The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.
This grant program aims to support fundamental scientific research in the field of materials science, specifically targeting ceramics, glass-ceramics, inorganic glasses, ceramic-based composites, and inorganic carbon-based materials. The primary goal is to advance the fundamental understanding of these materials, focusing on the relationship between synthesis, processing, microstructure, properties, and performance in various applications and environments. The program encourages experimental projects, with computational and theoretical components also welcomed to develop predictive capabilities. It aims to foster the discovery or creation of new ceramic materials and urges the development of new experimental techniques or novel research approaches. Supported research topics include a wide range of processes and mechanisms critical to materials science, such as nucleation, growth, phase transformations, morphology, surface modification, and more. The grant emphasizes the importance of broader impact activities, such as societal benefits, dissemination of research findings, and the involvement of underrepresented groups in research projects.