The National Science Foundation is now accepting proposals for Critical Aspects of Sustainability (CAS), PD 19-9102.

Economic development and human progress have led to a proliferation of manufactured chemicals and materials made from limited resources found in nature (i.e., minerals and metals, petroleum-based products, and natural gas). Long-term sustainability requires consideration of the availability of specific natural resources, energy, and water usage. NSF continues to support efforts that seek to improve the efficiency with which natural resources are used to meet human needs for products and services.  Sustainability research encompasses the design, manufacture, and use of efficient, effective, safe, and more environmentally benign products and processes; stimulates innovation across all sectors to design and discover new chemicals and materials, production processes, and product stewardship practices; and, increases performance and value while meeting the goals of protecting and enhancing human health and the environment.

This program seeks to support basic research through core disciplinary programs aimed at improving the sustainability of resources for future generations while maintaining or improving current products in order to offer technologically advanced, economically competitive, environmentally benign, and useful materials to a global society. In order to address these challenges, the program aims to identify opportunities for innovation in a wide range of contributing disciplines as well as integrative activities. This program encourages the development of new experimental and theoretical/modeling approaches that will aid in both reductionist and whole-systems approaches.

Full proposals are accepted anytime during the specific window. If you are interested in submitting a proposal for this solicitation, please start a routing sheet as soon as possible. As a reminder, completed proposals are due to OSRP at least two business days prior to the deadline. If you should have any questions, please contact OSRP.

All proposals to Chemical Catalysis (CAT); Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms-A/B (CSDM-A/B); Chemical Theory, Models, and Computational Methods (CTMC); and Chemical Synthesis (SYN) in the Division of Chemistry (CHE)—September 1–30, 2019

All proposals to Biomaterials, Condensed Matter Physics, Electronic and Photonic Materials, Metals and Metallic Nanostructures, Polymers, and Solid-State and Materials Chemistry in the Division of Materials Research (DMR)—October 1–November 1, 2019

All proposals to Chemical Measurement and Imaging (CMI); Chemistry of Life Processes (CLP); Environmental Chemical Sciences (ECS); and Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry (MSN) in the Division of Chemistry (CHE)—October 1–31, 2019