National Science Foundation awards in the Ceramics Program starting in 2017

The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that serves as a funding source for basic research conducted at America’s colleges and universities. NSF has seven science and engineering research and education directorates. The Ceramics Program within the Division of Materials Research (DMR) is located in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate.

The Ceramics Program’s mission is to support fundamental scientific research in ceramics (e.g., oxides, carbides, nitrides, and borides), glass-ceramics, inorganic glasses, ceramic-based composites, and inorganic carbon-based materials. The majority of the proposals received continue to be focused on oxides. The overall objective of the program is to increase fundamental understanding and to develop predictive capabilities for relating synthesis, processing, and microstructure of these materials to their properties and ultimate performance in various environments and applications. Discovery or creation of new ceramic materials is welcome as is the development of new experimental techniques or novel approaches.

At the end of August 2016, the Ceramics Program embarked on a pilot (alongside the Condensed Matter and Materials Theory Program, also in DMR) to permit proposals to be submitted at any time, with a few restrictions (NSF 16-597). This approach is not unique—it is used in the Geosciences, Engineering, and Biological Sciences Directorates at NSF and by some German and United Kingdom agencies. NSF undertook this change to better accommodate the schedules of principal investigators (PIs) and encourage submission of emerging ideas. In addition, NSF hopes the change will increase proposal quality and spread workflow (for reviewers and NSF staff) more evenly throughout the year. Additionally, PIs submitting to the Ceramics Program must suggest reviewers, and annual budget requests cannot exceed $160,000.

During fiscal year (FY) 2017, the number of full proposals received by the Ceramics Program dropped to below 80—in contrast to the past decade, when the program received 110 to nearly 160 proposals annually. Supplemental proposal requests to support new international collaborations or the addition of veteran and underrepresented minority graduate students to projects (through MPS-GRSV: NSF 15-024 and AGEP-GRS: NSF 16-125) slightly increased. Although the Ceramics Program has funded Career–Life Balance supplements (for leaves of absence for dependent care responsibilities) in the past, no requests were received during FY 2017. Supplemental proposals are best submitted in February. PIs should bear in mind that full proposal submissions to NSF are best made 9–12 months before the funds are needed, to allow time for review and award processes and to circumvent the non-award zone (August–September due to FY cycles).

In FY 2017, the Ceramics Program recommended support for 19 awards, 13 supplemental awards, two workshops/conferences, and cofunding of a Solid-State and Materials Research project. The awards are listed in Table 1; more information on any NSF award is available by adding the 7-digit award number to the end of www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID= or by searching the NSF awards database. Additional ceramics research is supported through centers, group grants, and other programs focused on one or two investigators (e.g., in the Engineering Directorate).

FY 2018 began on October 1, 2017—the first awards are likely to appear in late winter or early spring. At any given time, a map or list of active awards can be generated near the bottom of the Ceramics Program homepage at www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5352.

Conferences

Special Guidelines are found in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide for conference and workshop proposals.

Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)

The CAREER solicitation (NSF 17-537) is restricted to single investigators who are assistant professors.

Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI)

GOALI (described in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide) promotes university–industry partnerships by making project funds or fellowships and traineeships available to support universities working with industry. Projects must meet certain conditions, including having at least one co-PI from industry. For the 2017 award, the GOALI industry partner is Corning Research and Development.

Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF)

A Dear Colleague Letter (NSF 17-120) provides guidance for submitting collaborative materials research proposals to foster cooperation between U.S. academics and their Israeli counterparts.