Opportunity Information: Apply for 10 568
Apply for 10 568
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Materials Research Centers and Teams" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.049 Mathematical and Physical Sciences.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 12, 2011 and posted on Jun 4, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 13, 2011 Full Proposal Deadline(s) January 11, 2011 Center Full Proposals January 13, 2011 Team Full Proposals. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $36,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 22 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Organization Limit Proposals may only be submitted by the following Proposals may be submitted by academic institutionsin the US with broad programs in materials research and education. Academic institutions, as defined by the GPG, are universities and two and four year colleges (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunity titled "Materials Research Centers and Teams" (NSF Publication 10-568) supports large-scale, high-impact materials research efforts that are too complex for a single investigator or a narrow disciplinary group to tackle effectively. It is built around two complementary award structures: Centers of Excellence for Materials Research and Innovation (CEMRIs) and Materials Interdisciplinary Research Teams (MIRTs). In both cases, NSF is aiming to strengthen US leadership in materials science by backing world-class interdisciplinary research programs that tightly integrate research and education, while also building and sustaining the infrastructure needed for cutting-edge work in this field.
CEMRIs are designed as campus-based centers that provide long-term, sustained support for interdisciplinary materials research and education at the highest level. The emphasis is on fundamental problems in science and engineering where the "advantages of scale" matter, meaning the research scope typically requires shared facilities, coordinated teams across departments, and a structured center environment to be effective. These centers are expected to bolster the US materials research infrastructure, encourage active collaboration not only within academia but also with industry and international partners, and contribute to a broader national network of university-based centers that combine research excellence with education and shared facilities. A CEMRI can be hosted by a single US institution or formed as a partnership across multiple institutions, reflecting NSF's interest in collaborative structures that match the needs of the research challenge.
MIRTs are presented as a newer mechanism within this solicitation, aimed at supporting interdisciplinary teams focused on a single major materials research problem. While they share the same core priorities as CEMRIs (top-tier interdisciplinary research and strong integration of research with education), MIRTs are more explicitly framed around a team tackling a defined challenge rather than operating as a standing center. An important feature of the MIRT mechanism is that it also supports experimental and computational instrumentation needed for the proposed research, signaling NSF's intent to ensure teams have access to the tools required to execute ambitious projects. Like CEMRIs, MIRTs can be based at one institution or organized as multi-institution partnerships.
Administratively, this is a discretionary NSF opportunity in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category, and awards are made via cooperative agreements, which typically indicates more substantial NSF involvement or oversight compared to standard grants. The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 47.049 (Mathematical and Physical Sciences). NSF anticipated making about 22 awards under this competition, with an estimated total funding level of $36,000,000, and it does not require cost sharing or matching.
Eligibility is limited to US academic institutions with broad programs in materials research and education. This includes accredited US universities as well as two-year and four-year colleges (including community colleges), as defined in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), provided they have a campus located in the United States and submit on behalf of their faculty. This framing signals that NSF is looking for proposals rooted in robust institutional capacity for materials research and training, consistent with the infrastructure and education integration goals of both the center and team models.
The solicitation used a two-stage process with required preliminary proposals followed by invited or full proposals. Preliminary proposals were due in early September 2010, with separate dates for centers (September 1, 2010) and teams (September 3, 2010). Full proposals were due in January 2011, again with separate deadlines: January 11, 2011 for CEMRI center proposals and January 13, 2011 for MIRT team proposals. The posted date for the opportunity was June 4, 2010. For access issues related to the announcement, NSF directed applicants to Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF Materials Research Centers and Teams (NSF Publication 10-568)
1) What is the NSF "Materials Research Centers and Teams" funding opportunity?
This NSF opportunity (NSF Publication 10-568) supports large-scale, high-impact materials research efforts that are too complex for a single investigator or a narrow disciplinary group. NSF is aiming to strengthen U.S. leadership in materials science by supporting world-class interdisciplinary research programs that integrate research and education and that build and sustain infrastructure for leading-edge work.
2) What award types are available under this solicitation?
The solicitation is built around two complementary award structures:
- Centers of Excellence for Materials Research and Innovation (CEMRIs)
- Materials Interdisciplinary Research Teams (MIRTs)
3) How do CEMRIs and MIRTs differ?
CEMRIs are campus-based centers intended to provide long-term, sustained support for interdisciplinary materials research and education, particularly where "advantages of scale" are important (such as shared facilities, coordinated cross-department teams, and a structured center environment).
MIRTs are an interdisciplinary team mechanism focused on a single major materials research problem. They share the same core priorities (top-tier interdisciplinary research and strong integration of research with education) but are more explicitly framed around a defined challenge tackled by a team rather than operating as a standing center.
4) What does NSF mean by "advantages of scale" in the CEMRI model?
In this context, "advantages of scale" refers to research scope and complexity that typically require shared facilities, coordinated teams across departments, and a structured center environment to be effective. The CEMRI model is designed to support that kind of coordinated, infrastructure-dependent effort.
5) What is the overall program goal?
The overarching goal is to strengthen U.S. leadership in materials science by backing high-impact interdisciplinary research programs that tightly integrate research and education, while also supporting and sustaining the infrastructure needed for cutting-edge materials research.
6) Are research and education expected to be integrated?
Yes. For both CEMRIs and MIRTs, NSF emphasizes strong integration of research with education as a core priority.
7) Does this opportunity support research infrastructure or shared facilities?
Yes. For CEMRIs, a key emphasis is on building and sustaining the infrastructure needed for cutting-edge work, including shared facilities that enable large interdisciplinary programs. For MIRTs, the solicitation explicitly notes support for experimental and computational instrumentation needed for the proposed research.
8) Does the MIRT mechanism allow funding for instrumentation?
Yes. An important feature of the MIRT mechanism is that it supports experimental and computational instrumentation needed for the proposed research, indicating NSF intends teams to have access to the tools required for ambitious projects.
9) Can a proposal be submitted by a single institution, or must it be multi-institutional?
Either structure is allowed. A CEMRI can be hosted by a single U.S. institution or formed as a partnership across multiple institutions. Similarly, MIRTs can be based at one institution or organized as multi-institution partnerships.
10) Are collaborations beyond academia encouraged?
Yes. CEMRIs are expected to encourage active collaboration not only within academia but also with industry and international partners, and to contribute to a broader national network of university-based centers.
11) What kind of award instrument does NSF use for this opportunity?
Awards are made via cooperative agreements. This typically indicates more substantial NSF involvement or oversight compared to standard grants.
12) What is the funding category for this opportunity?
Administratively, it is a discretionary NSF opportunity in the "Science and Technology and other Research and Development" category.
13) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 47.049 (Mathematical and Physical Sciences).
14) How many awards did NSF anticipate making, and what was the estimated total funding?
NSF anticipated making about 22 awards under this competition, with an estimated total funding level of $36,000,000.
15) Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The solicitation states that it does not require cost sharing or matching.
16) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to U.S. academic institutions with broad programs in materials research and education. This includes accredited U.S. universities as well as two-year and four-year colleges (including community colleges), as defined in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), provided they have a campus located in the United States and submit on behalf of their faculty.
17) Are community colleges included in eligibility?
Yes. Two-year and four-year colleges, including community colleges, are included as eligible U.S. academic institutions (as defined in the NSF GPG), provided they meet the stated campus and submission requirements.
18) Does the institution need to have a U.S. campus?
Yes. Eligible institutions must have a campus located in the United States.
19) Is there a specific expectation about institutional capacity?
Yes. The eligibility framing indicates NSF is looking for proposals rooted in robust institutional capacity for materials research and training, consistent with the infrastructure and education integration goals of both the center and team models.
20) Was there a preliminary proposal requirement?
Yes. The solicitation used a two-stage process with required preliminary proposals followed by invited or full proposals.
21) What were the preliminary proposal deadlines?
Preliminary proposals were due in early September 2010, with separate dates by mechanism:
- CEMRI (center) preliminary proposals: September 1, 2010
- MIRT (team) preliminary proposals: September 3, 2010
22) What were the full proposal deadlines?
Full proposals were due in January 2011, again with separate deadlines by mechanism:
- CEMRI (center) full proposals: January 11, 2011
- MIRT (team) full proposals: January 13, 2011
23) When was the opportunity posted?
The posted date for the opportunity was June 4, 2010.
24) Where should applicants go for access issues related to the announcement?
For access issues related to the announcement, NSF directed applicants to Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
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