Funder: National Science Foundation
Due Dates: Proposals accepted anytime
Funding Amounts: No specified ceiling; typical NSF awards range from 1–3 years and vary based on project scope
Summary: Supports fundamental research in the mechanics of deformable solid materials and structures, emphasizing transformative advances in experimental, theoretical, and computational methods.
Key Information: Applicants are encouraged to email a one-page project summary to MOMS@nsf.gov before submitting a full proposal to confirm program fit.
Description
The program supports fundamental research on the mechanics of deformable solid materials and structures under internal and external actions. It welcomes a broad spectrum of research, with a focus on transformative advances in experimental, theoretical, and computational methods. Proposals should clearly articulate their contributions to the field of mechanics.
Research areas of interest include:
- Material response: deformation, fracture, fatigue, contact, and friction.
- Structural response: nonlinear deformation, instability, collapse, and wave propagation.
- Mechanics at the intersection of materials and structures, such as meta-materials, hierarchical, micro-architectured, and low-dimensional materials.
- Advanced computing techniques (e.g., reduced-order modeling, data-driven and stochastic methods) with strong validation components.
- Data analytics for deducing deformation or damage response from large experimental and computational datasets.
- New experimental techniques for capturing deformation and failure under extreme loading or material behavior.
- Multiscale and multiphysics experimental and computational methods.
Proposals focused on buildings and civil infrastructure should be submitted to the Structural and Architectural Engineering Materials (SAEM) program. Proposals on processing and mechanical performance enhancements should go to the Materials Engineering and Processing (MEP) program. Design methodology and theory proposals should consider the Design of Engineering Material Systems (DEMS) program. For combined theoretical and experimental approaches to accelerate materials discovery, see the Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer Our Future (DMREF) opportunity.
Due Dates
- Proposals are accepted at any time; there are no fixed deadlines.
Funding Amount
- No explicit maximum or minimum award amount is specified.
- Typical NSF awards in this area are for 1–3 years; budgets should be appropriate to the project scope.
- No cost sharing or matching is required.
Eligibility
- Open to a wide range of applicants, including:
- Academic institutions
- Nonprofit organizations
- For-profit organizations
- Government laboratories
- Other research entities
- There are no citizenship or residency restrictions for principal investigators, but proposals must be submitted through eligible U.S.-based organizations.
Application Process
- Proposals must be submitted in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG).
- Applicants are strongly encouraged to email a one-page project summary to moms@nsf.gov before preparing a full proposal to confirm alignment with program priorities.
- Proposals are submitted electronically via NSF FastLane, Research.gov, or Grants.gov.
- Proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Additional Information
- Proposals must clearly emphasize their contributions to the field of mechanics.
- Proposals with a primary focus outside the core scope (e.g., civil infrastructure, materials processing, or design methodology) should be directed to the appropriate NSF program.
- All awards are subject to the NSF award conditions and the revised 2 CFR guidance effective October 1, 2024.
External Links
Contact Information
| Name | Email | Phone | Organization |
|---|
| Siddiq Qidwai | moms@nsf.gov | (703) 292-2211 | ENG/CMMI |
| Kiran Solanki | moms@nsf.gov | (702) 292-4526 | ENG/CMMI |
For general NSF inquiries:
- NSF Contact Page
- Email: info@nsf.gov
- Phone: 1-703-292-5111