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Please see for complete information about the funding opportunity. Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO).Ìý

This announcement contains two separate calls:

1. NSF MRSEC Center Director;Ìýand

2. Interdisciplinary Research Groups.
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Summary of the MRSEC Program

The Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) program provides sustained support of materials research and education while addressing fundamental problems in science and engineering. Each MRSEC addresses research of a scope and complexity requiring the scale, synergy, and multidisciplinarity provided by a campus-based research center. MRSECs support materials research infrastructure, promote active collaboration between universities and other sectors, including industry and international organizations, and contribute to the development of a national network of university-based centers in materials research, education, and facilities. A MRSEC may be located at a single institution, or may involve multiple institutions in partnership, and is composed of two to three Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs),Ìýeach addressing a fundamental materials science topic aligned with the Division of Materials Research (DMR).

A MRSEC proposal must contain a minimum of 2 IRGs and a maximum of 3 IRGs. The IRGs in a Center may be thematically related, or they may address different aspects of materials research typically supported by DMR. Integration of multiple, differing IRGs into one MRSEC allows efficient utilization of resources, including common infrastructure, and better coordination of education and other activities of the Center.

Each IRG involves typically on the order of 6-12 faculty members addressing a major topic or area, in which sustained support for the interactive effort by the several participants of complementary backgrounds, skills, and knowledge is critical to progress. The MRSEC in its entirety is holistic, its rationale conditioned on the connection of all its parts, with synergy arising from common infrastructure, shared facilities, education and outreach activities, and other Center-spanning initiatives.

Internal MRSEC Center Director: Vision Statement

1) If you are interested in serving as a MRSEC Director, please email a one-page vision statement to ltdsubs@colorado.edu by 11:59pm on February 23. (Note: IRG leads are eligible to serve as MRSEC Directors.) For guidance on what to include, refer to the MRSEC Director Review Process & Criteria section below.

Internal Proposal Requirements (all in PDF format)

For the internal IRG deadline of March 24, please ensure you submit a proposal, even if it’s not fully complete or if you are still seeking collaborators. The April 2 event will provide a valuable opportunity to present and refine your IRG concepts with CU Boulder’s materials science community.Ìý

1) Description of proposed IRG (3 pages maximum).ÌýRIO requests proposals for a single IRG. The proposal should include:Ìý

1. Research Goals and Intellectual Focus:ÌýConcisely describe the long-term research goals of the IRG. Outline the central intellectual focus and the specific materials science problem the IRG aims to address.
2. Interdisciplinary Approach: Explain the need for an interactive, interdisciplinary approach involving multiple investigators. Describe how the collaboration among participants will achieve the proposed goals.
3. Planned Research Activities: Summarize the key research activities planned to achieve the IRG’s objectives. Highlight how these activities address fundamental, timely, and complex materials problems that are intellectually challenging and important to society.
4. Broader Impacts: Briefly discuss the broader impacts of the proposed IRG, including potential contributions to education, diversity, and collaboration with external partners such as industry or national labs.

Reminder: IRGs are sought that solve fundamental, timely and complex materials problems that are intellectually challenging and important to society.

2) Description of the IRG team (1 page maximum).

1. Provide a title for the proposed IRG; list the faculty-level participants, including full names, organizational and departmental affiliations, and their roles in the IRG. Indicate the expected numbers of undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers to be involved.

Deadlines

• CU Internal MRSEC Director Deadline (Deadline Extended): 11:59pm MT February 23, 2025
• CU Internal Proposal Deadline: 11:59pm MT March 24, 2025
• NSF Preliminary Proposal Deadline: June 23, 2025
• NSF Application Deadline (by invitation only): November 24, 2025

Eligibility

An individual may be the Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI for only one preliminary proposal, i.e., no investigator, PI or co-PI, can be listed on the NSF proposal Cover Sheet on more than one proposal.

Limited Submission Guidelines

Only one MRSEC preliminary proposal may be submitted by any one organization as the lead institution in this competition. An institution proposing research in several groups should submit a single MRSEC proposal with multiple Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs). A MRSEC proposal must contain a minimum of 2 IRGs and a maximum of 3 IRGs. The IRGs in a Center may be thematically related, or they may address different aspects of materials research typically supported by DMR. Integration of multiple, differing IRGs into one MRSEC allows efficient utilization of resources, including common infrastructure, and better coordination of education and other activities of the Center.

MRSEC Director Review Process & Criteria

Representatives from the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and Engineering & Applied Science and the Research & Innovation Office will review the one-page vision statements. Selected candidates will be invited to meet with campus leadership to discuss their center vision in detail. The evaluation process will be guided by the criteria below.

1. Does the director’s vision present a cohesive and well-integrated approach?
2. Does the director’s leadership record demonstrate strong qualifications (e.g., involvement with center level activities).
3. Does the director articulate a plan to contribute to desired societal outcomes, such as education, outreach, and diversity initiatives.
4. Does the director demonstrate the ability to foster multidisciplinary interactions on campus and externally?

Internal Proposal Review Criteria

The internal evaluation process will be guided by the NSF criteria below.

1. Does the IRG describe a well-integrated research program distinguished by intellectual excellence and driven by a clear vision leading to fundamental advances, new discoveries, and/or technological developments that could have national and international significance?
2. Are the capabilities of the investigators, technical level of the proposed approach, and inventory of resources (available or proposed), including instrumentation and facilities appropriate for a Center and for the proposed research?
3. Are the benefits of a multi-investigator, interdisciplinary approach to address a major topic or area normally supported by the Division of Materials Research for each IRG clearly laid out? Does cooperation and interdependence of the investigators within the IRG come across?
4. Does the proposed IRG undertake materials research of a scope and complexity requiring the scale, synergy, and multidisciplinarity provided by a campus-based research Center, otherwise not feasible through traditional funding of individual research projects?
5. Is the IRG addressing cutting-edge science?