Opportunity Information: Apply for 19 517
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) program is a discretionary grant opportunity designed to provide long-term, stable support for top-tier interdisciplinary materials research and education in the United States. The core idea behind the program is to back research efforts that are too broad, complex, or collaborative to be handled effectively by a single investigator or a small team. Instead, MRSECs are structured as campus-based research centers that bring together multiple disciplines, shared facilities, and coordinated educational and outreach activities to tackle fundamental problems in materials science and engineering.
A central feature of an MRSEC is that it is built around integrated research themes that benefit from scale and synergy, meaning the participating researchers are expected to gain clear advantages from working as a coordinated center rather than as separate projects. Each MRSEC can include up to three Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs). These IRGs are the main scientific building blocks of the center, and each one focuses on a fundamental materials research topic that aligns with the NSF Division of Materials Research (DMR). The program emphasizes multidisciplinarity, so IRGs typically combine expertise from fields such as physics, chemistry, engineering, and computational science, depending on the materials challenge being addressed.
Beyond advancing scientific knowledge, MRSECs are also meant to strengthen national research capability by supporting materials research infrastructure. That often includes shared instrumentation, user facilities, and other resources that make high-end materials research possible and that can serve broader campus and regional research communities. The program also places weight on building active collaborations that connect universities with other sectors, including industry and international organizations. In practice, this encourages pathways for translating fundamental discoveries into broader impacts, training students in environments that reflect real-world research ecosystems, and creating durable partnerships that extend the reach of the center.
The opportunity is administered by the National Science Foundation under CFDA number 47.049 and uses the grant funding instrument type. The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development. According to the provided source information, the opportunity number is 19 517, it was created on November 1, 2018, and the original closing date listed is November 26, 2019. The expected number of awards is 10. The award ceiling is listed as 0, which typically signals that the ceiling is not specified in the summary data and would need to be confirmed in the full solicitation or program documentation. Eligibility is summarized as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," indicating that the detailed eligibility rules are defined in the full announcement rather than in the brief excerpt.
Overall, this MRSEC opportunity is aimed at establishing or sustaining high-impact, university-centered materials research hubs that combine multiple research groups, shared infrastructure, and collaborative networks. The intended outcome is a stronger national ecosystem for materials research and education, with centers that produce fundamental scientific advances, train the next generation of researchers, and connect academic work to broader communities and partners.Apply for 19 517
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.049.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 01, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 26, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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NSF MRSEC (Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers) Program FAQs
What is the NSF MRSEC program?
The Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) discretionary grant opportunity that provides long-term, stable support for top-tier interdisciplinary materials research and education in the United States. It is designed to support research efforts that are too broad, complex, or collaborative to be effectively led by a single investigator or a small team.
What is the main purpose of an MRSEC?
An MRSEC is meant to operate as a campus-based research center that brings together multiple disciplines, shared facilities, and coordinated education and outreach activities to address fundamental problems in materials science and engineering. The program aims to build a stronger national ecosystem for materials research and education through sustained, coordinated center-scale efforts.
How is an MRSEC different from a standard research grant?
MRSECs are organized as coordinated centers rather than individual projects. The program is intended for research that benefits from scale and synergy, meaning participants should gain clear advantages by working together as an integrated center (shared themes, shared infrastructure, and coordinated activities) instead of as separate, independent projects.
What are integrated research themes, and why do they matter?
Integrated research themes are the core research areas around which an MRSEC is built. They are designed to create synergy across participating researchers and disciplines, enabling outcomes that would be difficult to achieve through isolated efforts. The expectation is that coordination as a center provides a measurable benefit to the research.
What is an Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) in an MRSEC?
Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) are the main scientific building blocks of an MRSEC. Each IRG focuses on a fundamental materials research topic that aligns with the NSF Division of Materials Research (DMR). IRGs typically involve multiple disciplines working together on a shared materials challenge.
How many IRGs can a single MRSEC include?
Each MRSEC can include up to three Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs).
What disciplines typically participate in MRSEC IRGs?
The program emphasizes multidisciplinarity. IRGs commonly combine expertise across fields such as physics, chemistry, engineering, and computational science, depending on the materials research challenge being addressed.
Does the MRSEC program support research infrastructure and shared facilities?
Yes. A major emphasis of the MRSEC program is strengthening national research capability by supporting materials research infrastructure. This often includes shared instrumentation, user facilities, and other resources that enable high-end materials research and can serve broader campus and regional research communities.
Who can use MRSEC shared instrumentation or user facilities?
The opportunity description indicates that MRSEC-supported infrastructure can serve broader campus and regional research communities, suggesting that the facilities are intended to extend beyond only the core center participants.
Are collaborations outside the university encouraged?
Yes. The program places weight on building active collaborations that connect universities with other sectors, including industry and international organizations. These collaborations can expand the center's reach and create pathways to broader impacts.
How does the MRSEC program relate to workforce training and education?
In addition to advancing scientific knowledge, MRSECs are intended to train the next generation of researchers through coordinated education and outreach activities and by involving students in interdisciplinary, center-scale research environments that reflect real-world research ecosystems.
What types of outcomes is NSF trying to achieve through MRSECs?
The intended outcomes include fundamental scientific advances in materials research, strengthened national research capability through shared infrastructure, education and training of researchers, and expanded connections between academia and broader communities and partners (including industry and international collaborators).
Which NSF unit is this program aligned with?
The IRG topics are expected to align with the NSF Division of Materials Research (DMR).
What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?
The funding instrument type listed is a grant.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is administered under CFDA number 47.049.
What is the opportunity number for this MRSEC solicitation?
The opportunity number provided is 19 517.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on November 1, 2018.
What is the closing date listed in the provided information?
The original closing date listed is November 26, 2019.
How many awards are expected?
The expected number of awards is 10.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling is listed as 0 in the summary data, which typically indicates the ceiling is not specified there and would need to be confirmed in the full solicitation or program documentation.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is summarized as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," which indicates the detailed eligibility requirements are defined in the full announcement rather than in the brief excerpt provided.
Where can applicants find the detailed eligibility requirements?
The summary states that applicants should refer to the full announcement, specifically the "Additional Information on Eligibility" text field, for clarification of eligibility rules.
What kind of research is this program designed to support?
The program is designed to support fundamental materials research that is interdisciplinary and benefits from coordinated center-scale collaboration, including research themes that are too broad, complex, or collaborative for a single investigator or small team.
Is the MRSEC program focused on fundamental research or applied translation?
The description emphasizes fundamental problems in materials science and engineering, while also encouraging collaborations (including industry) that can help create pathways for translating fundamental discoveries into broader impacts.
Are MRSECs campus-based or multi-institutional?
The opportunity describes MRSECs as campus-based research centers. It also emphasizes collaborations with other sectors (including industry and international organizations), but the core structure is described as campus-based.
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