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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NanoManufacturing (NM) Grant Opportunity (PD 08 1788)

What is the NanoManufacturing (NM) grant opportunity (PD 08 1788)?

The NanoManufacturing (NM) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PD 08 1788) was a National Science Foundation (NSF) discretionary grant program in the Engineering Grants area (CFDA 47.041). It focused on moving nanoscience and nanotechnology from laboratory research into practical, repeatable manufacturing.

What was the main purpose of this program?

The program aimed to support research and education that make nanoscale manufacturing possible at industrially relevant throughput and quality, with an explicit emphasis on enabling real-world applications rather than isolated, one-off laboratory demonstrations.

What kinds of projects did the program emphasize?

The NM program emphasized work that connects fundamental advances to manufacturing-ready processes, tools, or systems that can be adopted beyond a single lab. It highlighted scaling, repeatability, and broader manufacturability considerations rather than single prototypes.

What does the solicitation mean by a "systems approach" to nanomanufacturing?

A "systems approach" means viewing nanomanufacturing as an end-to-end production problem. Instead of only proving a nanoscale effect, proposals were expected to consider high-rate production, reliability, robustness, yield, and cost, and how different steps and components work together in a manufacturing environment.

What manufacturing challenges were specifically highlighted?

The program language points to challenges such as nanoscale process control and metrology, manufacturing tool development, repeatability and defect reduction, in-line or high-throughput characterization, and engineering pathways for consistent and economical production.

Was integration into larger systems an important part of the program?

Yes. The opportunity indicated strong interest in integration, including integrating nanostructures into functional micro devices and into larger meso- and macroscale systems, reflecting real manufacturing needs like embedding, packaging, interconnection, and scaling into components that fit larger products and supply chains.

How important was technology transfer to industry?

Technology transfer was a highlighted expectation. The program stressed transferring research results to industry, implying proposals were expected to connect research outcomes to processes, tools, or systems that can be adopted outside a single laboratory setting.

Did the program consider environmental, health, and societal aspects?

Yes. The solicitation placed special weight on environmental, health, and societal aspects of nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing, encouraging attention to responsible development alongside performance and scalability.

What kinds of environmental, health, and safety considerations were implied?

The opportunity suggests investigators consider issues such as worker exposure, lifecycle impacts, responsible handling of nanomaterials, potential environmental release, safety-by-design approaches, and broader societal implications of nanomanufacturing adoption.

Did the opportunity suggest including risk assessment or mitigation strategies?

Based on the emphasis on environmental, health, and societal aspects, applicants would typically be expected to consider risk assessment, safer process alternatives, measurement and mitigation strategies, and educational components that prepare the workforce to manage nanoscale manufacturing responsibly.

What type of funding mechanism was used?

The program was structured as a grant mechanism under NSF.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.

Who was eligible to apply?

The eligibility field was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to applicant types, subject to any additional eligibility language that may have existed in the full program text.

When was the opportunity posted?

The posted date was March 23, 2009.

Is PD 08 1788 still open?

No. The program later moved to archived status on September 10, 2010. The current closing date was noted as replaced by PD 10 1788.

What were the full proposal submission windows listed for this solicitation?

The original full proposal window for 2009 ran from September 1, 2009 through October 1, 2009. Another window was listed for January 15, 2010 through February 15, 2010. These windows were indicated to recur annually during the active period of the solicitation.

How much funding was available under this opportunity?

The opportunity listed an estimated total funding amount of $300,000.

What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling was $300,000.

What was the minimum award amount (award floor)?

The award floor was $1.

How many awards were expected?

The expected awards field was shown as 0. The listing notes that this can appear in older archived records and may reflect how the record was captured or maintained rather than program intent.

What is the practical takeaway about award size?

The solicitation described awards up to $300,000, a level generally suited to focused research projects, exploratory systems demonstrations, or targeted educational and technology-transfer activities tied to nanomanufacturing scale-up challenges.

What program identifiers are associated with this opportunity?

It was identified as Funding Opportunity Number PD 08 1788, under NSF Engineering Grants, with CFDA 47.041.

Where could applicants find the official program description?

NSF pointed applicants to the NSF program description (08 1788).

Who should be contacted for Grants.gov access or technical issues?

For difficulties accessing the announcement electronically, NSF provided the Grants.gov support contact: grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

What if there were issues linking to the funding announcement?

The opportunity included a note to contact NSF for issues linking to the funding announcement.