The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces a program on collaborative research and education in the area of nanoscale science and engineering.  The goal of this program is to support fundamental research and catalyze synergistic science and engineering research and education in emerging areas of nanoscale science and technology, including: biosystems at the nanoscale; nanoscale structures, novel phenomena, and quantum control; nanoscale devices and system architecture; nanoscale processes in the environment; multi-scale, multi-phenomena theory, modeling and simulation at the nanoscale; manufacturing processes at the nanoscale; and studies on the societal and educational implications of scientific and technological advances on the nanoscale.  This solicitation will provide support for Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Teams (NIRT), Nanoscale Exploratory Research (NER), and Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers (NSEC).

A related program solicitation will focus on Nanotechnology Science and Engineering Education (NSEE) for FY 2005 which will provide support for four components: Centers for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NCLT), Informal Science Education in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NISE), Instructional Materials Development in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NIMD), and Nanotechnology in Undergraduate Education (NUE). Other research and education projects in nanoscale science and engineering will continue to be supported in the relevant Programs and Divisions.

One nanometer (one billionth of a meter) is a magical point on the dimensional scale.  Nanostructures are at the confluence of the smallest of human-made devices and the largest molecules of living systems. Nanoscale science and engineering here refer to the fundamental understanding and resulting technological advances arising from the exploitation of new physical, chemical, and biological properties of systems that are intermediate in size, between isolated atoms and molecules and bulk materials, where the transitional properties between the two limits can be controlled.  During the last few years, novel structures, phenomena, and processes have been observed at the nanoscale (from a fraction of nanometer to about 100 nm) and new experimental, theoretical and simulation tools have been developed for investigating them.  These advances provide fresh opportunities for scientific and technological developments in nanoparticles, nanostructured materials, nanodevices, and systems.

Nanotechnology is the creation and utilization of functional materials, devices, and systems with novel properties and functions that are achieved through the control of matter, atom-by-atom, molecule by molecule or at the macromolecular level.  A revolution has begun in science, engineering and technology, based on the ability to organize, characterize, and manipulate matter systematically at the nanoscale.  Far-reaching outcomes for the 21^st century are envisioned in both scientific knowledge and a wide range of technologies in most industries, healthcare, conservation of materials and energy, biology, environment and education.  Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NSE) underpin innovations in critical areas ranging from manufacturing to medicine.  Opportunities have opened as new tools enable fundamental discoveries and technological advances.  Outstanding benefits have resulted from initial applications.  A special challenge and opportunity is restructuring teaching at all levels to include NSE concepts and nurturing the scientific and technical workforce of the 21^st century.

Formidable challenges remain, however, in the areas of fundamental understanding, device design, system design and architecture, manufacturing, and system integration and deployment before the potential of nanotechnology becomes a reality.  Successful development and application of nanoscience and technology will require careful consideration and analysis of associated social and ethical phenomena. Key research areas have been identified in advanced materials, nanobiotechnology, nanoelectronics, advanced healthcare, environmental improvement, efficient energy conversion and storage, space exploration, economical transportation, nanobiosensors, societal dimensions of nanotechnology, and improving nanotechnology education. 

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI; http://nano.gov) is a government-wide activity designed to ensure that investments in this area are made in a coordinated and timely manner, and to accelerate the pace of revolutionary discoveries.  NSF’s Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NSE) priority area, for which this is the flagship solicitation, represents NSF’s contribution to leadership in the NNI.  This fiscal year 2005 competition is the fifth year of the NSE.  Collaborative research among physicists, chemists, biologists, materials scientists, geoscientists, mathematicians, computer scientists, engineers, social and behavioral scientists, economists, and educators is an integral part of both NNI and NSE.   This year’s NNI effort places increased focus on fundamental research and education in novel instrumentation, nanomaterials and manufacturing processes at the nanoscale, nanoelectronics and challenges faced by conventional CMOS technology, nanobiosystems with relevance to healthcare, devices for biological, chemical, radiological and explosive agents detection and protection, energy conversion and storage, and influences of social networks on development and application of nanoscale science, engineering and technology.   This NSE solicitation supports these emphases, where appropriate to NSF programs.

The NSF's mission is to promote the progress of science, engineering and related education in the United States.  Its role in supporting research and education is particularly important in creating physical and human resources infrastructure in emerging areas such as nanoscale science and engineering.  NSF also promotes partnerships, including collaboration with other agencies, industry and national laboratories, for projects of mutual interest. International collaborations are also strongly encouraged.

The current pace of revolutionary discoveries in nanoscience and technology is expected to accelerate greatly in the next decade.  This will have profound implications on existing technologies and could result in the development of completely new technologies, improvements in health, the conservation of materials and energy, and a sustainable environment.  Awards made in response to this solicitation will contribute to such future advancements.

This solicitation, previous program announcements, and additional information concerning related activities such as workshops and publications, including the “Nanotechnology Research Directions” (2000) prepared by the National Science and Technology Council, are available on-line at http://www.nsf.gov/nano and http://nano.gov.

RESEARCH AND EDUCATION THEMES

This initiative focuses on eight high-risk/high-reward research and education themes, where special opportunities exist for fundamental studies in nanoscale science and engineering.  The eight areas are:

• Biosystems at the Nanoscale. Research in this area supports the development of a fundamental understanding of nanobiostructures and processes, nanobiotechnology, and techniques for a broad range of applications in biomaterials, biosystem-based electronics, agriculture, energy, and health.  The goal is to stimulate progress in the study of biological and biologically inspired systems in which nanostructures play an important role.   This includes developing an understanding of the relationships among chemical composition, single molecule behavior, and physical shape at the nanoscale and biological function. Additional research areas include the study of organelles and subcellular complexes such as ribosomes and molecular motors; construction of nanometer-scale probes and devices for research in genomics, proteomics, cell biology, and nanostructured tissues; and synthesis of nanoscale materials based on the principles of biological self-assembly.  Biosynthesis and bioprocessing offer fundamentally new ways to manufacture nanostructured products, including novel biomaterials, improved delivery of bioactive molecules, nanoscale sensory systems, biochips, and the modification of existing biomolecular machines for new functions.
  
• Nanoscale Structures, Novel Phenomena, and Quantum Control.  Research in this area explores the novel phenomena and material structures that appear at the nanoscale.  This research is critical to overcoming obstacles to miniaturization as feature sizes in devices reach the nanoscale.  Research in this area also refers to fundamental physics and chemistry aspects, development of the experimental tools necessary to characterize and measure nanostructures and phenomena, and development of techniques for synthesis and design.  It also includes investigations of quantum algorithms and means for error correction in quantum information systems.  Examples of possible benefits include molecular electronics, nanostructured catalysts, advanced drugs, quantum computing, DNA computing, the development of high capacity computer memory chips, production of two- and three-dimensional nanostructures "by design,” nanoscale fluidics, biophotonics, control of surface processes and lubrication.
  
• Nanoscale Devices and System Architecture.  New concepts and design methodologies are needed to create new nanoscale devices, synthesize nanosystems and integrate them into architectures for various operational environments.   These require a profound understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological interactions among nanoscale components.  In order to systemize the design of complex nanosystems, multiple layers of abstractions and various mathematical models to represent component behavior in different layers are also required.  Research in this area includes development of new tools for sensing, assembling, processing, manipulating, manufacturing and integration along scales, controlling and testing nanostructures, devices, design and architecture of concepts, software specialized for nanosystems, and design automation tools for assembling systems of large numbers of heterogeneous nanocomponents.  One can envision ”smart” systems that sense and gather information and analyze and respond to that information, more powerful computing systems and architectures, and novel separation systems with molecular resolution.
  
• Silicon Nanoelectronics and Beyond (SNB): Research in SNB explores fundamental understanding of materials, processes, devices, design, and architecture challenges faced by the semiconductor industry at and beyond the time horizons of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS, http://www/public.itrs.net). Research will also explore ultimate limits to scaling of features and alternative physical principles for devices employed in sensing, storage, communication, and computation, including biological, molecular, and other emerging areas of electronics at the nanoscale. The research activity in this topic area could help develop innovative technologies, including bottom-up technologies at the atomic and molecular levels, that are integrable with CMOS technology and at the same time have potential to provide alternative and complementary solutions. Examples include: (a) nanoscale device structures exploiting unique electronic, photonic, and/or magnetic materials properties, nanotubes, biological, molecular, and quantum structures; (b) novel modeling, design, and systems architecture concepts, including models with enhanced fidelity across multiple levels of abstraction, spanning atoms, materials, devices, circuits, and systems; (c) innovative approaches for device processing, packaging, testing, and characterization at nanoscale dimensions, including lithographic techniques with self-assembly methods to support the fabrication of complex structures; (d) novel approaches to design, including principles of self organization, with tools that address and leverage uncertainties associated with nanoscale dimensions through probabilistic and statistical techniques.
  
  Under a Memorandum of Agreement signed in January 2004, the designated staff of the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) will assist in proposal evaluation in this SNB topic area.   If you submit a proposal for SNB, the proposal and subsequently generated review materials will be made available to designated SRC staff for the purpose of proposal evaluation and, possibly, additional funding opportunities.  Designated SRC staff will be subject to a confidentiality agreement that protects personal and proprietary information of proposers.  The submitted proposal should have an informative title that begins with “NIRT/SNB):. . . .” or “NER/SNB: . . . .”, as appropriate to the mode of support.
  
• Nanoscale Processes in the Environment.  Research in this area will focus on probing nanostructures and processes of relevance in the environment from the Earth’s core to the upper atmosphere and beyond.  Nanoparticles and other nanostructures found in the environment may originate from natural sources, be engineered for various uses, or be by-products of industrial and other processes such as combustion.  Emphasis will be on understanding the distribution, composition, origin, and behavior of nanoscale structures under a wide variety of naturally occurring physical/chemical conditions, including nanoscale interactions at the interface between organic and inorganic solids, liquid and gases, and between living and non-living systems. Examples are biomineralization of nanoscale structures, molecular studies of mineral surfaces, study of transport of ultrafine colloidal particles and aerosols, and study of interplanetary dust particles. Possible benefits of nanoscale studies include better understanding of molecular processes in the environment, the development of manufacturing processes that reduce pollution, new water purification techniques, artificial photosynthetic processes for clean energy, development of environmental biotechnology, and understanding the role of surface microbiota in regulating chemical exchanges between mineral surfaces and water or air.
  
• Multi-scale, Multi-phenomena Theory, Modeling and Simulation at the Nanoscale.  The emergence of new behaviors and processes in nanostructures, nanodevices and nanosystems creates an urgent need for theory, modeling, large-scale computer simulation and new design tools in order to understand, control and accelerate development in new nanoscale regimes and systems.  Research on theory, mathematical methods, modeling and simulation of physical, chemical and biological systems at the nanoscale will include techniques such as quantum mechanics and quantum chemistry, multi-particle simulation, molecular simulation, grain and continuum-based models, stochastic methods, and nanomechanics.  Approaches that make use of more than one such technique and focus on their integration will play an important role in this effort.  The interplay of coupled, time-dependent and multi-scale phenomena and processes in large atomistic and molecular systems will be encouraged.  A critical issue is the ability to make connection between structures, properties and functions.  Examples of possible benefits include better understanding of processes in chemistry, biology, physics, materials science and engineering, and the geosciences, and realization of functional nanostructures and architectures "by design" such as new chemicals, multifunctional materials, bioagents and electronic devices.
  
• Manufacturing Processes at the Nanoscale.  Research in this area will focus on creating nanostructures and assembling them into nanosystems and then into larger scale structures.  This research should address understanding nanoscale processes, developing novel tools for measurement and manufacturing at the nanoscale, developing novel concepts for high-rate synthesis and processing of nanostructures and nanosystems, and scale up of nanoscale synthesis and processing methods.  Examples are synthesis of nanostructures for various functions, fabrication methods for devices and nanosystems, design concepts for manufacturing, simulation of the manufacturing methods at the nanoscale, and evaluation of the economic and environmental implications of manufacturing at the nanoscale.   Possible benefits include improving understanding of manufacturing processes in the pre-competitive environment, generating a new group of nanoscale manufacturing methods, increasing the performance and scale up of promising techniques, and establishing the physical and human infrastructure for measurements and manufacturing capabilities.|
  
• Societal and Educational Implications of Scientific and Technological Advances on the Nanoscale.   Innovations in science and technology both require societal support and influence social structures and processes, sometimes in unexpected ways.  Examining the ethical and other social implications of these societal interactions is necessary, in order to understand their scope and influence and to anticipate and respond effectively to them.  Support for nanoscience and nanotechnology is likely to enhance understanding of fundamental natural processes, from living systems to astronomy, and change the production and use of many goods and services.  Studies of the varied social interactions that involve these new scientific and technological endeavors can improve our understanding of, e.g., economic implications of innovation; barriers to adoption of nanotechnology in commerce, healthcare, or environmental protection; educational and workforce needs; ethical issues in the selection of research priorities and applications and in the potential to enhance human intelligence and develop artificial intelligence; society’s reaction to both newly created nanoparticles and nanoparticles that newly developed techniques permit us to recognize, detect, characterize, and relate to health and environmental issues; implications of converging interests of different fields of science and engineering towards the nanoscale; risk perception, communication, and management; and public participation and involvement in scientific and technological development and use.   This theme aims at a long-term vision for addressing societal, ethical, environmental, and educational concerns

These eight scientific themes are linked by the overarching goals of achieving systematic control of phenomena at the nanoscale, exploiting new phenomena and functions that do not extrapolate outside of the nanoscale domain, and applying such capabilities in areas of national interest.  Proposals that incorporate elements of more than one scientific theme are welcome.  Given NSF’s strong focus on developing the infrastructure for nanoscale science and engineering, all proposals should address integration of research and education, including course development, student fellowships, and other aspects according to the nature of the project.

In FY 2005, consistent with NNI emphases, NSF encourages proposals involving novel instrumentation, manufacturing processes, nanoelectronics and challenges faced by conventional CMOS technology, energy conversion and storage, and devices for chemical, biological, radiological, or explosive agents detection that involve nanoscale processes are particularly encouraged within the seven research and education themes above (see list of NSF and NNI sponsored workshops on line on http://www.nsf.gov/nano).  Research on converging science and technology integrated from the nanoscale for revolutionary products and improving human performance also are encouraged (see “Converging Technologies for Improving Human Performance” on line at http://www.nsf.gov/nano). 

Each of the themes should emphasize the integration of research and education, including course development, student fellowships, and other aspects according to the nature of the project.

NSF does not normally support technical assistance, pilot plant efforts, research requiring security classification, the development of products for commercial marketing or market research for a particular project or invention. Research with disease-related goals, including work on the etiology, diagnosis or treatment of physical or mental disease, abnormality or malfunction in human beings or animals, is normally not supported.  Animal models of such conditions or the development or testing of drugs or other procedures for their treatment also are not eligible for support.  Research in bioengineering, with diagnosis or treatment related goals, however, that apply engineering principles to problems in biology and medicine while advancing engineering knowledge is eligible for support. Bioengineering research to aid persons with disabilities is also eligible.