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

NSF PD-20-1417: Interfacial Engineering

Closed Closed Opportunity NSF PD-20-1417 ☆ 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.

• Total funding$3.2 million
• 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"

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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

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 phenomena at engineered interfaces and surfaces: Kinetics and thermodynamics of adsorption/desorption and complex interactions of molecules and ions at engineered interfaces and surfaces (for example, adsorption and nucleation). · Nanoconfinement and engineered surfaces: Theory, modeling, and/or approaches for examining transport and thermodynamic properties of fluids within nanopores, under nanoconfinement, or at highly engineered surfaces. NOTE:Studies that focus on interactions of nanomaterials and nanosystems, particularly as relevant to environmental or biological applications, may be more appropriate for the Nanoscale Interactions program (CBET 1179). Studies of how interfacial dynamics affect transport or bulk properties of multiphase systems may be more appropriate for the Particulate and Multiphase Processes program (CBET 1415).

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.