Physical Sciences & Engineering

Limit: 1// I. Reyes ( Collge of Education -  Borderlands Education Center (BEC))

Planning Grant (these require approval from the NSF Program Officer): J. Watkins (Math)

In response to the CHIPS Act of 2022 (Pub.L. 117-167), NSF is establishing the National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program. The purpose of this program is to elevate the profession of STEM teaching by establishing a National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program to recognize outstanding STEM teachers in our Nation’s classrooms, reward them for their accomplishments, elevate their public profile, and create rewarding career paths to which all STEM teachers can aspire, both to prepare future STEM researchers and to create a scientifically literate public.

With this solicitation, NSF is inviting proposals to establish an initial set of Regional Alliances responsible for (a) recruiting eligible applicants to become members of the National STEM Teacher Corps (see definitions in section II.A.); (b) screening, interviewing, and selecting members; and (c) supporting other activities detailed in the Program Description and the law (136 STAT. 1515).

Each Alliance will be awarded as a cooperative agreement that represents the breadth of activities important to National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program and serves to elevate the public profile of STEM teachers within the region. Collectively these Alliances are expected to have a national impact. 

The National STEM Teacher Corps also welcomes planning proposals submitted at any time during the year. See Section II.E for additional information about the preparation and submission of planning proposals.

Limit: 2 // Tickets Available: 0

E. Mcleod (Wyant College of Optical Sciences)

J. Thangavelautham (Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering)

There will be two webinars to learn more about the Schmidt Science Polymaths selection process, on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 (11:00 a.m. CT) and Thursday, August 1, 2024 (10:00 a.m. CT). Register here.

The Schmidt Science Polymath Program seeks to empower intensely creative, early-to-mid-career researchers to take adventurous leaps into new research domains, experiment with new methodologies and ideas, and inspire impactful scientific breakthroughs. Achieving tenure, or equivalent status, should be a moment when professors feel a new sense of freedom that allows them to innovate and attempt new research paths. Unfortunately, this time is often coupled with a lack of resources and a pressure to continue producing results within their established research portfolio.

The Schmidt Science Polymath program (“the program”) recognizes extraordinary researchers with remarkable track records, promising futures, and a desire to expand their research portfolios by exploring a substantive disciplinary or methodological shift soon after achieving tenure. The program will offer long-term research support to professors who have recently achieved tenure or an equivalent status (within the past three calendar years) with remarkable track records and highly promising futures. Each professor will be awarded $500,000 per year, paid through their institution, for up to five years to help support a research group through talent, such as three to four students or postdocs, and resources. These grants are intended to make possible the exploration of new ideas across disciplines, using emerging technologies to test risky theories that may not otherwise receive funding or support. They are not intended to relieve the researcher of pursuing other grants to continue their mainstream work, nor to be large enough to fully support a modern lab.

Schmidt Sciences will review all nominations and send eligible and promising nominees an invitation and instructions on how to apply. We especially encourage nominee submissions from geographies outside of the US and/or who belong to demographic groups that are currently underrepresented in scientific research. Please note that not all nominees will be invited to apply. We encourage you to nominate only the strongest candidates who demonstrate the selection criteria outlined in this guide. The review is highly selective; fewer than 10% of applicants are selected to receive the award each year. Nominations are typically collected from June to mid-August, applications are due in October, and decisions are shared in April.

Tenure or Equivalent Status

We recognize that tenure is not a global status, and that even among institutions that award tenure there is variation in title and experience. We are looking for candidates who have recently reached a level of security, seniority, and permanence in their positions who should have significant academic freedom. The three-year window is intended to reflect a period of a candidate's career, not their position in many universities, so eligible candidates should have received tenure or a permanent faculty position for the first time at any institution within the past three years. At many American research universities, eligible candidates are Associate Professors, though depending on the institution, eligible candidates may range from Senior Lecturers to Professors.

Candidate Criteria

In order to be eligible for nomination to the Schmidt Science Polymaths application process, candidates must meet the following qualifications: ● Have achieved tenure or an equivalent status within the past three calendar years (January 1, 2021 or later), ● Have a remarkable record of accomplishment in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and/or engineering, ● Have a demonstrated history of pursuing and publishing results in more than one field, ● Have a desire and plan to expand their research portfolios by exploring a substantive disciplinary or methodological shift, but have not yet launched such shifts, ● Demonstrate a need for additional funding to enable new experiments, explorations, or shifts in research directions

Selection Criteria

We are looking for the brightest minds in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and/or engineering who have gained recognition for significant progress on multiple research problems while also showing a capacity for generating a continuing flow of innovative new ideas and approaches in a variety of areas. They will have demonstrated their high variance thinking through successful research in areas widely divergent from their main field of expertise. Schmidt Science Polymaths are expected to be intensely creative science leaders who demonstrate an immense capacity for innovative new thinking or shifts in research directions that can lead to impactful breakthroughs given flexible resources. Applications will be judged based on: ● The breadth and depth of the candidates' work ● The quality, impact, and innovation displayed in the candidates work ● The candidates’ track-record of high variance thinking and approaches, as well as their capacity for creative new research or shifts in research directions given flexible resources ● The candidate’s proposed research directions and projects as outlined in their application, including likelihood of success and significant impact, and expectation that the candidate’s research directions will change over time

No Applicants  // Limit: 24* // Tickets Available: 24 

*Applicant institutions are  limited to three pre-applications and three applications for each program (ASCR, BES, BER, FES, HEP, NP, DOE IP, ARDAP).

The Office of Science (SC) seeks applications for fundamental research in fields supported by SC to build research capacity at institutions historically underrepresented in the SC portfolio, i.e. non-R1 minority serving institutions (MSIs) and non-R1 emerging research institutions (ERIs). This FOA aims to build research capacity, including infrastructure and expertise at these institutions, through mutually beneficial relationships between applicants and DOE national laboratories, SC scientific user facilities, or R1 MSI/ERIs. 

SC supports fundamental research in applied mathematics, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, geoscience, isotope research, materials science, fusion energy science, and physics to transform our understanding of nature and catalyze scientific discoveries that can lead to technical breakthroughs. All applications to SC should focus on hypothesis-driven basic research. SC does not support applied research, product development, or prototyping.

Institutionally Coordinated // Limit: 1 // T. D. Swindle (Lunar & Planetary Laboratory) 

Proposals will only be accepted from the lead institution of Space Grant consortia in each state along with the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. NASA will only accept one proposal per consortium. 

Arizona Space Grant Consortium

University of Arizona

Dr. Timothy D. Swindle
Director, Arizona Space Grant Consortium
University of Arizona
Lunar & Planetary Laboratory

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (OSTEM) Engagement solicits proposals for the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (Space Grant) Space Grant Opportunities in NASA STEM FY2025-2028. Each funded proposal is expected to define a comprehensive consortium program devoted to increasing student and youth’s understanding of space and aeronautics and to executing the assessment, development, and utilization of resources to bolster the STEM pipeline for aerospace. The funding opportunity is intended to provide four years of funding via an educational cooperative agreement.

No Applicants // Limit: 4 // Tickets Available: 4

Applicant institutions are limited to no more than four (4) pre-applications or applications as a lead institution and no more than one pre-application or application for any individual PI.

The Department of Energy (DOE) Fusion Energy Science (FES) program is embarking on a transformative initiative aimed at creating a fusion innovation ecosystem, the “Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE)”, by forming virtual, centrally managed teams called “Collaboratives”, that have a collective goal of bridging FES’s basic science research programs and growing fusion industries, including the activities supported under the FES milestone-based fusion development program.

At its core, FIRE represents a departure from traditional science programs. It is structured as a framework comprised of Collaboratives with the purpose of bridging the gap between foundational science and practical application. These Collaboratives are envisioned as dynamic hubs of innovation, driving advancements in fusion energy research in collaboration with both public and private entities. FES envisions the ecosystem surrounding the Collaboratives as a facilitator for collaboration and coordination with the basic science research program and other stakeholders, creating an engine for innovation. FIRE hopes to foster synergy and alignment of goals, accelerating progress towards the realization of fusion energy as a clean, sustainable power source. Moreover, this initiative aims to create new economic opportunities, bolster US-based manufacturing and supply chains, and enable the development of technologies crucial for national security, energy security, and defense.

FES envisions FIRE Collaboratives as a collection of virtual, centrally managed teams. These teams leverage expertise, capabilities, and facilities to systematically address FS&T gaps, fostering integrated research efforts, facilitating collaboration among diverse stakeholders, and enhancing communication to accelerate progress in enabling fusion energy. The term ‘fusion ecosystem’ refers to the network of collaborative relationships, resources, and initiatives aimed at advancing fusion energy. Within this ecosystem, FIRE Collaboratives serve as a pivotal component, driving coordinated efforts to address key challenges and accelerate advancements in fusion science and technology.

Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 0

G. Melandri (Plant Sciences) 
 

Institutions may submit one nominee to the 2025 New Innovator Award program.
 

The New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award provides early-career scientists the investment needed to propel them into successful research careers.
Young faculty in the sciences often struggle to secure grant funding. We established the New Innovator Awards to launch the careers of promising scientists whose research addresses significant food and agriculture challenges. These awards allow the grantees to focus exclusively on research without the pressure of securing additional funding.

 Eligible Individuals

Faculty members at eligible institutions with the creative ideas, skills, knowledge and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research program as principal investigator are invited to work with their institution to develop an application for support.

• The nominated faculty member must have been hired on or after August 1, 2021 for a tenure-track or equivalent position and may work in any discipline or any department within the institution.
• Preference will be given to individuals near the onset of their independent research career and who are within eight (8) yearsof receiving a Ph.D. or equivalent degree.
• Individuals with significant research experience prior to obtaining their faculty position will not be considered for this award. For the purpose of this funding opportunity, significant research experience is defined as a nominee that has been awarded a substantial research grant (three to five years of support) or has received project funding totaling over $1M within the time of their tenure position or has been awarded similar career development awards with similar budgetary scopes.
• This research concept must directly benefit U.S. agricultural interests.

FFAR recognizes that agriculture and food sciences are highly complex, requiring individuals from a variety of disciplines to realize the potential in each field or research area. Particularly for early-stage investigators, collaborators are often essential for success. While this award is made to an outstanding early career investigator, applicants should include information regarding any essential collaborators and include letters of support from those collaborators. In these letters, the collaborators should comment on the potential of the individual to achieve success.

Limit:1 // L. Folks (Semiconductor Strategy)

Number of Applications: 1 per applicant organization.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Office of Export Control Cooperation (ISN/ECC) announces an open competition for organizations (see eligibility information in C.1) interested in submitting application to implement a project aimed at advancing U.S. foreign policy and national security priorities by supporting initiatives that make decision-making structures and processes in fragile, conflict, or crisis-affected contexts more reflective of and responsive to the needs and perspectives of partner states to ensure strategic trade control systems meet international standards and by engaging on bilateral, regional and multilateral levels with foreign governments to aid in the establishment of independent capabilities to regulate transfers of weapons of mass destruction, WMD-related items, conventional arms, and related dual-use items, and to detect, interdict, investigate, and prosecute illicit transfers of such items.

The goal of this project is to address national security deficiencies in India’s technology protection mechanisms centering on semiconductor-related technology and Intellectual Property (IP). Specifically, this project has two components (both of which must be included in an application) and calls for capacity building for (1) IP rights compliance within the industry and (2) IP rights enforcement by the relevant authorities, as they pertain to the semiconductor technology ecosystem.

No Applicants  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

Universities are permitted to submit one single application to General Scientific Infrastructure (GSI) support section of this FOA area per institution. 

The Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) mission is to advance nuclear energy science and technology to meet U.S. energy, environmental, and economic needs. NE has identified the following goals to address challenges in the nuclear energy sector, help realize the potential of advanced technology, and leverage the unique role of the government in spurring innovation:

• Keep existing U.S. nuclear reactors operating

• Deploy new nuclear reactors

• Secure and sustain our nuclear fuel cycle

• Expand international nuclear energy cooperation

Collectively, all NE-sponsored activities support the Department’s priorities to combat the climate crisis, create clean energy jobs with the free and fair chance to join a union and bargain collectively, and promote equity and environmental justice by delivering innovative clean energy technologies for nuclear energy systems.

Within Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP), the specific goals of this Infrastructure FOA are:

• To support, maintain, or enhance the institution’s capacities to attract and teach high quality students interested in nuclear energy-related studies;

• Build the institution’s research or education capabilities; and

• Enhance the institution’s capabilities to perform R&D that is relevant to NE’s mission.

The following targeted objectives within this Infrastructure FOA will aide in achieving these goals.

(1) Upgrade and improve U.S. university nuclear research and training reactors. Upgrades for a research reactor that include the acquisition of equipment and/or instrumentation for activities related to safety, performance, control, or operational reliability. For example, equipment acquired for security/safety enhancements required by the federal/state/local regulatory agencies is permitted.

(2) Obtain equipment and instrumentation that significantly improves or expands the research, instruction, training capabilities, and/or operating capabilities related to NE program missions (e.g., utilization or handling of radiological or radioactive materials). For example, this may include radiation detection and measurement equipment.

(3) Contribute to strengthening the academic community’s nuclear engineering infrastructure.

Requests should focus on individual, discrete, definable items or capabilities. An applicant must demonstrate the educational or R&D connection between requested pieces of equipment to support the NE mission. Applications made of several uncorrelated equipment requests are not of interest. A request should not duplicate existing capabilities. To review existing NE R&D capabilities in the United States, refer to the Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Database (NEID), available at https://nsuf-infrastructure.inl.gov (account login required). Information on current NE research programs can be found at NE’s website: https://energy.gov/ne.

Limit: 2 // Tickets Available: 0

N. Hennessey (ENGineering Access, Greater Equity and Diversity)
E. Enikov (Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering) 

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 2

An eligible organization may participate in two Innovations in Graduate Education proposals per annual competition. Participation includes serving as a lead organization on a non-collaborative proposal or as a lead organization, non-lead organization, or subawardee on a collaborative proposal. Organizations participating solely as evaluators on projects are excluded from this limitation.

The Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) Program is designed to encourage development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative approaches to STEM graduate education training. The program seeks proposals that a) explore ways for graduate students in STEM master's and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers, or b) support research on the graduate education system and outcomes of systemic interventions and policies.

IGE projects are intended to generate the knowledge required for the customization, implementation, and broader adoption of potentially transformative approaches to graduate education. The program supports piloting, testing, and validating novel models or activities and examining systemic innovations with high potential to enrich and extend the knowledge base on effective graduate education approaches.

The program addresses both workforce development, emphasizing broad participation, and institutional capacity-building needs in graduate education. Strategic collaborations with the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies, national laboratories, field stations, teaching and learning centers, informal science organizations, and academic partners are encouraged.

Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 0

J. Maximillian (Environmental Science)
 

An organization may serve as sole submitting organization or as lead organization of a collaborative project on only one submission per cycle, regardless of track, but may serve as the non-lead organization of a collaborative project more than once per cycle.

The Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) supports the Pathways into the Geosciences - Earth, Ocean, Polar and Atmospheric Sciences (GEOPAths) funding opportunity. GEOPAths invites proposals that specifically address the current needs and opportunities related to education, learning, training and professional development within the geosciences community through the formation of STEM Learning Ecosystems that engage students in the study of the Earth, its oceans, polar regions and atmosphere. The primary goal of the GEOPAths funding opportunity is to increase the number of students pursuing undergraduate and/or postgraduate degrees through the design and testing of novel approaches that engage students in authentic, career-relevant experiences in geoscience. In order to broaden participation in the geosciences, engaging students from historically excluded groups or from non-geoscience degree programs is a priority. This solicitation features three funding tracks that focus on Geoscience Learning Ecosystems (GLEs):

1. GEOPAths: Informal Networks (IN). Collaborative projects in this track will support geoscience learning and experiences in informal settings for teachers, pre-college (e.g., upper level high school) students, and early undergraduates in the geosciences.
2. GEOPAths: Undergraduate Preparation (UP). Projects in this track will engage pre-college and undergraduate students in extra-curricular experiences and training in the geosciences with a focus on service learning and workplace skill building.
3. GEOPAths: Graduate Opportunities (GO). Projects in this track will improve research and career-related pathways into the geosciences for undergraduate and graduate students through institutional collaborations with a focus on service learning and workplace skill building.