Grants / National Science Foundation / U.S. National Science Foundation

NSF PD-17-8092: Materials Engineering and Processing

Closed Closed Opportunity NSF PD-17-8092 ☆ Save

This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Major Research Instrumentation Program: (MRI) (NSF 27-500). Status: Closes January 29, 2027 (83 days left). It is in our archive of U.S. National Science Foundation notices from 2025.

• Award amountsNot given on Grants.gov
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeGrant

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to any type of organization.

• Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"

More grants for nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses, businesses, individuals.

Is this a realistic fit?

• Most of the program's money (89% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

Materials Engineering and Processing (MEP) The Materials Engineering and Processing (MEP) program supports fundamental research addressing the processing and performance of engineering materials by investigating the interrelationship of materials processing, structure, properties and/or life-cycle performance for targeted applications. Materials processing proposals should focus on manufacturing processes that convert material into a useful form as either intermediate or final composition. These include processes such as extrusion, molding, casting, forming, deposition, sintering and printing. Proposed research should include the consideration of cost, performance, and feasibility of scale-up, as appropriate. Novel processes for the production of nanoscale materials (nanotubes, nanocrystals, etc.) are of interest. Process optimization studies without a fundamental scientific contribution are not supported. Research approaches which exploit knowledge of biological processes for the processing of non-biological materials, as well as the utilization of advanced computing techniques to enable major advances in Materials Engineering and Processing are encouraged. Research proposals related to mechanical performance should be driven by a targeted application(s). Structural materials that, in service, bear mechanical load are of interest. These include materials such as metals, polymers, composites, biomaterials, ceramics and hybrids intended for applications ranging from the microscale (e.g., MEMS) to the macroscale (e.g., fiber reinforced composites). Research related to the deterioration of performance during service (e.g., corrosion and degradation) is also of interest. In some cases, the performance of functional materials is also of interest. This includes materials that possess native properties and functions that can be controlled by external influences (e.g., temperature, light and pH) as well as responsive materials (e.g., piezoelectric, chromogenic, shape memory and self-healing). Research proposals on performance of electronic materials to be used for energy storage or conversion (e.g., fuel cells, batteries and PVs) are not appropriate for the MEP program. One exception to this would be for proposals related to multifunctional (versus a single function) material performance that include a consideration of mechanical performance; proposals on this topic are of interest. Research plans driven by scientific hypotheses are encouraged.

Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, NSF 27-500, which is open now.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.