Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers | 19 517

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.

• 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).

Apply for 19 517

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