The National Science Foundation is accepting applications for the Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) program. Washington University is eligible to submit two preliminary proposals as the lead organization. Full proposals will be accepted by invitation only. Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) support interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary materials research and education of the highest quality while addressing fundamental problems in science and engineering.

MRSECs require outstanding research quality, intellectual breadth, interdisciplinarity, flexibility in responding to new research opportunities, support for research infrastructure, and they foster the integration of research and education in the materials field. They are expected to have strong links to industry and other sectors, as appropriate, and to contribute to the development of a national network of university-based centers in materials research. MRSECs address fundamental materials research topics of intellectual and technological importance, contribute to national priorities by promoting active collaboration between academia and other sectors, and enable researchers to address problems of a scope and complexity requiring the advantages of scale and interdisciplinarity provided by a campus-based research center.

MRSECs are supported by NSF to undertake materials research that requires the scope and complexity not feasible under traditional funding of individual research projects. NSF support is intended to reinforce the base of individual investigator and small group research by providing the flexibility to address topics requiring an approach of broad scope and duration. MRSECs are university-based, and undertake an interactive, interdisciplinary approach to materials research and education while fostering active cooperation among university-based researchers and those concerned with the application of materials research in industry and elsewhere. Centers can be co-located at multiple institutions. A MRSEC may encompass one or more interdisciplinary research groups (IRGs). Each IRG involves several faculty members and associated researchers, addressing a major topic or area, which may range from fundamental to applied research, in which sustained support for interactive effort by several participants with complementary backgrounds, skills, and knowledge is critical to progress. The IRGs in a Center may be topically related, or they may address different topical aspects of materials research; they contribute to the synergy arising from the research and education activities of the Center and its common infrastructure, shared facilities and outreach programs. Thus, the Center as a whole is expected to be more than the sum of its parts.

Individual MRSEC awards are expected to range in size from about $1.0 million/year to a maximum of $5.0 million/year. The average award of currently funded MRSECs is about $1.9 million/year.

Please distribute this announcement to the appropriate faculty in your department. If you wish to submit a proposal for the University, please forward the following materials for internal review:
1. Cover page (attached)
2. A brief description of the proposed center (one to three pages).
3. Curriculum vitae for the proposed program director and co-directors.
(See attached file: Nomination Cover Page for Washington University (federal) Internal Competitions.doc)
Materials should be electronically to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it  no later than 11:59 PM on July 25, 2007.

*Please note that the required preliminary proposal is due by September 5, 2007. Invited full proposals are due January 18, 2008 (see details at http://internalcompetitions.wustl.edu/research/grants.nsf/Current?OpenView or http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf07563/nsf07563.htm ).