Biomaterials

The Biomaterials program supports fundamental materials research related to (1) biological materials, (2) biomimetic, bioinspired, and bioenabled materials, (3) synthetic materials intended for applications in contact with biological systems, and (4) the processes through which nature produces biological materials.  Projects are typically interdisciplinary and may encompass scales from the nanoscopic to the bulk.  They may involve characterization, design, preparation, and modification; studies of structure-property relationships and interfacial behavior; and combinations of experiment, theory, and/or simulation.  The emphasis is on novel materials design and development and discovery of new phenomena.

Projects involving in vitro demonstration of biological compatibility and efficacy are appropriate, but the program can support only limited in vivo studies.  Tissue engineering and drug/gene delivery projects must have a specific focus on fundamental materials development and characterization.  Studies of the mechanical behavior of hard and soft biological materials and tissues and projects in molecular biophysics may be more appropriate for one or more of the NSF programs listed below under Related Programs.  Projects with an emphasis on device design and fabrication are generally more appropriate for a program in the NSF Engineering Directorate.