Environmental Implications of Emerging Technologies

PROGRAM GUIDELINES

Apply to PD 10-1179 as follows:

For full proposals submitted via FastLane: standard Grant Proposal Guidelines apply.
For full proposals submitted via Grants.gov: NSF Grants.gov Application Guide; A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov Guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide)

Please be advised that the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) includes revised guidelines to implement the mentoring provisions of the America COMPETES Act (ACA) (Pub. L. No. 110-69, Aug. 9, 2007.) As specified in the ACA, each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. Proposals that do not comply with this requirement will be returned without review (see the PAPP Guide Part I: Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II for further information about the implementation of this new requirement).

DUE DATES

Full Proposal Window:  February 1, 2010 - March 3, 2010

SYNOPSIS

The Environmental Implications of Emerging Technologies program provides support to develop and test the environmental effects of new technologies. 

Fundamental and basic research is sought to establish and understand outcomes as a result of the implementation of new technologies such as nanotechnology and biotechnology.  The program also supports research on the development and refinement of sensors and sensor network technologies that can be used to measure a wide variety of physical, chemical, and biological properties of interest in characterizing, monitoring, and understanding environmental impacts.

The program emphasizes engineering principles underlying technology impacts.  Innovative production processes, waste reduction, recycling, and industrial ecology technologies are of interest.   All of these have implications that would be relevant to this program. 

Current areas of support include:

• Understanding and mitigating how new developments in nanotechnology and biotechnology will interact with the environment

• Nanotechnology environmental, health, and safety implications and applications

• Predictive methodology for the interaction of nanoparticles with the environment and with the human body, including predictive approaches for toxicity

• Fate and transport of natural, engineered, and incidental (by-product) nanoparticles

• Risk assessment and management of the effect of nanomaterials in the environment

• Sensor and sensor network technologies as they relate to the measurement of these environmental implications

Current areas of support for this program do not include biomedical and nanotoxicology topics involving clinical trials.

All proposed research should be driven by engineering principles, and presented in an environmental health and safety or environmental sensor context.  Proposals should include involvement of at least one engineering student.

The duration of unsolicited awards is generally one to three years.  The average annual award size for the program is $100,000.  Small equipment proposals of less than $100,000 will also be considered and may be submitted during these windows.  Any proposal received outside the announced dates will be returned without review.

The duration of CAREER awards is five years.  The submission deadline for Engineering CAREER proposals is in July every year.  Please see the following URL for more information: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08051/nsf08051.jsp.

Proposals for Conferences, Workshops, and Supplements may be submitted at any time, but must be discussed with the program director before submission.

Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) and EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) replace the SGER program.  Please note that proposals of these types must be discussed with the program director before submission.  Further details are available in the PAPPG download, available below. 

Please refer to the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG), January 2009, (NSF 09-1) when you prepare your proposal.  The PAPPG is available for download at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf0929.

THIS PROGRAM IS PART OF

Environmental Engineering and Sustainability

Abstracts of Recent Awards Made Through This Program