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NSF Fluid Dynamics Program: FAQs

1) What is the main goal of the NSF Fluid Dynamics program?

The program funds fundamental research and education that improve the basic scientific understanding of how fluids move, interact, and can be measured or controlled. The core expectation is that proposals focus on underlying mechanisms and phenomena in fluid flow, rather than near-term product development, while still making a clear and credible connection to potential applications.

2) Does the program support applied work or product development?

The emphasis is on fundamental fluid dynamics (mechanisms and phenomena), not near-term product development. Proposals are still expected to explain potential applications in a clear and credible way, but the central contribution should be basic scientific understanding relevant to engineering.

3) What kinds of application areas is NSF interested in for this program?

NSF is especially interested in work that advances the ability to design, predict, improve efficiency, and control real systems where fluids play a central role. The description highlights emerging or cross-cutting areas such as advanced materials and manufacturing, biotechnology and biomedicine, nanotechnology, clinical diagnostics and drug delivery, sensor development and integration, and energy and environmental systems.

4) What are the major research themes covered by the program?

The technical scope spans several major themes: general fluid mechanics; complex fluids; micro, nano, and bio fluid mechanics; turbulence and flow control; and instrumentation and flow diagnostics.

5) What topics fall under general fluid mechanics in this program?

General fluid mechanics includes experimental and theoretical studies of Newtonian fluids across laminar flow, transition, and fully developed turbulence. The program description also mentions hydrodynamic stability and compressible flow.

6) What topics fall under complex fluids?

Complex fluids focus on non-Newtonian behavior and microstructural effects. Examples listed include viscoelasticity; polymer solutions and melts; gelation; flow instabilities; flow-induced structuring; and biologically relevant macromolecular dynamics (including DNA). Modeling approaches can include molecular dynamics simulations.

7) What topics fall under micro, nano, and bio fluid mechanics?

This area highlights micro- and nanoscale flow phenomena and biomedical microdevices, the influence of nanoscale inclusions on rheology, Brownian suspensions, biomimetics, and biological flow processes.

8) What does the program emphasize in turbulence and flow control?

The program encourages work using tools such as large eddy simulation (LES) and direct numerical simulation (DNS), along with high Reynolds number experiments. It also highlights stability and transition studies, three-dimensional boundary layers, multiphase turbulent flows, and flow control involving challenging interfaces (such as gas-liquid) or biologically inspired propulsion and flight (including insect flight).

9) What counts as instrumentation and flow diagnostics for this program?

Instrumentation and flow diagnostics includes developing new measurement tools and techniques. Examples listed include MEMS-based shear stress sensors and the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) approaches for engineering flow velocimetry, including flows relevant to biomedical assistive devices.

10) What is the typical duration of an unsolicited standard research award?

Unsolicited standard research awards are typically one to three years in duration.

11) What is the typical award size?

The average annual award size is about $90,000.

12) What happens if a proposal requests substantially more than the typical annual amount?

Proposals requesting substantially more than the typical annual amount may be returned without review if the principal investigator has not first discussed the budget with the Program Director.

13) Does the program support small equipment proposals?

Yes. The program considers small equipment proposals under $100,000, and these are generally submitted within the annual submission window.

14) Are proposals limited to the listed themes, or can I submit something outside them?

The listed themes reflect current priorities, but NSF leaves room for innovative proposals outside those areas. Investigators are advised to contact the Program Director before submitting to reduce the risk that an out-of-scope proposal is returned without review.

15) Why is contacting the Program Director recommended?

The program description advises contacting the Program Director in two key situations: (1) if you think your project may fall outside the program’s main scope, and (2) if you plan to request substantially more than the typical annual award amount. For certain submission mechanisms (RAPID and EAGER), prior discussion is required before submission.

16) What does NSF expect proposals to say about novelty or transformative potential?

Proposals should clearly explain what is novel or potentially transformative compared to prior work, and this point should be stated at minimum in the Project Summary.

17) What does NSF expect proposals to say about broader impacts?

Beyond novelty, proposals are expected to make a strong case for why the work matters to engineering science and to describe plausible broader impacts, including potential benefits to society and/or industry if the research succeeds.

18) How are funding decisions made?

Funding decisions reflect reviewer input, but can also be shaped by program-level considerations such as portfolio balance across subfields, overlap with other funding sources, available budget, and NSF-wide priorities.

19) Does the program encourage CAREER proposals?

Yes. The program encourages submission of Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) proposals, which are five-year awards. The engineering CAREER deadline is typically in July.

20) Are conference or workshop proposals supported?

The program may consider proposals for conferences and workshops, as well as supplements. These are ideally submitted during the regular annual submission window.

21) Can RAPID or EAGER proposals be submitted to this program?

The program can entertain RAPID and EAGER mechanisms when appropriate, but those mechanisms require prior discussion with the Program Director before submission.

22) What happens if a proposal is submitted outside the submission window dates?

Proposals submitted outside the announced submission window dates are returned without review, so timing and compliance are important.

23) What NSF policy guidance is mentioned for proposal compliance?

The program notes that compliance with NSF’s Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) is important.

24) What were the archived funding level and anticipated number of awards for PD 12-1443?

For the archived opportunity details (PD 12-1443), NSF listed an estimated total program funding level of $9.6 million and anticipated about 43 awards.

25) Was cost sharing required under the archived PD 12-1443 details?

No. The archived notice indicated that cost sharing was not required.

26) Who was eligible to apply under the archived PD 12-1443 details?

The archived details stated that eligibility was unrestricted, subject to any specific eligibility clarifications in the full announcement.

27) What was the submission window for the PD 12-1443 cycle?

The submission window shown for that cycle ran from January 15, 2012 to February 17, 2012, with submissions due by 5 p.m. local time.

28) Is PD 12-1443 still current?

The notice indicates PD 12-1443 was later replaced by a subsequent program description (PD 13-1443).