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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 and engineering behind next generation devices and components. It supports work that deepens understanding of how electronic, photonic, magnetic, and related physical effects at micro- and nanoscales can be used to create new or significantly improved device technologies.

2) What kinds of projects is EPMD trying to fund?

EPMD is designed to support early-stage, high-impact research that moves beyond incremental improvements. The program emphasizes efforts where new physical phenomena, new materials, or new device concepts could produce major performance gains or enable entirely new capabilities.

3) What technical areas are included in EPMD's scope?

The program covers micro and nano electronics, optics and photonics, optoelectronics, magnetics, electromechanics, electromagnetics, and related physical effects that can be harnessed for device innovation.

4) Does EPMD focus on nanoelectronics beyond conventional silicon scaling?

Yes. A major theme is discovery and innovation at and beyond the leading edge of nanoelectronics, including areas that challenge or extend conventional silicon scaling.

5) What are examples of beyond-silicon or unconventional device platforms mentioned?

Examples called out include spin electronics (spintronics), molecular and organic electronics, non-silicon device platforms, bioelectronics and biomagnetics, and flexible electronics.

6) Is multidisciplinary work encouraged?

Yes. EPMD explicitly encourages advances that come from crossing traditional boundaries, such as combining electronics with biology for diagnostic or implantable systems, or merging photonic and electronic integration for communications and sensing.

7) What does EPMD expect beyond a simple device demonstration?

EPMD places value on work that not only demonstrates a device effect, but also explains it, models it, and builds a pathway toward reliable performance through design, processing, characterization, and metrology.

8) What topics fall under the Optics and Photonics portion of EPMD?

The Optics and Photonics portion supports research that can lead to major advances in optical sources and photodetectors, optical communication components, photonic integrated circuits, nanophotonics, and devices operating at the single-photon level, including quantum-oriented photonic devices.

9) Does the program include optical imaging, sensing, or photovoltaics-related components?

Yes. It covers adjacent optical technologies where device innovation is central, including new approaches to optical imaging and sensing and components relevant to solar cells and photovoltaics.

10) What is the overall expectation for optics/photonics projects?

Funded projects are expected to contribute meaningful progress in how light is generated, detected, guided, manipulated, or used for measurement, particularly at micro- and nanoscales and in regimes enabling new functions like ultrafast or nonlinear behavior.

11) What topics fall under the Electronics and Magnetics portion of EPMD?

This portion emphasizes energy-efficient electronic devices, sensor technologies, low-noise and power electronics, and mixed-signal devices. It also includes electromagnetic materials and device solutions spanning from DC through high-frequency operation.

12) Are millimeter-wave and terahertz technologies in scope?

Yes. The program includes high-frequency technologies, including millimeter-wave and terahertz, and the monolithic integrated circuits and components needed to make these systems practical.

13) What application areas are referenced for high-frequency devices and systems?

The scope aligns with applications such as advanced wireless communications, telemedicine-enabled connectivity, and other high-frequency platforms where device physics, materials, and circuit integration are tightly coupled.

14) Are wide bandgap semiconductors specifically mentioned?

Yes. The program specifically calls out interest in wide bandgap semiconductors and the full chain of device work including design, processing, characterization, and modeling or simulation.

15) Do metamaterial, plasmonic, or related device concepts fit this program?

Yes. Metamaterial and plasmonic device concepts are explicitly included as areas of interest.

16) How important is materials innovation to EPMD?

Materials innovation is a recurring priority. EPMD is interested in devices built from organic, inorganic, or hybrid materials, including implementations on conformable, flexible, or transparent substrates.

17) Are carbon-based electronics and 2D materials part of the program scope?

Yes. The program encourages work involving carbon-based electronics and emerging two-dimensional atomic layered materials beyond graphene, with relevance to electronic, photonic, magnetic, or energy-harvesting device applications.

18) Does EPMD include next-generation memory device concepts?

Yes. A highlighted direction is the pursuit of novel concepts for next generation memory devices, reflecting needs for new device physics and architectures that can outperform or complement existing memory technologies in density, speed, energy, or endurance.

19) Is cooperation with the semiconductor industry supported?

Yes. EPMD supports cooperative efforts with the semiconductor industry, particularly around nanoelectronics concepts intended to move beyond the scaling limits of traditional silicon technology.

20) Are wearable, implantable, or diagnostic devices relevant to EPMD?

Yes. The program emphasizes emerging diagnostic, wearable, and implantable devices, along with tools and methods for nanoscale manipulation and real-time measurement.

21) Does EPMD support advances in imaging and metrology?

Yes. It includes advances in imaging and metrology that enable nanoscale precision, since improved measurement capability can unlock better device understanding, tighter process control, and more reliable performance.

22) Can proposals be submitted by a single investigator or as a collaboration?

Proposals may be single-investigator or collaborative. The program notes interest in multidisciplinary, integrative collaborations when the technical goals require breadth across materials, devices, circuits, modeling, and measurement.

23) Does NSF mention any particular team size or structure preferences?

NSF indicates it may support a limited number of small team proposals involving three or more investigators from different disciplines and/or different universities, with an emphasis on collaboration that is well justified by the technical goals.

24) Is cost sharing required for this program?

No. The program description states there is no cost sharing requirement.

25) What CFDA is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is described as an NSF discretionary grant program within the Engineering Grants CFDA 47.041.

26) What does the provided information say about eligibility?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, subject to any additional eligibility text in the full announcement.

27) Are REU or RET supplements mentioned?

Yes. The posting notes REU and RET supplement possibilities, indicating that funded awards may be eligible for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) or Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) supplements depending on NSF policies at the time.

28) What dates are shown in the posting information provided?

The information lists historical dates: an original posting date of Aug 15, 2012, later updates, and a listed current closing date of Nov 2, 2015.

29) Where is this program located within NSF?

The official program description is referenced as PD 13 1517 under the NSF Directorate and Division context (ECCS).

30) What should applicants do if they have trouble accessing the application system through Grants.gov?

For access issues, NSF directs applicants to Grants.gov support.