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The Environmental Engineering program is part of the Environmental Engineering and Sustainability cluster, which also includes 1) the Nanoscale Interactions program; and 2) the Environmental Sustainability program. Environmental engineering is an interdisciplinary field that applies chemical, biological, and physical scientific principles to protect human and ecological health. The goal of the Environmental Engineering program is tosupport potentially transformative fundamental research that applies scientific and engineering principles to 1) prevent, minimize, or re-use solid, liquid, and gaseous discharges of pollution to soil, water, and air by closing resource loops or through other measures; 2) mitigate the ecological and human-health impacts of such releases by smart/adaptive/reactive amendments or manipulation of the environment, and 3) remediate polluted environments through engineered chemical, biological, and/or geo-physical processes. Integral to achieving these goals is a fundamental understanding of the transport and biogeochemical reactivity of pollutants in the environment. Therefore, research on environmental micro/biology, environmental chemistry, and environmental geophysics may be relevant providing the research has a clear objective of protecting human and ecological health. Major areas of interest include (but are not limited to): Building afuture without pollution or waste: Investigation of innovative biogeochemical processes that prevent or minimize the production of waste; waste valorization and other research that will lead to new technologies toext...

The Mechanics of Materials and Structures program supports fundamental research in mechanics as related to the behavior of deformable solid materials and structures under internal and external actions. The program supports a diverse spectrum of research with emphasis on transformative advances in experimental, theoretical, and computational methods. Submitted proposals should clearly emphasize the contributions to the field of mechanics. Proposals related to material response are welcome, including, but not limited to, advances in fundamental understanding of deformation, fracture, and fatigue as well as contact and friction. Proposals that relate to structural response are also welcome, including, but not limited to, advances in the understanding of nonlinear deformation, instability and collapse, and wave propagation. Proposals addressing mechanics at the intersection of materials and structures, such as, but not limited to, meta-materials, hierarchical, micro-architectured and low-dimensional materials are also encouraged. Proposals that explore and build upon advanced computing techniques and tools to enable major advances in mechanics are particularly welcome. For example, proposals incorporating reduced-order modeling, data-driven techniques, and/or stochastic methods with a strong emphasis on validation are encouraged. Also welcome are proposals addressing data analytics for deformation or damage response deduction from large experimental and computational data sets. Similarly, proposals that explore new experimental techniques to capture deformation and failure info...

The United States Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva advances U.S. policy at more than 100 international organizations in Geneva. The U.S. Mission engages daily on issues as diverse as humanitarian assistance, global health, international trade, peace and security, arms control, and human rights.The Program:The United States Mission in Geneva is accepting project proposals for its fiscal year 2020 Small Grants Program. The Small Grants Program permits individuals, non-government organizations, think tanks, and government and academic institutions to seek funding for projects that promote U.S. policy priorities in the multilateral sphere. All programs must include a U.S. element or connection. Awards will be made to successful applicants subject to the availability of appropriated funds.Programs can include, but are not limited to, academic and professional lectures or panel discussion; exhibitions and cultural programs; professional and academic exchanges; professional development workshops and training; or public awareness campaigns.Priority Program Areas:Though all submitted projects will be considered for funding, we are currently giving priority to projects that highlight:Human rights, including protection of human rights defendersFreedom of religion or beliefPromoting peace and securityPublic-private partnershipsPreserving core UN valuesPromoting transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the UN systemFurther details about the program and how to apply at the following link: https://geneva.usmission.gov/annual-program-stat...

The Law & Science Program considers proposals that address social scientific studies of law and law-like systems of rules, as wellas studies of how science and technology are applied in legal contexts.The Program is inherently interdisciplinary and multi-methodological.Successful proposals describe research that advances scientific theory and understanding of the connections between human behavior and law, legal institutions, or legal processes; or the interactions of law and basic sciences, including biology, computer and information sciences, STEM education, engineering, geosciences, and math and physical sciences.Scientific studies of law often approach law as dynamic, interacting with multiple arenas, and with the participation of multiple actors.Fields of study include many disciplines, and often address problems including, though not limited, to: Crime, Violence, and Policing Cyberspace Economic Issues Environmental Science Evidentiary Issues Forensic Science Governance and Courts Human Rights and Comparative Law Information Technology Legal and Ethical Issues related to Science Legal Decision Making Legal Mobilization and Conceptions of Justice Litigation and the Legal Profession Punishment and Corrections Regulation and Facilitation of Biotechnology (e.g., Gene Editing, Gene Testing, Synthetic Biology) and Other Emerging Sciences and Technologies Use of Science in the Legal Processes LS supports the following types of proposals: Standard Research Grants and Grants for Collaborative Research Conference Awards LS also participates in a number of specialized funding op...

The U.S. Mission to the Republic of Italy’s Public Affairs Section (PAS) is pleased to announce that funding is available through its Public Diplomacy Grants Program. This is an Annual Program Statement outlining funding priorities, strategic themes, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. PA Italy invites proposals for programs that strengthen cultural ties between the United States and Italy through cultural and exchange programming that highlight shared values and promote bilateral cooperation. All programs must include a significant American cultural element, connection with American expert(s), organization(s), OR institution(s) in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives. Priority Program Areas: American and Italian voices countering malign influencers and misinformation campaigns Promoting strong transatlantic relations; Creativity and innovation in education and the arts, and problem solving of issues of mutual interest to both countries; American Studies, particularly American History and Literature, to include university linkages; Promoting diversity and inclusion; Empowerment and prosperity through STEM education and entrepreneurship; American English Language Study; Media Literacy.

U.S. Embassy Praia welcomes the submission of project applications for funding through the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program (SSH). If interested, please carefully review the instructions below. The SSH is a grass-roots grant assistance program that allows U.S. Ambassadors to support local requests for small community-based development projects. The purpose of the Special Self-Help Program is to support communities through modest grants that will positively impact local communities. The SSH philosophy is to help communities help themselves. Projects submitted for SSH must align with one or more U.S. Embassy priorities:  Economic diversification, including small business creation and income generation  Projects must aim to 1) generate sustainable income and employment opportunities in local communities, 2) advance economic diversification and encourage use of local natural resources or income generation, 3) promote a culture of entrepreneurship, and/or 4) improve economic or living conditions of a community. Women start-ups and women entrepreneurs Eligible projects assist women who are launching a business or who are overseeing the early stages of business development (between one to two years). Such projects must promote a culture of women-led entrepreneurship and innovation that can be replicated in the community. Projects must also promote profitable businesses that generate revenue and benefit the community. Social and economic inclusion and creation of opportunities Projects in this category must assist youth, children, women (particularly female heads of household...

The Long Term Research in Environmental Biology (LTREB) Program supports the generation of extended time series of data to address important questions in evolutionary biology, ecology, and ecosystem science. Research areas include, but are not limited to, the effects of natural selection or other evolutionary processes on populations, communities, or ecosystems; the effects of interspecific interactions that vary over time and space; population or community dynamics for organisms that have extended life spans and long turnover times; feedbacks between ecological and evolutionary processes; pools of materials such as nutrients in soils that turn over at intermediate to longer time scales; and external forcing functions such as climatic cycles that operate over long return intervals. All proposals submitted through the LTREB solicitation are processed by 1 of the 3 clusters in the Division of Environmental Biology: Ecosystem Science, Population and Community Ecology, and Evolutionary Processes. Proposals must address topics supported by these clusters. Researchers who are uncertain about the suitability of their project for the LTREB Program are encouraged to contact the cognizant Program Officer. Ecological research on marine populations, communities and ecosystems is not supported by LTREB and should be directed to the Biological Oceanography Program: (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/biooce-biological-oceanography). However, research that examines the evolutionary dynamics of marine populations or communities will be accepted. Investigators who are uncertain about...

The Plant Biotic Interactions (PBI) program supports research on the processes that mediate beneficial and antagonistic interactions between plants and their viral, bacterial, oomycete, fungal, plant, and invertebrate symbionts, pathogens and pests. This joint NSF/NIFA program supports projects focused on current and emerging model and non-model systems, and agriculturally relevant plants. The program’s scope extends from fundamental mechanisms to translational efforts, with the latter seeking to put into agricultural practice insights gained from basic research on the mechanisms that govern plant biotic interactions. Projects must be strongly justified in terms of fundamental biological processes and/or relevance to agriculture and may be purely fundamental or applied or include aspects of both perspectives. All types of symbiosis are appropriate, including commensalism, mutualism, parasitism, and host-pathogen interactions. Research may focus on the biology of the plant host, its pathogens, pests or symbionts, interactions among these, or on the function of plant-associated microbiomes. The program welcomes proposals on the dynamics of initiation, transmission, maintenance and outcome of these complex associations, includingstudies of metabolic interactions, immune recognition and signaling, host-symbiont regulation, reciprocal responses among interacting species and mechanisms associated with self/non-self recognition such as those in pollen-pistil interactions. Explanatory frameworks shouldinclude molecular, genomic, metabolic, cellular, network and organismal processes...

AGSEducation supports efforts to integrateatmospheric and geospaceresearch and education via two main program areas, which are: 1) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site Program. This program provides funding to Universities andResearch Laboratories that allows them to offer summer internships to undergraduate students who would like to participate inatmospheric and/or geospaceresearch efforts. Proposals may be submitted annually (August deadline). 2)AGS Postdoctoral Fellowships:AGS awards 2-year Postdoctoral Fellowships to highly qualified investigators within 3 years of obtaining their PhD to carry out an integrated program of independent research and education. While the postdoc program is funded by core programs, the AGS Education program supports the cost of professional development for the fellows. Additionally, this program will support efforts related to education and professional development for undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs within the NSF Atmospheric and Geospace communities.Proposals to the AGS Education program are acceptedby invitation only. Please contact theeducation program director if you intend to submit a proposal to this program.

The Foundational Research in Robotics (FRR) program, jointly led by the CISE and ENG Directorates, supports research on robotic systems that exhibit significant levels of both computational capability and physical complexity. For the purposes of this program, a robot is defined as intelligence embodied in an engineered construct, with the ability to process information, sense, plan, and move within or substantially alter its working environment. Here intelligence includes a broad class of methods that enable a robot to solve problems or to make contextually appropriate decisions and act upon them. The program welcomes research that considers inextricably interwoven questions of intelligence, computation, and embodiment. Projects may also focus on a distinct aspect of intelligence, computation, or embodiment, as long as the proposed research is clearly justified in the context of a class of robots. The focus of the FRR program is on foundational advances in robotics. Robotics is a deeply interdisciplinary field, and proposals are encouraged across the full range of fundamental engineering and computer science research challenges arising in robotics. To be responsive to the FRR program, each proposal should clearly articulate the following three points: The focus of the research project should be a robot or a class of robots, as defined above. [Is there a robot?] The goal of the project should be to endow a robot or a class of robots with new and useful capabilities or to significantly enhance existing capabilities. [Will a robot gain a new or significantly improved capabilit...

To facilitate fundamental research in the atmospheric sciences, the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) supports state-of-the-art instruments and facilities through the Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education (FARE) Program. The FARE Program includes the Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities (LAOF) and the Community Instruments and Facilities (CIF). Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS)Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities (LAOF) Program oversees a portfolio of multi-user national facilities that are sponsored by NSF for use by the geosciences research community. Program management resides within AGS in the NCAR and Facilities Section (NFS) which provides a single point for coordination of planning and resources.The LAOF program enables geoscience research through the provision of specialized facilities, instrumentation, and field support services necessary to carry out the scientific field work associated with investigations of a wide range of geophysical phenomena. The program is actively involved in oversight of LAOF facilities and decisions about the acquisition, operation, maintenance, upgrading and replacement of these facilities based on input from the scientific community. LAOF funding supports both the planning for scientific field programs (e.g., experimental design, operational plans, logistical support) and the deployment of NSF-sponsored facilities. Proposals to the LAOF program are acceptedby invitation only. Please contact the FARE program dir...

The Dynamics, Control and Systems Diagnostics (DCSD) program supports fundamental theoretical, computational, and experimental research that is knowledge-driven or inspired by applications, focusing on the modeling, analysis, diagnostics and control of the dynamic behavior of systems. Proposals submitted to the DCSD program should articulate how the proposed work advances knowledge in at least one of the following foundational areas: Modeling: mathematical frameworks to understand and predict the behavior of dynamic systems. Analysis: theoretical and computational tools for discovery and exploration of salient properties of dynamic systems. Diagnostics: methods to relate underlying causes to observed behaviors of dynamic systems. Control: methods to produce desired behavior, or mitigate undesired behavior, in dynamic systems. The DCSD program encourages principal investigators (PIs) to request the amount of financial support necessary and sufficient to achieve the scope of the proposed research and to justify this accordingly. PIs are encouraged to send a one-page Project Summary to dcsd@nsf.gov to receive feedback from the Program Directors on whether the project aligns with DCSD program objectives.

With this solicitation, the Division of Chemistry is piloting the removal of deadlines for the submission of proposals to the CLP, CSD and CTMC Programs. The no-deadline pilot seeks to assess the benefits and challenges of removing deadlines in proposal submission for the chemistry research community: the removal of deadlines on proposal submission is intended to allow principal investigators (PIs) more flexibility and better facilitate interdisciplinary research. It may, however, have unanticipated consequences for PIs, reviewers, and institutions. This solicitation applies only to the Chemistry of Life Processes (CLP), Chemical Structure and Dynamics (CSD), and Chemical Theory, Models and Computational Methods (CTMC) programs. Other than the following exceptions, all proposals submitted to the CLP, CSD, and CTMC programs must be submitted through this solicitation, otherwise they will be returned without review. Exceptions: Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) proposals should be submitted through the CAREER solicitation (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503214) by the CAREER deadline date specified. Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions: Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) and Research Opportunity Awards (ROA) proposals should be submitted through the RUI/ROA solicitation (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5518). In addition to the requirements of the RUI program, proposals should follow the guidance in this solicitation. Proposals submitted through the RUI/ROA solicitation to the CLP, CSD, and....

AEIF provides alumni of U.S. sponsored and facilitated exchange programs with funding to expand upon skills gained during their exchange experience to design and implement innovative solutions to global challenges facing their community. Since its inception in 2011, AEIF has funded nearly 500 alumni-led projects around the world through a competitive global competition. This year, AEIF 2022 will support United States’ commitment to:   ·        Support North Macedonia in embracing inclusive democracy, citizen-responsive government, and rule of law; ·        Continue to aid North Macedonia’s efforts to fully integrate into Euro-Atlantic institutions; and ·        Enable North Macedonia to build a stronger, more diversified economy. Themes: The U.S. Embassy North Macedonia will accept public service projects proposed and managed by teams of at least two (2) alumni that support themes such as: Educational programs and initiatives that contribute to business transparency and improving North Macedonia’s investment climate;  Innovative programs that raise climate awareness by focusing on the green economy and eco-friendly entrepreneurial initiatives;  Educational and training programs on media and digital education and literacy;  Educational and training programs on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in the era of 5G technology and digitalization;  Programs advancing energy cooperation and energy security;  Programs that support women’s, minorities’, and other underrepresented groups’ political, security, economic, and civic participation, and inclusion;  Programs elevating...

The Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS), awards Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (PRF) to highly qualified early career investigators to carry out an independent research program. The research plan of each Fellowship must address scientific questions within the scope of AGS disciplines. These disciplines include Atmospheric Chemistry (ATC), Climate and Large-Scale Dynamics (CLD), Paleoclimate (PC), and Physical and Dynamic Meteorology (PDM) in the Atmospheric Sciences, and Aeronomy (AER), Magnetospheric Physics (MAG), Solar Terrestrial (ST), and Space Weather Research (SWR) in the Geospace Sciences. The AGS-PRF program supports researchers (also known as Fellows) for a period of up to 24 months with Fellowships that can be taken to the institution of their choice. The program is intended to recognize beginning investigators of significant potential and provide them with experiences in research that will broaden perspectives, facilitate interdisciplinary interactions, and help establish them in leadership positions within the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences community. Fellowships are awards to individual Fellows, not institutions, and are administered by the Fellows.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) outlines funding priorities, strategic areas of focus, and instructions for submitting requests for funding. Please follow all instructions carefully. Through its Small Grants Program, the United States Mission in Geneva is accepting project proposals that promote U.S. policy priorities in the multilateral sphere. Project should be aimed at international (not U.S.) audiences, and impact should resonate in Geneva`s multilateral environment. Projects should be implemented by an organization or individual with a presence in Geneva and/or be carried out in Geneva itself. U.S. Mission Geneva’s Small Grants Program supports projects that include, but are not limited to, the following priority areas: ·      Promoting human rights, including the protection of human rights defenders ·       Monitoring and managing the response to humanitarian crises ·       Strengthening global public health and global health security systems ·       Mobilizing action on climate change ·       Promoting transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the UN system ·       Advancing gender across the range of Mission Geneva’s priority areas   Authorizing legislation, type and year of funding: FY23 Fulbright Hays Public Diplomacy Funds   Awards will be made to successful applicants subject to the availability of appropriated funds. For further details about the program and how to apply, please see the full notice at the link below.

The Communications, Circuits, and Sensing-Systems (CCSS) Program supports innovative research in circuit and system hardware and signal processing techniques. CCSS also supports system and network architectures for communications and sensing to enable the next-generation cyber-physical systems (CPS) that leverage computation, communication, and sensing integrated with physical domains. CCSS invests in micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), physical, chemical, and biological sensing systems, neurotechnologies, and communication & sensing circuits and systems. The goal is to create new complex and hybrid systems ranging from nano- to macro-scale with innovative engineering principles and solutions for a variety of applications including but not limited to healthcare, medicine, environmental and biological monitoring, communications, disaster mitigation, homeland security, intelligent transportation, manufacturing, energy, and smart buildings. CCSS encourages research proposals based on emerging technologies and applications for communications and sensing such as high-speed communications of terabits per second and beyond, sensing and imaging covering microwave to terahertz frequencies, personalized health monitoring and assistance, secured wireless connectivity and sensing for the Internet of Things, and dynamic-data-enabled autonomous systems through real-time sensing and learning. Areas managed by CCSS Program Directors (please contact Program Directors listed in the CCSS staff directory for areas of interest): RF Circuits and Antennas for Communications and...

NSF GRANTED supports innovative models of research enterprise administrative development and workforce training infrastructure that promote sustainable research capacity and opportunities for economic impactin U.S. organizations. The research enterprise, broadly defined, includes research development and administration, research analytics, technology transfer and commercialization, corporate relations/public-private partnerships, research integrity, compliance and security, research policy, administration of student research training, and research leadership. Strengthening and transforming this administrative infrastructure is necessary to fully utilize the Nation's research talent and capabilities and empower America's organizations that engage in or support research and its outcomes, to participate in a globally competitive research enterprise. Program Description Maintaining U.S. global leadership demands a research enterprise that is competitive, effective, sustainable and contributes to the Nation's economic growth goals. A strong national research enterprise relies on more than funding for the research itself. It also requires robust administrative support-and-service infrastructure, which is often unseen, yet includes critical components to ensure a competitive research environment regardless of organization or location. Research enterprise infrastructure enables the development of proposals and management of awards and supports research translation through technology transfer and public-private partnerships. Research compliance enables the security and integrity of....

TheElectronics, Photonics and Magnetic Devices (EPMD) Programsupports innovative research on novel devices based on the principles of electronics, optics and photonics, optoelectronics, magnetics, opto- and electromechanics, electromagnetics, and related physical phenomena. EPMD’s goal is to advance the frontiers of micro-, nano- and quantum-based devices operating within the electromagnetic spectrum and contributing to a broad range of application domains including information and communications, imaging and sensing, healthcare, Internet of Things, energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing. The program encourages research based on emerging technologies for miniaturization, integration, and energy efficiency as well as novel material-based devices with new functionalities, improved efficiency, flexibility, tunability, wearability, and enhanced reliability. Areas managed by Program Directors (please contact Program Directors listed in the EPMD staff directory for areas of interest): Electronic Devices Nanoelectronics Wide/Extreme- and Narrow-Bandgap, Semiconductor Devices Devices with New Functionalities based on Material-Device Interactions and Reliability Device-Related Electromagnetic Effects, Propagationand Scattering Microwave/mm-Wave/THz Devices Flexible, Printed Electronics Carbon-based Electronics Thermoelectric and Ferroelectric Devices Photonic Devices Advanced Optical Emitters and Photodetectors, from Extreme UV to THz Single-Photon Quantum Devices Nonlinear and Ultrafast Photonics Nanophotonics and Photonic Integration Optical Imaging and Sensing Techniques Opto-...

The Manufacturing Systems Integration (MSI) Program supports fundamental research addressing the opportunities and challenges that digital technologies present for the next industrial revolution, with particular emphasis on the digital integration of design and manufacturing within the larger life cycle ecosystem. Manufacturing Systems Integration proposals should address underlying principles and advances that are generalizable for globally competitive and world leading industries. Connectivity, automation, and secure collaboration are examples of areas that are integral to digital environments capable of supporting the innovation, realization and sustainment of manufactured products and systems in the value creation process. Fundamental generalizable research for manufacturing systems integration might include, for example: Digital representation, protocols, and/or processes for integration and collaboration in manufacturing systems (machines and/or humans) Intelligent self-organizing production systems Ease of use, interoperability and seamless integration of technologies, machines, and humans Service-oriented architectures and systems Data sets that are compatible and usable across platforms Reliable and secure communications within and across the manufacturing value chain Integration of distributed manufacturing systems across time and space, including incorporating both legacy and leading-edge equipment and technologies Methods for assessing the impact and value of externalities throughout the life cycle within the digital environment Interdisciplinary, convergent pro...

TheThermal Transport Processesprogram is part of the Transport Phenomena cluster, which alsoincludes1) theCombustion and Fire Systemsprogram; 2) theFluid Dynamicsprogram; and 3) theParticulate and Multiphase Processesprogram. TheThermal Transport Processesprogram supports engineering research projects that lay the foundation for newadvances in thermal transport phenomena. These projects should either develop new fundamental knowledge or combine existing knowledge in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat and mass transfer to probe new areas of innovation in thermal transport processes. The program seeks transformative projects with the potential for improvingbasic understanding, predictability and application of thermal transport processes. Projects should articulate the contribution(s) to the fundamental knowledge supporting thermal transport processes and state clearly the potential application(s) impact when appropriate.Projects that combine analytical, experimental and numerical efforts, geared toward understanding, modeling and predicting thermal phenomena, are of great interest.Collaborative and interdisciplinary proposals for which the main contribution is in thermal transport fundamentals are also encouraged. Emphasis is placed on research that demonstrates how thermal transport phenomena affect the existence, behavior and dynamics of components and systems.Priority is given to insightful investigations of fundamental problems with clearly defined economic, environmental and societal impacts. Some specific areas of interest include: Convection/diffusion/radiation...

TheParticulate and Multiphase Processesprogram is part of the Transport Phenomena cluster, which also includes 1) theCombustion and Fire Systemsprogram; 2) theFluid Dynamicsprogram; and 3) theThermal Transport Processesprogram. Thegoal of theParticulate and Multiphase Processesprogram is to support fundamental research on physico-chemical phenomena that govern particulate and multiphase systems, including flow of suspensions, drops and bubbles, granular and granular-fluid flows, behavior of micro- and nanostructured fluids, unique characteristics of active fluids, and self assembly/directed-assembly processes that involve particulates.The program encourages transformative research to improve our basic understanding of particulate and multiphase processes with emphasis on research that demonstrates how particle-scale phenomena affect the behavior and dynamics of larger-scale systems.Although proposed research should focus on fundamentals, a clear vision is required that anticipates how results could benefit important applications in advanced manufacturing, energy harvesting, transport in biological systems, biotechnology, or environmental sustainability.Collaborative and interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged, especially those that involve a combination of experiment with theory and/or modeling. Major research areas of interest in the program include: Multiphase flow phenomena:Dynamics ofparticle/bubble/droplet systems,behavior of structured fluids (colloids/ferro-fluids), granular flows, rheology of multiphase systems, unique characteristics of active fluids in novel ap...

The Interfacial Engineering program is part of the Chemical Process Systems cluster, which also includes: 1) the Catalysis program; 2) the Electrochemical Systems program; and 3) the Process Systems, Reaction Engineering, and Molecular Thermodynamics program. The goal of the Interfacial Engineering program is to support fundamental research on atomic- and molecular-scale interfacial phenomena and engineering of interfacial properties, processes, and materials. Fundamental understanding of the thermodynamic, kinetic, and transport properties of interfacial systems underpins improvements in chemical process efficiency and resource utilization. As such, proposed research should have a clear vision for how the results will translate to practice in or otherwise advance industrial chemical or biochemical processes. The program encourages proposals that present new approaches to long-standing challenges or address emerging research areas and technologies. Collaborative and interdisciplinary proposals are also encouraged, particularly those that involve a combination of experiment with theory or modeling. Major research areas of interest in the program include: Chemical separations: Design of scalable mass separating agents (for example, sorbents and membranes); field-induced separation processes that target a significant reduction in energy and/or materials requirements Biological separations: Downstream processing of biologically-derived chemicals, therapeutic proteins, and biologics for increased throughput and purity; engineering interfaces for molecular recognition Interfacial...

TheBiophotonicsprogram is part of the Engineering Biology and Health cluster, which also includes: 1) theBiosensingprogram; 2) theCellular and Biochemical Engineeringprogram; 3) theDisability and Rehabilitation Engineeringprogram; and 4) theEngineering of Biomedical Systemsprogram. The goal of theBiophotonicsprogram is to explore the research frontiers in photonics principles, engineering and technology that are relevant for critical problems in fields of medicine, biology and biotechnology. Fundamental engineering research and innovation in photonics is required to lay the foundations for new technologies beyond those that are mature and ready for application in medical diagnostics and therapies. Advances are needed in nanophotonics, optogenetics, contrast and targeting agents, ultra-thin probes, wide field imaging, and rapid biomarker screening. Low cost and minimally invasive medical diagnostics and therapies are key motivating application goals. Research topics in this program include: Imaging in the second near infrared window:Research that advances medical applications of biophotonics in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II: 1,000-1,700 nm) in which biological tissues are transparent up to several centimeters in depth, making this spectral window ideal for deep tissue imaging. Macromolecule markers: Innovative methods for labeling of macromolecules. Novel compositions of matter. Methods of fabrication of multicolor probes that could be used for marking and detection of specific pathological cells.Pushing the envelope of optical sensing to the limits of detection, r...

TheEnvironmental Sustainability program is part of theEnvironmental Engineering and Sustainabilitycluster together with 1) theEnvironmental Engineeringprogram and 2) theNanoscale Interactionsprogram. The goal of theEnvironmental Sustainabilityprogram is to promote sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining natural (environmental) systems. These systems provide ecological services vital for human survival. Research efforts supported by the program typically consider long time horizons and may incorporate contributions from the social sciences and ethics. The program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions. There are five principal general research areas that are supported. Circular Bioeconomy Engineering:This area includes research that enables sustainable societal use of food, energy, water, nitrogen, phosphorus, and materials, with the reduction and eventual elimination of fossil fuel combustion that lacks carbon capture. The program encourages research that helps build the raw material basis for the functioning of society principally on biomass, drawing heavily on sustainable agriculture and forestry. Additionally, material flows must reduce or preferably eliminate waste, with an emphasis on closed-loop or “circular” processing. Industrial ecology:Topics of interest include advancements in modeling such as life cycle assessment, materials flow analysis, net energy analysis, input/output economic models, and nove...