Nanoscale Interactions | PD 21 1179

Opportunity Information: Apply for PD 21 1179

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Nanoscale Interactions program (Funding Opportunity Number PD 21 1179) funds basic, quantitative research that explains how nanomaterials and nanosystems behave when they come into contact with biological and environmental media. It sits within NSF's Environmental Engineering and Sustainability cluster (alongside the Environmental Engineering and Environmental Sustainability programs) and focuses on the distinctive properties that emerge at the nanoscale compared to bulk materials. The program is broadly interested in a wide range of nanostructured materials, including one- to three-dimensional nanostructures, heterogeneous and hybrid nano-bio assemblies, dendritic and micellar structures, quantum dots, and other nanoparticles, especially where these materials exhibit unusual physical, chemical, photonic, electronic, or biological behavior.

A core priority is understanding and characterizing interfaces: what happens at the boundary where nanoparticles, nanocomposites, or complex heterogeneous nanosystems meet water, soil, air, biomolecules, cells, or other environmental and biological surroundings. Projects may involve experimental characterization, mechanistic interpretation, and quantitative descriptions of interfacial interactions for both relatively simple particles and more complex composite systems. Another major emphasis is the development of predictive tools grounded in fundamental nanoscale behavior, with the idea that better mechanistic predictability can lead to cost-effective, environmentally benign processing methods and engineering solutions across the full life cycle of nanomaterials, from manufacture to use and end-of-life.

The program also supports work on how nanomaterials move and change in real systems, including transport, transformation, interaction, and impacts on organisms and ecosystems. This includes studies of fate and transport in various media, as well as investigations that connect nanoscale processes to biological responses. Modeling and simulation are explicitly encouraged, particularly simulations of nanoparticle behavior at interfaces that are validated or compared against experiments, and new theoretical or computational approaches that improve the field's ability to predict transport and transformation under realistic conditions.

A distinctive element of this opportunity is its stated interest in exploratory research on quantum-related nanoscale interactions, especially where quantum effects help explain macroscopic changes or physiological and metabolic processes. The solicitation highlights investigations of quantum vibronic phenomena and electron spin, with an expectation that projects in this space produce quantitative data and evidence linking quantum behavior to observed nano-scale or system-scale outcomes. Across all these topics, the broader engineering payoff NSF is seeking is a knowledge base that enables intentional design of nanostructured materials and heterogeneous nanosystems with targeted chemical, electronic, photonic, biological, and mechanical properties, and that supports sustainable handling, manufacturing, and utilization.

Interdisciplinary and collaborative proposals are encouraged. At the same time, NSF signals boundaries around fit: proposals centered primarily on atomic- and molecular-scale interfacial phenomena and engineering interfacial properties for industrial chemical or biochemical processing may be better aligned with the Interfacial Engineering program (CBET 1417). Because program fit can determine whether a proposal is reviewed, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the program director before submission, particularly if the work is outside the explicitly listed interest areas or if the scope is unconventional.

Like most programs in NSF's CBET division, proposals are expected to clearly communicate novelty and/or potentially transformative aspects compared to prior work, and to explain why the project matters for engineering science as well as its potential societal and/or industrial impact if successful. NSF expects this novelty or transformative angle to be stated at minimum in the Project Summary. Awards for unsolicited proposals are generally up to three years. Typical single-investigator budgets often support roughly one graduate student (or equivalent) and up to one month of PI salary per year, while multi-investigator projects are commonly larger; unusually large budgets should be discussed with the program director in advance. The program accepts proposals at any time (no fixed deadline listed), and it also encourages submissions to related NSF mechanisms when appropriate, including CAREER (five-year awards with an annual July engineering deadline), and proposal types such as RAPID, EAGER, and GOALI, which require prior discussion with the program director and can be submitted year-round. Conference, workshop, and supplement requests are also possible but should be discussed in advance.

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any entity type, subject to any clarifications in the solicitation), and the funding instrument is a grant. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary research funding in science and technology and other R and D activities under CFDA 47.041. Finally, NSF emphasizes compliance: proposals that do not follow the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) can be returned without review, making adherence to formatting, content, and submission rules a practical requirement for consideration.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Nanoscale Interactions" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 10, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Proposals accepted anytime. (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 100 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for PD 21 1179

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: