Thermal Transport Processes | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - NSF Thermal Transport Processes (PD 12-1406)

What is the NSF Thermal Transport Processes program?

The NSF Thermal Transport Processes program funds fundamental engineering research and related educational activities that deepen basic understanding of how heat and thermally driven mass transport occur and can be controlled across length scales, from nanoscale and microscale features up to full macroscale devices and systems.

What kinds of work does the program emphasize?

The program emphasizes research that uncovers and validates underlying heat and mass transfer principles, develops predictive theories and models, and creates measurement and diagnostic approaches that explain why a thermal transport phenomenon happens and how it can be manipulated to meet clear engineering goals.

Is the goal to build better thermal hardware like heat sinks or heat exchangers?

Not as the main goal. The core idea is not simply to build a better heat sink or a more efficient exchanger, but to generate generalizable knowledge: new principles, mechanisms, models, and diagnostics that explain and predict thermal transport and how to control it.

What length scales are in scope for this program?

The scope spans from nano and micro-scale features through macro-scale devices and systems. Proposals are expected to address thermal transport across these length scales, including how information, models, or measurements bridge scales when appropriate.

Why does NSF frame this as fundamental engineering research?

The program is positioned within NSF engineering research and is aimed at work that advances engineering science. While applications and impact matter, proposals are expected to clearly explain the fundamental contribution to heat and mass transfer understanding.

What application areas does the solicitation highlight as important?

The solicitation highlights five broad arenas where thermal transport is central: (1) cooling and heating of equipment and devices, including thermal management constraints on performance and reliability; (2) energy conversion and power generation, thermal energy storage, conservation, and efficiency improvements; (3) synthesis and processing of materials, including advanced manufacturing where thermal histories affect microstructure and properties; (4) propulsion and thermal processes relevant to air and land vehicles; and (5) thermal transport phenomena in biological systems, including coupling of heat/mass transport to physiology or biomedical devices.

Do proposals need to fit one of the highlighted application arenas?

The announcement uses these arenas to illustrate where thermal transport matters, but the program can consider innovative proposals outside the listed focus areas. If a concept does not clearly align, the solicitation recommends contacting the Program Director before submission to confirm fit and reduce the chance of an administrative return.

What does the program mean by "thermally driven mass transport"?

It refers to mass transport processes driven by thermal gradients, alongside heat transfer itself. The program emphasizes transport processes driven by thermal gradients and the deliberate manipulation of these processes.

What should a strong proposal make clear about gradients and control?

Proposals should clearly state what gradients are involved, what mechanisms are being studied, and what controllable "knobs" or levers will be used to manipulate thermal transport processes to meet engineering goals. The solicitation emphasizes understanding that generalizes beyond a single prototype.

What two broad kinds of submissions does NSF say it prioritizes?

NSF signals priority for (1) insightful investigations of fundamental problems whose outcomes could have wide impact, and (2) novel studies that advance heat and mass transfer principles to explain phenomena, improve performance, and achieve key outcomes that matter in practice.

What are the current focus areas that are described as most competitive?

The solicitation identifies focus areas that help define what is most competitive: (1) control of thermal transport in devices and systems and in materials processing aimed at improved performance; (2) simulation and diagnostics of flow and heat transport that bridge information across scales and enable credible device or system-level studies; and (3) new materials, processes, or devices that deliver significant gains in thermal properties and performance, with an emphasis on fundamental explanation and enabling concepts rather than incremental property changes.

What does NSF mean by "bridging across scales" in simulation and diagnostics?

It means developing simulation and measurement/diagnostic approaches that connect information across length scales, so results can support credible device or system-level understanding rather than being limited to isolated single-scale demonstrations.

Are incremental improvements in thermal properties competitive?

The solicitation suggests that incremental property changes without a strong fundamental explanation or enabling concept may be less compelling than work that reveals new mechanisms, predictive understanding, or design rules that explain and enable significant performance gains.

How long are typical unsolicited research awards under this program?

Unsolicited research awards are typically one to three years long.

What is the typical budget size for unsolicited research awards?

The average annual award size is around $100,000.

What happens if a proposal requests substantially more than the typical annual budget?

The announcement states that proposals requesting substantially more than the average annual award size, without prior consultation with the Program Director, risk being returned without review.

Should investigators contact the Program Director before submitting?

Yes in several situations. The solicitation recommends contacting the Program Director to confirm program fit for innovative proposals outside the listed focus areas, and it also indicates that prior discussion is expected for certain proposal mechanisms (such as RAPID and EAGER). It also highlights consultation when requesting substantially more than the typical annual budget.

What are the key proposal content expectations called out in the solicitation?

The solicitation stresses that proposals should clearly address novelty and/or potentially transformative aspects relative to prior work, and that this should be stated at minimum in the Project Summary. Proposals should also explain why the work is important to engineering science and provide a credible projection of potential societal and/or industrial impact if the research succeeds.

Where must novelty or transformative potential be stated?

The solicitation indicates this should be stated at minimum in the Project Summary.

Does NSF consider anything besides reviewer scores when making final funding decisions?

Yes. The announcement notes that final funding decisions can involve additional factors beyond reviewer scores, including program balance across subfields, overlap with other available funding, total funds available, and broader NSF policies and priorities.

Are CAREER proposals relevant to this program?

Yes. CAREER proposals are strongly encouraged, and they run five years while following the Engineering CAREER deadline cycle (noted as July).

Are conference, workshop, or supplement proposals allowed under this program?

The program references proposals for conferences, workshops, and supplements as mechanisms used in NSF's CBET context. These are generally expected to be submitted during regular proposal windows, and investigators are encouraged to discuss these with the Program Director in advance.

What are RAPID and EAGER proposals, and are they applicable here?

The solicitation notes that RAPID and EAGER proposals may be appropriate for urgent or exploratory concepts, but they require prior discussion with the Program Director before submission.

Is there a strict submission window for this opportunity?

Yes. The announcement includes a strict administrative rule that proposals submitted outside the announced submission window dates will be returned without review.

What are the submission window dates and deadline time listed in the announcement?

The cited submission window runs from January 15, 2012 to February 17, 2012, due by 5 p.m. local time.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA number for this announcement?

The Funding Opportunity Number is PD 12-1406, and the CFDA listing is 47.041 (Engineering Grants).

Is cost sharing required?

No. The opportunity details indicate there is no cost sharing requirement.

Who is eligible to apply?

The opportunity details indicate broadly unrestricted eligibility, subject to any clarifications in the announcement text.

When was this opportunity posted?

The posting date listed is June 8, 2011.

How much total funding and how many awards are expected?

The estimated total funding is listed as $10.1 million, with an expected 32 awards.

What is the listed award floor, and how does it relate to the typical award size?

The award floor is shown as $270,000. The solicitation also states that typical unsolicited awards average about $100,000 per year and usually last one to three years, so the floor should be interpreted alongside that guidance.

Does the program support educational activities as well as research?

Yes. The program description explicitly includes related educational activities tied to fundamental engineering research on thermal transport processes.

What kinds of impacts does NSF expect proposals to discuss?

Beyond the fundamental engineering contribution, NSF expects a credible projection of potential societal and/or industrial impact if the research succeeds, and the program is framed as influencing major technology areas with broad economic, environmental, and societal relevance.