomena and translate that understanding into new device concepts. The program is positioned to support foundational, discovery-oriented work rather than only incremental improvements to existing technologies.

3) What types of technical areas does EPMD cover?

EPMD covers research spanning micro- and nanoelectronics, photonics, magnetics, optoelectronics, electromagnetics, electromechanics, and related areas. Its scope includes both traditional device platforms and emerging approaches that rely on new materials, new physical effects, and new integration strategies.

4) Is EPMD limited to silicon-based electronics?

No. EPMD explicitly includes nanoelectronics and post-silicon approaches that aim to move beyond scaling limits of conventional silicon technology. It also supports multiple non-silicon device technologies and platforms.

5) What does “post-silicon” or “beyond Moore’s Law” mean in the context of EPMD?

Within EPMD, “post-silicon” and “beyond Moore’s Law” refer to device science and engineering approaches that explore new materials, device physics, and architectures intended to extend or surpass conventional scaling trajectories of silicon technology.

6) Does the program support research in spintronics, magnetics, and multiferroics?

Yes. EPMD includes spin electronics (spintronics), magnetics, and multiferroics, including topics where magnetic and electric effects are coupled in useful ways.

7) Are molecular, organic, flexible, or printed electronics within scope?

Yes. The program includes molecular and organic electronics and photonics, flexible and printed electronics, and other non-silicon device technologies that may enable lightweight, conformable, or low-cost manufacturing approaches.

8) Does EPMD include MEMS, NEMS, sensors, and actuators?

Yes. EPMD’s scope extends to MEMS and NEMS (micro/nano electromechanical systems), sensors and actuators, and related device concepts.

9) Are power electronics and mixed-signal devices relevant to EPMD?

Yes. The program explicitly includes power electronics and mixed-signal devices, reflecting interest in both fundamental device physics and the engineering pathways that turn new phenomena into functional components.

10) Is there a special focus on high-frequency and electromagnetic technologies?

Yes. EPMD emphasizes high-frequency and advanced electromagnetic technologies relevant to modern communications and sensing, including microwave photonics, RF integrated circuits, reconfigurable antennas, and device solutions using novel electromagnetic materials (including metamaterial-inspired concepts).

11) What application areas are mentioned for the high-frequency topics?

The program aligns these topics with applications such as communications, telemedicine, and other wireless systems, while keeping the emphasis on underlying device and component innovation.

12) Does EPMD support research involving metamaterials?

Yes. The program highlights device solutions based on novel electromagnetic materials, including metamaterial-inspired concepts, and also lists microwave metamaterial-based devices as a technical interest area.

13) Are quantum engineering and quantum devices included?

Yes. EPMD supports related work in quantum engineering and quantum devices, indicating that proposals connecting device physics and materials behavior to emerging quantum-enabled technologies can fit within the program scope.

14) Does EPMD encourage multidisciplinary research?

Yes. The program encourages multidisciplinary and collaborative research when the problem requires expertise across multiple fields, particularly for integrative device research that is genuinely interdependent across disciplines.

15) Can proposals be submitted as collaborative projects?

Yes. NSF notes that proposals may be submitted as collaborative efforts to capture the breadth needed for integrative device research.

16) Are small team proposals with three or more investigators supported?

Potentially. The opportunity notes that ECCS (NSF’s Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems) may support a limited number of small team proposals that include three or more investigators from different disciplines and/or universities.

17) What makes a collaborative proposal a good fit for EPMD?

Based on the program description, collaborative proposals can be a strong fit when the work requires tightly coupled expertise (for example, combining materials, device fabrication, modeling, circuit integration, and application-driven validation) and the parts are truly interdependent rather than loosely assembled.

18) What optoelectronics topics are included?

The listed optoelectronics interests include lasers, photodetectors, fiber and photonic components, micro/nano photonics, photonic integration, nonlinear optics, spectroscopy, and optical imaging.

19) Does the program include microwave, millimeter-wave, and terahertz devices?

Yes. Technical interest areas include microwave, millimeter-wave, and terahertz devices and circuits.

20) Are vacuum electronic devices and next-generation electronic devices included?

Yes. The program lists next-generation and vacuum electronic devices among its technical interest areas.

21) Are antennas and electromagnetic propagation/scattering topics relevant?

Yes. The interest areas include antennas and electromagnetic propagation/scattering.

22) Does EPMD support device and circuit simulation/modeling?

Yes. Device/circuit simulation and modeling are specifically listed as technical interest areas.

23) Are displays, light-emitting devices, and related technologies within scope?

Yes. The program includes light-emitting devices and displays as part of its listed interest areas.

24) Is energy-efficient or “green” electronics included?

Yes. Energy-efficient or “green” electronics are explicitly included among the technical interest areas.

25) Are emerging memory technologies like memristors relevant to EPMD?

Yes. The program mentions emerging memory technologies such as memristors and other novel devices.

26) Does EPMD include bioelectronics and biomagnetics?

Yes. Bioelectronics and biomagnetics are highlighted among the program’s interest areas.

27) Are wearable or implantable diagnostic technologies relevant?

Yes. The program calls out diagnostic technologies and wearable or implantable devices as fast-growing, application-facing areas that still depend on foundational device advances.

28) Does the program mention nanoscale measurement and metrology?

Yes. EPMD mentions manipulation and measurement at nanoscale precision, including new approaches to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) metrology, emphasizing improved tools and methods to characterize, control, and manufacture at very small scales.

29) What NSF unit is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with NSF’s Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS), and the program notes that program contacts span different subfields tied to the listed technical interest areas.

30) What is the administrative classification of this grant?

Administratively, it is an NSF discretionary grant program within the science and technology research and development category and is associated with CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants).

31) Who is eligible to apply?

The posting describes eligibility as open in general terms (unrestricted), subject to any specific clarifications in the full program text. Applicants are expected to consult the current NSF program description for definitive eligibility details.

32) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The posting states that the program does not require cost sharing or matching.

33) Are there specific deadlines or submission windows?

The posting notes that the program historically used defined submission windows during the year and had an annual supplement due date. Because the posting is archived and replaced by a subsequent program description, applicants should consult the most current NSF program description and deadlines when preparing a submission.

34) The posting says it is archived. What should applicants do?

The posting indicates it was replaced by a subsequent program description (PD 12-1517). That typically means applicants should rely on the most current NSF program description (including current scope details and deadlines) rather than the archived posting.

35) Where should applicants go if they cannot access the full announcement?

For access issues with the full announcement, the listed support route is NSF’s grants.gov help contact.