Opportunity Information: Apply for PD 13 1468
Apply for PD 13 1468
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Manufacturing Machines and Equipment" 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 19, 2014 and posted on Aug 22, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Archived.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $300,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- 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 Manufacturing Machines and Equipment (MME) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity focused on funding fundamental research that improves manufacturing machines, manufacturing equipment, and the ways those tools are applied in real manufacturing processes. At its core, the program is aimed at pushing manufacturing away from being primarily skill based (where outcomes depend heavily on individual operator experience and tacit know-how) and toward being knowledge based (where processes are modeled, measured, controlled, and optimized using data, engineering principles, and repeatable methods). Another central theme is reducing the environmental footprint of manufacturing by developing technologies and systems that cut energy use, waste, and harmful emissions while improving efficiency and productivity.
A major emphasis within the program is the advancement of manufacturing machines and the related systems engineering needed for "energy manufacturing." In this context, energy manufacturing refers to the ability to manufacture the facilities, infrastructure, and equipment that enable large-scale conversion of renewable resources into usable energy products, including electricity and liquid fuels. The intent is to support machine and process innovations that make it feasible to build renewable energy systems at scale, more reliably, and at lower cost, while also improving sustainability. This focus ties manufacturing R and D to national needs around energy transition, industrial competitiveness, and cleaner production.
The opportunity also explicitly supports research in several important manufacturing technology areas, including laser processing, joining processes, and additive manufacturing machines and processes. The program scope spans feature sizes from microns to meters, meaning it can cover everything from precision micro-scale fabrication to large-format manufacturing systems. One boundary is noted for extremely small scales: additive manufacturing at the nanometer scale is not handled under MME, but instead is supported under NSF's Nanomanufacturing program. For applicants, that clarification helps position proposals in the right NSF program based on the scale and technical focus of the work.
From an administrative and eligibility standpoint, this opportunity is an NSF discretionary grant under the broader category of science and technology research and development. The CFDA listing associated with it is 47.041 (Engineering Grants). Cost sharing is not required. The source record lists an estimated total funding amount of $300,000, with an award ceiling of $300,000 and an award floor of $1, indicating the program can accommodate a wide range of budget sizes up to that cap. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to different types of applicant organizations, subject to any clarifications that might appear in the full program text.
In terms of timing, the original posting date was August 22, 2013, and the record indicates the opportunity is now archived (archive date June 19, 2014). The submission windows described in the listing show recurring annual due dates, with proposals due by 5 p.m. local time on January 15 and February 15, and also on September 1 and October 1 each year. Because the opportunity is marked archived in this record, those dates mainly reflect how the program accepted proposals during the active period; anyone seeking current submission information would need to check the latest NSF program page or current solicitations to confirm whether the program continues under an updated announcement.
The announcement also includes two practical notes for researchers engaged with NSF beyond submitting proposals. First, investigators who want to serve on an NSF proposal review panel are invited to email the Program Director with a short biographical sketch, a list of expertise areas, and a link to their homepage, which is standard NSF practice for building reviewer pools. Second, REU/RET supplement requests (Research Experiences for Undergraduates / Research Experiences for Teachers) are expected to be submitted by March 31 each year, indicating a specific annual deadline for those educational supplements tied to ongoing awards.
For support and access issues, the contact information points applicants to NSF's grants.gov support email (grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov) for technical difficulties accessing the announcement electronically. Overall, the MME program, as described here, is best understood as an NSF engineering research funding path for foundational advances in manufacturing machinery and process technology, with clear priorities around knowledge-driven manufacturing, environmental impact reduction, energy-related manufacturing capability, and key process areas like lasers, joining, and additive manufacturing across a wide range of scales.
Manufacturing Machines and Equipment (MME) Program - FAQs
1) What is the NSF Manufacturing Machines and Equipment (MME) program?
The Manufacturing Machines and Equipment (MME) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity that funds fundamental research to improve manufacturing machines, manufacturing equipment, and how those tools are applied in real manufacturing processes.
2) What kind of research is this program trying to advance?
The program targets foundational advances in manufacturing machinery and process technology, especially work that improves the performance and capability of machines/equipment and strengthens how manufacturing processes are engineered and executed in practice.
3) What does it mean that the program aims to move manufacturing from "skill based" to "knowledge based"?
In this program description, "skill based" manufacturing refers to outcomes that depend heavily on operator experience and tacit know-how. "Knowledge based" manufacturing emphasizes processes that are modeled, measured, controlled, and optimized using data, engineering principles, and repeatable methods.
4) Is sustainability or environmental impact a priority in MME?
Yes. A central theme is reducing the environmental footprint of manufacturing by developing technologies and systems that reduce energy use, waste, and harmful emissions while improving efficiency and productivity.
5) What is "energy manufacturing" in the context of this program?
Here, "energy manufacturing" refers to the ability to manufacture facilities, infrastructure, and equipment that enable large-scale conversion of renewable resources into usable energy products, including electricity and liquid fuels.
6) Why does the program emphasize energy manufacturing?
The stated intent is to support machine and process innovations that make it feasible to build renewable energy systems at scale, more reliably, and at lower cost, while improving sustainability. This connects manufacturing R&D to national needs around energy transition, industrial competitiveness, and cleaner production.
7) What specific manufacturing technology areas are explicitly supported?
The opportunity explicitly supports research in laser processing, joining processes, and additive manufacturing machines and processes.
8) What range of manufacturing scales can proposals cover?
The program scope spans feature sizes from microns to meters, covering topics from precision micro-scale fabrication through large-format manufacturing systems.
9) Are there any scale-related exclusions or boundaries mentioned?
Yes. Additive manufacturing at the nanometer scale is not handled under MME; it is supported under NSF's Nanomanufacturing program.
10) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA listing associated with this opportunity is 47.041 (Engineering Grants).
11) Is cost sharing required for this NSF grant opportunity?
No. The listing states that cost sharing is not required.
12) What is the estimated total funding amount listed for this opportunity?
The source record lists an estimated total funding amount of $300,000.
13) What are the award ceiling and award floor listed in the record?
The record lists an award ceiling of $300,000 and an award floor of $1, indicating a wide allowable budget range up to the cap.
14) Who is eligible to apply according to the listing?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to different types of applicant organizations, subject to any clarifications that might appear in the full program text.
15) What type of grant is this?
It is described as an NSF discretionary grant under the broader category of science and technology research and development.
16) When was the opportunity originally posted?
The original posting date in the record is August 22, 2013.
17) Is this opportunity currently active?
The record indicates the opportunity is archived, with an archive date of June 19, 2014.
18) What proposal due dates are listed for this opportunity?
The listing shows recurring annual due dates with proposals due by 5 p.m. local time on January 15 and February 15, and also on September 1 and October 1 each year.
19) If the listing is archived, do those due dates still apply?
The record notes that because the opportunity is archived, the due dates mainly reflect how the program accepted proposals during the active period. For current submission information, applicants would need to check the latest NSF program page or current solicitations to confirm whether the program continues under an updated announcement.
20) Can researchers volunteer to serve on an NSF proposal review panel related to this program?
Yes. Investigators who want to serve on an NSF proposal review panel are invited to email the Program Director with a short biographical sketch, a list of expertise areas, and a link to their homepage.
21) What are REU/RET supplements, and is there a deadline mentioned?
The announcement notes that REU/RET supplement requests (Research Experiences for Undergraduates / Research Experiences for Teachers) are expected to be submitted by March 31 each year.
22) Who should applicants contact for technical issues accessing the announcement?
For technical difficulties accessing the announcement electronically, the contact listed is NSF's grants.gov support email: grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
23) What are the main takeaways about the program's priorities?
Based on the description provided, priorities include knowledge-driven manufacturing (modeled and controlled processes), reducing environmental footprint (energy, waste, emissions), advancing manufacturing machines and systems engineering for energy manufacturing, and supporting areas like lasers, joining, and additive manufacturing across micron-to-meter scales (with nanometer-scale additive manufacturing directed to NSF's Nanomanufacturing program).
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