Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs

FY25 MSE NOFO

U.S. Department of Commerce, Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), NIST,
Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs,
2025-NIST-MSE-01
Funding Opportunity
Description: NIST is soliciting applications for financial assistance for Fiscal
Year 2025 (FY25) within the following NIST grant programs:
(1) Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services
(ADIIS);
(2) Associate Director for Laboratory Programs (ADLP);
(3) CHIPS Research & Development Program Office (CRDO);
(4) Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL);
(5) Engineering Laboratory (EL);
(6) Fire Research (FR);
(7) Information Technology Laboratory (ITL);
(8) International and Academic Affairs Office (IAAO);
(9) Material Measurement Laboratory (MML);
(10) NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR);
(11) Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML);
(12) Special Programs Office (SPO); and
(13) Standards Coordination Office (SCO).
Announcement Initial
Type:
Funding Instrument: This funding opportunity will result in the award of grants or
cooperative agreements. A grant or cooperative agreement is
not the correct funding vehicle if the principal purpose is to
provide products or services for the direct benefit or use of the
federal government.
Assistance Listing 11.042: CHIPS R&D, 11.609: Measurement and Engineering
(CFDA Number): Research and Standards, 11.619: Arrangements for
Interdisciplinary Research Infrastructure, and 11.620: Science,
Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach.
Period of
Performance: Project performance period of up to five (5) years.
Goals & Objectives: To support activities that develop, expand, strengthen, or sustain
NIST partnership programs and/or support the conduct of
research or a recipient's portion of collaborative research in a
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variety of areas including, but not limited to: Metrology;
Standards; Nanotechnology; Artificial Intelligence; Advanced
Communications; Advanced Manufacturing; Promotion of U.S.
innovation and industrial competitiveness; Measurements in
Sciences; Neutron Research; and enhancing coordination of the
U.S. Standards System with government and private sector
organizations.
Eligible Applicants: This NOFO is open to all non-Federal entities to include,
institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, for-
profit organizations, state and local governments, Indian tribes,
hospitals, foreign public entities, and foreign governments.
Individuals and unincorporated sole proprietors are not
considered “non-Federal entities” and are not eligible to apply
under this NOFO. NIST seeks to collaborate with a wide range
of organizations and encourages minority-serving institutions of
higher education and community colleges to apply.
Funding Amount: See Section II. in the Full Announcement Text of this NOFO.
Cost Share/Matching
Requirements: The MSE Research Grant Programs do not require cost sharing
o r matching.
Submission Dates
and Times: Applications will be accepted and considered on a rolling basis
as they are received. See Section IV.4. in the Full
Announcement Text of this NOFO.
How to Apply: Applications must be submitted using Grants.gov. Paper
applications will not be accepted.
Review and Selection
Process: See Section V.2. in the Full Announcement Text of this NOFO.
Agency
Contacts: P r o g rammatic and Technical Questions:
See Section VII. in the Full Announcement Text of this NOFO.
Grant Rules and Regulations:
See Section VII. in the Full Announcement Text of this NOFO.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Program Description 3
II. Federal Award Information 33
III. Eligibility Information 35
IV. Application and Submission Information 36
V. Application Review Information 47
VI. Federal Award Administration Information 62
VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 69
VIII. Other Information 71
FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT
I. Program Description
NIST’s mission is to promote innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing
measurement science, standards, and technology, including by funding extramural
research. This NOFO seeks applications for measurement science and standards
research in the areas described by each MSE Grant Program below, which will
support the development of a general population that understands and appreciates
measurement science and standards. NIST seeks to collaborate with a wide range of
organizations including but not limited to minority-serving institutions and community
colleges, in support of NIST's mission.
1. Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services (ADIIS) Grant Program
The statutory authority for the ADIIS Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and
(c), 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e), and Title II, Division B, the Research and
Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (Pub. L. 117-167).
Program Description: The ADIIS Grant Program supports activities that
develop, expand, strengthen, or sustain NIST partnership programs within the
ADIIS Directorate through measurements, standards, data, industry and
technology studies, and technology research and development (R&D).
Specifically, the ADIIS Grant Program seeks to support technology innovation
and service to American industry in fields including bioscience, chemistry,
dimensional metrology, electronics, engineering, infrastructure, information
technology, manufacturing, manufacturing metrology, materials science and
engineering, nanotechnology, neutron research, optics, and physics.
The ADIIS Directorate’s current partnership programs include the Baldrige
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Performance Excellence Program1, the Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership (MEP)2, programs within the NIST Office of Advanced
Manufacturing3, and programs within the NIST Technology Partnerships Office4.
Financial assistance may be provided to bolster measurements, standards, data,
and technology R&D within these partnership programs, or through new
partnerships, to:
• advance early-stage research and development for industry;
• enhance opportunities in manufacturing through innovation;
• strengthen supplier programs for small and medium manufacturers;
• encourage the transfer and commercialization of research and technology
from institutions of higher education, federal laboratories, other federally
funded research programs, and nonprofit research institutes, as well as
research or evaluate the impacts of such transfer and commercialization;
• create jobs or promote workforce development; and
• realize or sustain metrology needs in American industry, including through
technical metrology training programs for manufacturers.
Financial support may be provided for conferences, workshops, studies,
workforce development activities, or technical R&D meetings that are relevant to
advancing NIST partnerships in technology innovation and service to American
industry. However, NIST cannot be an official sponsor or co-sponsor for any
event funded through this program.
All applications submitted to the ADIIS Grant Program must be in accordance
with the program objectives listed above.
Financial support will not be provided for the establishment of an MEP Center or
to augment the capabilities of an MEP Center through an MEP Center applicant.
Current MEP Centers may add capabilities to the MEP Program, including the
development of projects to solve new or emerging manufacturing problems,
through the rolling MEP Competitive Awards Program NOFO (see
https://www.nist.gov/mep/nist-mep-competitive-awards-program-cap).
1 The Baldrige Program oversees the nation's only Presidential award for performance excellence while offering a
wide array of award-winning products and services, including the world-renowned Baldrige Excellence Framework.
See https://www.nist.gov/baldrige for more information.
2 MEP is a public-private partnership with Centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico dedicated to serving small and
medium-sized manufacturers. See https://www.nist.gov/mep for more information.
3 The NIST Office of Advanced Manufacturing coordinates the network of Manufacturing USA institutes and leads the
interagency Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office. See https://www.nist.gov/oam for more information.
4 Programs within the NIST Technology Partnership Office include the NIST Technology Transfer Program, the Lab
to Market Initiative, and the Economic Analysis Program. See https://www.nist.gov/tpo for more information.
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Financial support will not be provided for the NIST Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) program. The NIST SBIR program solicits research and
development proposals from small businesses that respond to specific technical
needs described in the annual NIST SBIR Program NOFO. Please visit the NIST
SBIR Program webpage for more information: https://www.nist.gov/tpo/small-
business-innovation-research-program.
Additional information about the ADIIS and ADIIS Programs may be obtained at
https://www.nist.gov/adiis. Bryana Head is the contact person for the ADIIS Grant
Program, who can be contacted for clarification of the program objectives. She
may be reached at (301) 975-4885 or by e-mail at bryana.head@nist.gov.
2. Associate Director for Laboratory Programs (ADLP) Grant Program
The ADLP Grant Program's statutory authority is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c), 15
U.S.C. § 278g-1(e), and Title II, Division B, the Research and Development,
Competition, and Innovation Act (Pub. L. 117-167).
Program Description: The ADLP Grant Program provides financial assistance
to support the conduct of research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative
research consistent with the NIST mission in areas consistent with the interests
of NIST research programs including but not limited to bioscience,
communications, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, resilience,
quantum information science, etc. Financial support may be provided to
organizations to sponsor individual participation in career development and
outreach programs in advance of the NIST mission and laboratory priorities.
Financial support may be provided for students to attend education and outreach
programs, conferences, workshops, or other technical research meetings that are
relevant to the mission of the ADLP. Financial support may also be provided to
organizations sponsoring conferences, workshops, education and outreach
programs, or other technical events that are relevant to the mission of the ADLP.
However, NIST cannot be an official sponsor or co-sponsor for any event funded
through this program.
Additional information about the ADLP and ADLP Programs may be obtained at
http://www.nist.gov/director/adlp.cfm.
All applications submitted to the ADLP Grant Program must be in accordance
with the program objectives listed above. Stephanie Shaw is the contact person
for the ADLP Grant Program, who may be contacted for clarification of the
program objectives. She may be reached at (301) 975-2667 or by e-mail at
stephanie.shaw@nist.gov.
3. CHIPS Research & Development Program Office (CRDO) Grant Program
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The statutory authority for the CRDO Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and
(c), 15 U.S.C. §§ 278g-1(e), 15 U.S.C. §§ 4651, 4656, and 4657, and Title II,
Division B, the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act
(Pub. L. 117-167).
Program Description: The CRDO supports advanced microelectronics research
to advance the development of semiconductor technologies. The CRDO is
focused on establishing the capacity of inventing, developing, prototyping, and
deploying the foundational semiconductor technologies of the future in the United
States. The CRDO’s activities enable advances and breakthroughs in
measurement science, standards, material characterization, instrumentation,
testing, and manufacturing capabilities to ensure U.S. competitiveness and
leadership in microelectronics.
The CRDO Grant Program provides financial assistance to support the conduct
of research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research consistent with the
CRDO’s mission to support research in the following fields: semiconductor and
microelectronics manufacturing, virtualization, and automation of semiconductor
machinery, chiplets, co-design and simulation, and materials and substrates.
Additional information about the CRDO and CRDO Programs may be obtained at
Research & Development Programs | NIST.
All applications submitted must be in accordance with the program objectives
listed below for the CRDO divisions. Crystal Murphy is the contact person for the
CRDO Grant Program, who may be contacted for clarification of the program
objectives. She may be reached at (202) 697-2117 or by e-mail at
crystal.murphy@chips.gov.
a. CRDO Headquarters Office: Financial support may be provided for
conferences, workshops, or other technical research meetings that are
relevant to the mission of the CRDO. However, NIST cannot be an official
sponsor or co-sponsor for any event funded through this program. Support is
generally provided in increments of $5,000 per award. Applications for other
purposes may be considered.
b. CHIPS Metrology Program:
All objectives of interest will focus on conducting the measurement science,
or metrology, critical to the development of new materials, packaging, and
production methods for semiconductors. Specific objectives of interest include
but are not limited to researching, developing, promoting, prototyping,
measuring, and deploying emerging technologies, standards and test
methods related to the following seven Metrology Grand Challenges,
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identified in NIST’s Strategic Opportunities for U.S. Semiconductor
Manufacturing: Facilitating U.S. Leadership and Competitiveness through
Advancements in Measurements and Standards publication:
• Metrology for Materials Purity, Properties, and Provenance:
Measurement technologies, properties data, and standards focused on
defect and contaminant identification to support uniform materials quality
and traceability across the supply chain.
• Advanced Metrology for Future Microelectronics Manufacturing:
Physical and computational metrology tools adaptable to next-generation
manufacturing of advanced complex, integrated technologies, and
systems.
• Enabling Metrology for Integrating Components in Advanced
Packaging: Metrology for complex integration of sophisticated
components and new materials to support a strong domestic advanced
microelectronics packaging industry.
• Modeling and Simulating Semiconductor Materials, Designs, and
Components: Advanced design simulators using multi-physics models
and next-generation concepts such as artificial intelligence and digital
twins, empowering U.S. microelectronics designers.
• Modeling and Simulating Semiconductor Manufacturing Processes:
Advanced computational models, methods, data, standards, automation,
and tools to enable domestic semiconductor manufacturers to improve
yields, accelerate time to market, and enhance competitiveness.
• Standardizing New Materials, Processes, and Equipment for
Microelectronics: Standards, validation tools, and protocols for next-
generation materials, processes, and equipment, paving the way for
accelerated innovation and cost-competitiveness in U.S. industry.
• Metrology to Enhance Security and Provenance of Microelectronic
based Components and Products: Approaches to hardware security
protection that includes standards, protocols, formal testing processes,
and advanced computational technologies while providing avenues for
assurance and provenance of microelectronic components across the
supply chain and end products.
Additional objectives include work on reference materials, reference data, and
calibrations for the precision equipment used in chip manufacturing, and the
development of standards for semiconductor processes and cybersecurity.
c. Domestic Control, Domestic Production, and Research Security
Requirements for CRDO
1. Domestic Control
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In the event that intellectual property (see definition below) results from work
funded under this program, the domestic control requirements pursuant to 15
U.S.C. § 4656(g), as explained in this section, shall apply to the award recipient
and any subrecipients.
For purposes of complying with 15 U.S.C. § 4656(g), the following definitions
apply.
a. “Intellectual property” means any invention that is or may be patentable
under U.S. law.
b. “Foreign adversaries” includes, but is not necessarily limited to, any
“foreign entity of concern” and “foreign country of concern,” as those terms
are defined in 15 U.S.C. § 4651(7)-(8) and 15 C.F.R. §§ 231.102 and
231.104, as well as any entity whose actions, policies, or personnel
decisions are controlled by a “foreign entity of concern” or “foreign country
of concern.”
c. “Domestic entity” includes: (1) a State, local, or Tribal government in the
United States; and (2) any (for- or non-profit) entity that is (a) organized
under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United
States and (b) has a principal place of business in the United States. The
principal place of business generally means the place where an entity’s
officers direct, control, and coordinate the entity’s activities A foreign
adversary cannot be considered a domestic entity.”
The applicable domestic control requirements for any intellectual property
produced under the award funded under this program include but are not limited
to:
Ownership: At least one U.S. entity must own or co-own any intellectual property
(IP) created with this funding. This entity must have the right to enforce IP rights
for at least 3 years after either the project end date or the IP is disclosed to NIST,
whichever is later.
Post 3 years: The IP can generally be sold or transferred to a foreign entity, as
long as the foreign entity is not a foreign adversary.
Notification Requirement: If a U.S. entity plans to sell or transfer the IP, it must
notify NIST before proceeding.
Foreign Adversaries Restriction: The IP cannot be sold, transferred, or
licensed to a foreign adversary (with some exceptions as provided by NIST).
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In the event the Recipient or a subrecipient violates the domestic control
requirements pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 4656(g), NIST may impose any remedy
available under 2 CFR §§ 200.339-343.
2. Domestic Production
As set forth in 15 U.S.C. § 4656(g), the Department of Commerce must “develop
policies to require domestic production, to the extent possible, for any intellectual
property” resulting from R&D funded under this program. In the case such
intellectual property is created under this award, domestic production
requirements may apply, in addition to domestic manufacture requirements under
the Bayh-Dole Act, as applicable.
3. Research Security
Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 4657, no CHIPS Act funding under this program may be
provided to a foreign entity of concern, as defined in 15 U.S.C. § 4651 and 15
C.F.R. 231.103 and 231.104. For awards under the CHIPS Research &
Development Office (CRDO) Grant Program, NIST also will apply the
requirements of 42 U.S.C. § 6605 and certain requirements resulting from the
promulgation of National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33) and
NSTC NSPM-33 Guidance issued in January 2022.
As is described in Sections IV.2.a.(7) and IV.2.a.(12) of this NOFO, the Applicant
must provide a resume/CV for each Senior/Key Person participating in the
proposal, and each such individual also must complete a Current and Pending
Support Form. See also the budget-related requirements for Senior/Key
personnel in Sections IV.2.a.(2)A. and IV.2.a.(7) of this NOFO.
NIST will deem any individual listed as a Senior/Key Person in the Application to
be a “covered individual”. The term “covered individual” is defined as “an
individual who (1) contributes in a substantive, meaningful way to the scientific
development or execution of a research and development project proposed to be
carried out with a research and development award from a Federal research
agency; and (2) is designated as a covered individual by the Federal research
agency concerned,” as under 42 U.S.C. § 6605(d)(1).
For any CRDO Grant Program application that may be selected for an award, the
NIST Research Security Office (RSO) will conduct a research security review. In
conducting this review, the NIST RSO will review the proposed project, and the
Current and Pending Support Form(s) and Resume(s)/CV(s) of covered
individuals to assess whether the Applicant or any covered individuals are
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subject to any undue foreign influence or interference through conflicts of interest
or conflicts of commitment, including but not limited to any associations with any
foreign country of concern5 or malign foreign talent recruitment program.6
At the conclusion of the research security review, the NIST RSO will issue and
provide to CRDO a risk determination of a low, medium, or high risk of potential
foreign interference or exploitation. The risk determination may result in the
applications not being funded, or the inclusion of Specific Award Conditions to
mitigate any risks or to ensure compliance with all research security
requirements, including but not limited to imposing a requirement: that each
covered individual receive research security training and/or execute a
Nondisclosure Agreement; that the Awardee provide a research security and/or
technology control plan (see NIST Internal Reports (IRs) 8484 and 8481); and/or
that intellectual property and domestic control measures be included.
4. Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL) Grant Program
The statutory authority for the CTL Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c),
15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e), 15 U.S.C. § 278n-1, 15 U.S.C. § 3706, 42 U.S.C. §
17385, and Title II, Division B, the Research and Development, Competition, and
Innovation Act (Pub. L. 117-167).
Program Description: The Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL) plays
a vital role in ensuring that American industry can satisfy the growing global need
for broadband technologies and applications through the accelerated
development, testing, and deployment of advanced communications and
connected systems technologies for commercial and government applications.
The CTL Grant Program provides financial assistance to support the conduct of
research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research consistent with the CTL
mission in the broad areas of public safety research, RF technologies, wireless
networks including 6G and beyond, smart connected systems, quantum
communications including both network and components, spectrum sharing and
sensing, and space communications.
Additional information about the CTL and CTL Programs may be obtained at
www.nist.gov/ctl. All applications submitted must be in accordance with the
program objectives listed below for the five CTL divisions. Kristine Tadros is the
5 The term "foreign country of concern" means the People's Republic of China, the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, or any other country
determined to be a country of concern by the Secretary of State. 42 U.S.C. § 19237(2).
6 See definition at 42 U.S.C. § 19237(4).
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contact person for the CTL Grant Program. She may be reached at (303) 501-
3701 or by e-mail at kristine.tadros@nist.gov.
a. CTL Office. Financial support may be provided for conferences, workshops,
or other technical research meetings relevant to the CTL's mission. However,
NIST cannot be an official sponsor or co-sponsor for any event funded
through this program. Applications for other purposes may be considered.
b. Public Safety Communications Research Division. Specific objectives of
interest include but are not limited to researching, developing, promoting,
measuring, and deploying emerging technologies and standards that enhance
the ability of first responders and others leveraging a Public Safety
Communications network during standard and emergency operations.
c. RF Technologies Division. Specific objectives of interest include but are not
limited to researching, developing, promoting, measuring, and deploying
emerging technologies and standards in fundamental microwave quantities,
high-speed microelectronics, superconducting electronics, electromagnetic
compatibility, electromagnetic field characterization, antenna metrology,
electromagnetic properties of materials, electrical hardware security, and
radio frequency communications systems.
Additional objectives include quantum networks, characterization of
microwave circuits at cryogenic temperatures, superconducting integrated
circuits for precision measurement and fundamental standards, such as for
DC and AC voltage, impedance, signal synthesis, RF reference sources for
wireless communications, and quantum advanced computing. Methods
employed are both experimental and theoretical and include multivariate
uncertainty analysis.
d. Wireless Networks Division. Specific objectives of interest include, but are
not limited to, researching, developing, promoting, measuring, and deploying
emerging technologies and standards related to how wireless networks are
designed, managed, and used. Additional objectives include conducting
theoretical and experimental research in communication networks, protocols,
digital communication systems, and components; utilizing analytical and
empirical approaches, developing simulation models, experimental testbeds,
and proof of concept prototypes to evaluate new technologies and refine
standard specifications for wireless and core networks and systems; and
developing metrics and measurement methods to assess the performance
and trustworthiness of wireless and core systems.
e. Smart Connected Systems Division. Specific objectives of interest
include but are not limited to, researching, developing, promoting,
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measuring, and deploying emerging technologies, standards, and test
methods for trustworthy autonomous systems, cloud networks, and quantum
networks.
f. Spectrum Technology and Research Division. Specific objectives of
interest include but are not limited to, research, development, and deployment
of innovative measurement methods and tools to promote novel and efficient
use of the electromagnetic optical spectra through improved access, sharing,
atmospheric sensing, and precision timing. Additional objectives include the
following: wireless co-existence; Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning
(AI/ML) applied to closed-box systems testing; microwave noise metrology;
RF spectrum sensing; fiber optic combs applications in atmospheric
spectroscopy, time synchronization, chemical analysis, and
telecommunications; and development and deployment of spectrum-efficient
and spectrum-sharing technologies, including support of the National
Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network (NASCTN).
5. Engineering Laboratory (EL) Grant Program
The statutory authorities for the EL Grant Program are 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and
(c), 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e), 15 U.S.C. § 278n-1, 15 U.S.C. § 278n-2, 42 U.S.C. §
7701 et seq., 42 U.S.C. § 15701 et seq; and Title II, Division B, the Research and
Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (Pub. L. 117-167).
Program Description: The EL Grant Program provides financial assistance to
support the conduct of research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research
consistent with the EL’s mission to support research in the following fields:
advanced manufacturing; additive manufacturing; robotics and autonomous
systems; intelligent systems; and information systems integration for applications
in manufacturing; polymeric materials; heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and
refrigeration (HVAC & R) equipment performance; building mechanical systems
and controls; building envelope and material performance; energy conversion
systems; premise plumbing and water use; indoor air quality and ventilation; and
applied economics. Financial support may be provided for conferences,
workshops, or other technical research meetings that are relevant to the mission
of EL. However, NIST cannot be an official sponsor or co-sponsor for any event
funded through this program. Additional information about the EL and EL
Programs may be obtained at www.nist.gov/el.
The EL Grant Program supports the EL mission to promote U.S. innovation and
industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and
technology for engineered systems in ways that enhance economic security and
improve quality of life. Typical funded activities may include measurement
science research; development of performance metrics, tools, and
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methodologies for engineering technologies and applications; and critical
technical contributions to standards and code development.
All applications submitted must be in accordance with the program objectives
listed below. The appropriate EL Program Manager for each EL field of research
described in this Section may be contacted for clarification of the program
objectives. The contact person for the EL Grant Program is Jason Averill, who
may be reached at (301) 975-2585 or by e-mail at jason.averill@nist.gov.
a. Applied Economics Office. The primary objective is to provide standardized
methods, economic models, training programs and materials, and expert
technical consulting in support of resource allocation decisions. The office
uses techniques such as benefit-cost analysis, life-cycle costing, multi-criteria
decision analysis, life-cycle assessment, decision science, and econometrics
to evaluate new technologies. The contact person is David Butry who may be
reached at (301) 975-6136 or by e-mail at david.butry@nist.gov.
b. Materials and Structural Systems Division. The primary objective is to
collaborate with or conduct research consistent with the division’s programs in
infrastructure materials, buildings and infrastructure systems, community
resilience, and codes and standards. Applications for financial assistance are
sought that addresses either one of the following specific subject areas or that
addresses more than a single subject area with a cross-cutting,
interdisciplinary research team:
1) Infrastructure Materials: There are emergent concrete degradation
mechanisms that originate in the coarse or fine aggregate component of a
concrete mixture. These mechanisms may arise from inadequate
standardized testing for the specific aggregate mineral features that may
lead to expansion and cracking. The measurement challenge is typically
associated with aggregate characteristics, or the critical quantity of
aggregate required to cause damage. There are also measurement
challenges with using new construction methods, including additive
concrete extrusion.
2) Buildings and Physical Infrastructure: Degradation of construction
materials, in turn, affects performance, structural integrity, resilience, and
sustainability of the built environment, and measurement science to
quantify the effects of degradation mechanisms on overall service life,
structural safety, and resilience of physical systems in the U.S. is still a
major challenge. Measurement challenges include accurate
characterization of extreme natural hazards (e.g., hurricane wind and
storm surge, tornadoes, flooding, and earthquakes), developing risk-
consistent design criteria for the built environment, science-based
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accounting for future changes to natural hazards, building and
infrastructure performance, and life-cycle prediction.
3) Community Resilience: Community resilience considers the integrated
performance of buildings and infrastructure systems for future hazard
events and under adverse conditions and the consequences and impacts
on populations, social systems, and economics of a community or region.
Measurement challenges include integrated modeling of physical, social,
economic, and natural systems; metrics and indicators at a community
scale for decision makers; economic assessments of costs and benefits
over a future specified time period; and methods to address future
changes to natural hazards. The contact person for this division is Aron
Newman, and he may be reached at (301) 975-5965 or by e-mail at
aron.newman@nist.gov.
c. Building Energy and Environment Division. The primary objective is to
collaborate with or conduct research consistent with the laboratory programs
in areas related to measurement science needed to enable high-performance
buildings. The breadth of this area includes measurement science associated
with the building envelope, HVAC equipment, energy generation and delivery
systems, building controls/building automation systems, building water
systems, and strategies to improve indoor air quality. Applications for financial
assistance are sought that would:
(1) Provide measurement science for high-performance buildings.
Measurement systems, approaches, and predictive models are required
that can help to enable high-performance buildings. A primary objective is
to develop measurement methods and approaches, data, and predictive
models to assess the effectiveness of building enclosures from a thermal
and airtightness perspective; the performance of indoor space
conditioning systems; the performance of energy generation and delivery
systems, indoor air quality; and water efficiency and quality in buildings.
Additionally, an objective is to develop techniques to assess buildings on a
whole-building scale. These techniques could involve standards, system
interactions, and multiple factors that can be considered to represent high
performance. The contact person is William Healy, and he may be
reached at (301) 975-4922 or by e-mail at william.healy@nist.gov.
(2) Enable improved building operations through embedded intelligence
in building controls. Next-generation metrics and tools are needed that
enable the development and deployment of building automation and
control systems with embedded intelligence that improve building system
operation. A primary objective is to develop measurement methods,
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models, and algorithms/tools suitable for embedding in building control
system products that enable better or more automated system
commissioning, automated fault detection and diagnostics, improved
system-level optimization, and integration of building systems with a smart
electrical grid. Additionally, an objective is to conduct research that
provides a basis for new industry standards for intelligent building
systems. The contact person is William Healy, and he may be reached at
(301) 975-4922 or by e-mail at william.healy@nist.gov.
(3) Develop metrics/tools for building evaluation. Next-generation metrics
and tools enabling rigorous assessment of performance over the building
service life are needed to link building technology innovation to economic
benefits. A primary objective is the development of databases and/or
models for estimating component and system costs for existing and
emerging energy-related technologies in new buildings. Additionally, an
objective is to develop techniques for performing life-cycle impact
assessments of emerging technologies. The contact person is David
Butry, and he may be reached at (301) 975-6136 or by e-mail at
david.butry@nist.gov.
d. Systems Integration Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or
conduct research consistent with Division programs and research in
measurement science for advanced manufacturing systems integration.
Areas of particular interest include integration standards and new science-
based methods and tools for validating compliance to those standards,
performance metrics, measurement methods and tools, test artifacts, and
associated reference data and software for:
(1) Circular Economy for manufacturing (including measurements and
standards for systems integration related to manufacturing, critical
material recovery, and standards for design for material recovery and
reuse, modeling, and simulation analysis);
(2) Additive manufacturing (including data collection and processing;
advanced informatics and artificial intelligence for additive manufacturing;
data integration, fusion, and management for additive manufacturing; and
measurement science supporting the qualification of additive
manufacturing machines, processes, and parts);
(3) Digital twin (including measurement science, methods, and tools for
integrating, testing, and validating digital twins); and
(4) Biomanufacturing (including systems integration for biomanufacturing
supply chain, integration methods, and standards).
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Additional information regarding Systems Integration Division research
programs and projects can be found at www.nist.gov/el/sid. The contact
person for this division is Yan Lu who may be reached at 301-975-8228 or by
e-mail at yan.lu@nist.gov.
e. Intelligent Systems Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or
conduct research consistent with Division programs and research in
measurement science for intelligent systems. Areas of particular interest
include measurement methods and tools, test artifacts, performance metrics,
and associated reference data and software for:
(1) Manufacturing, public safety, and other applications of robotic and
autonomous systems (including measurement science for understanding
perception, dexterous manipulation and grasping, contact safety, mobile
manipulation, exoskeletons, human-robot and robot-robot collaboration,
robot agility, robot system integration, artificial intelligence, and autonomy
for these systems). More information about the research of the NIST
Measurement Science for Robotics and Autonomous Systems Program
may be found at: https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/measurement-
science-robotics-and-autonomous-systems; and
(2) Additive manufacturing (including fundamental measurements for metal
additive manufacturing; characterization of additive manufacturing
materials; metrology for additive manufacturing model validation;
advanced machines, monitoring, and control for additive manufacturing;
and measurement science supporting the qualification of additive
manufacturing materials, machines and processes, and parts). More
information about research of the NIST Measurement Science for Additive
Manufacturing Program may be found at: https://www.nist.gov/programs-
projects/measurement-science-additive-manufacturing-program; and
(3) Augmented intelligence for manufacturing systems, including sensing,
prognostics, and health management for smart manufacturing, and AI
applications for these topics. More information about the research of the
NIST Augmented Intelligence for Manufacturing Systems Project may be
found at: https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/augmented-intelligence-
manufacturing-systems-aims; and,
(4) Emergency response robot performance metrics and standards. More
information about research of the NIST Emergency Response Robots
Project may be found at: https://www.nist.gov/programs-
projects/emergency-response-robots.
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Additional information regarding Intelligent Systems Division research programs
and projects can be found at www.nist.gov/el/isd. Successful proposals are
typically well-aligned with the division’s current and ongoing measurement
science research projects. The contact person for this division is Kevin Jurrens,
who may be reached at (301) 975-5486 or by e-mail at kevin.jurrens@nist.gov.
6. Fire Research (FR) Grant Program
The statutory authority for the FR Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b)(4), 15
U.S.C. § 278f, 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e), 15 U.S.C. § 278n-1 and Title II, Division B,
the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (Pub. L. 117-
167).
Program Description: The FR Grant Program provides financial assistance to
support the conduct of research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research
in areas of current interest to the Fire Research Division. The Fire Research
Division develops, verifies, and utilizes measurements and predictive methods to
quantify the behavior of fire and means to reduce the impact of fire on society.
This work involves the integration of laboratory measurements, verified methods
of prediction, and large-scale fire experiments to demonstrate the use and value
of the research products. Details on current Division research activities are
available at http://www.nist.gov/el/fire_research/index.cfm. The contact person
for the FR Grant Program is Dr. Jiann Yang, and he may be reached at (301)
975-6662 or by e-mail at jiann.yang@nist.gov.
All applications submitted must be in accordance with the program objectives
listed below.
a. Fire Fighting Technology Group. Develops, advances, and deploys
measurement science to improve firefighting safety and effectiveness, and
provide a science-based understanding of fire phenomena. Carries out
mission-related measurement science research and services to advance
cyber-physically based (smart) firefighting, technology integration into fire-
fighting equipment, fire risks of new technologies, and physics-based training
tools that predict fire phenomena and their effects on structures and
occupants and conducts disaster and failure studies to reduce the risk of fire
hazard to buildings and firefighters.
b. Engineered Fire Safety Group. Develops, advances, and deploys
measurement science for cost-effective fire protection of structures. Carries
out mission-related measurement science research and services to predict
the fire performance of structures with respect to ignition fire growth and
spread, detection, suppression, toxicity, and egress; develops cost-effective
performance-based codes, standards, and practices used for fire prevention
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and control; and conducts disaster and failure studies to reduce the risk of fire
hazard to buildings and occupants.
c. Flammability Reduction Group. Develops, advances, and deploys
measurement science to reduce the fire hazard of building contents and
construction materials. Carries out mission-related measurement science
research and services to reduce material ignition probability, fire growth and
spread; research to understand the risk of firefighters being exposed to per-
and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); and supports development of
standards for cost-effective, fire-safe building contents and construction
materials, and reducing firefighter's exposure to PFAS.
d. Wildland Urban Interface Fire Group. Develops, advances, and deploys
measurement science to reduce the risk of fire spread in wildland-urban
interface (WUI) communities. Carries out mission-related measurement
science research and services to develop risk exposure metrics, predict the
spread of fires in WUI communities, assess fire performance of structures and
communities, mitigate the impact of WUI fires on structures and communities,
and conduct disaster and failure studies to reduce the risk of fire hazard in
WUI communities.
e. National Fire Research Laboratory Group. Develops, advances, and
deploys measurement science to reduce the risk of structural fires. Carries
out mission-related measurement science research and services to
understand the performance of structures exposed to fire, create new data to
advance performance-based design approaches, and develop new large-
scale fire metrology.
7. Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) Grant Program
The statutory authority for the ITL Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c),
15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e), 15 U.S.C. § 278n-1 and Title II, Division B, the Research
and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (Pub. L. 117-167).
Program Description: The mission of the Information Technology Laboratory
(ITL) is to cultivate trust in information technology (IT) and metrology and is
accomplished using its world-class measurement and testing facilities and
encompassing a wide range of areas of computer science, mathematics,
statistics, and systems engineering.
The ITL Grant Program provides financial assistance to support the conduct of
research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research consistent with the
ITL’s missions to support research in the following fields: applied and
computational, mathematics, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, biometrics,
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cloud computing, cyber-physical systems, cybersecurity, forensic science, health
information technology, high-performance computing, human factors and
usability, information access, information processing and understanding, Internet
of Things (IoT), metrology infrastructure for modeling and simulation, privacy
engineering, and statistical design, analysis, and interpretation.
Additional information about the ITL and ITL Programs may be obtained at
www.nist.gov/itl.
Financial support may be provided to attend education and outreach programs,
conferences, workshops, or other technical research meetings that are relevant
to the ITL’s mission. Financial support may also be provided to organizations
sponsoring conferences, workshops, or other technical events that are relevant
to the mission of the ITL. However, NIST cannot be an official sponsor or co-
sponsor for any event funded through this program.
All applications submitted to the ITL Grant Program must be in accordance with
the program objectives listed below. Patricia Wilburg is the contact person for the
ITL Grant Program, who may be contacted for clarification of program objectives.
She may be reached by e-mail at patricia.wilburg@nist.gov.
a. NIST Artificial Intelligence Innovation Lab (NAIIL): NAILL develops
measurement science capabilities to accelerate innovation in providing a
foundation for the community to evaluate and test AI in ways that will improve its
functionality and trustworthiness. Specific topics of interest include evaluating
safe and trustworthy AI systems, and foundational research on examining,
measuring, and understanding the tradeoff among various aspects of trustworthy
AI systems, which include valid and reliable; safe, secure; and resilient;
accountable; and transparent; explainable; and interpretable; privacy enhanced;
and fair with biases managed.
b. Applied and Computational Mathematics Division (ACMD) nurtures trust in
metrology and scientific computing through the development and application of
advanced mathematical and computational techniques and tools. Current topics
of interest include: the Mathematics of Special Functions; Quantum Information
Science and Engineering; Combinatorial Methods; and Modeling of Internet of
Things for Health Applications.
c. Applied Cybersecurity Division (ACD) implements practical cybersecurity and
privacy through outreach and effective application of standards, guidelines, and
technologies. ACD establishes cybersecurity and privacy standards and
practices in an open, transparent, and collaborative way, and conducts research
in applied cybersecurity and privacy. Specific objectives of interest in these areas
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of research include education and workforce; risk management; identity and
access management; Internet of Things cybersecurity, hardware cybersecurity,
privacy risk management; cybersecurity and privacy of genomics data, and
cybersecurity and privacy considerations for emerging technologies.
d. Computer Security Division (CSD) develops cybersecurity standards,
guidelines, tests, data references and metrics to protect federal information and
information systems. CSD helps to develop innovative security technologies that
enhance the nation’s ability to address current and future computer and
information security challenges. CSD’s research focuses on cryptography,
automation, identity and access management, supply chain risk management,
cybersecurity metrics, security engineering and cryptographic conformance
testing. The Division maintains a Computer Security Resource Center (CSRC),
which provides access to NIST's cybersecurity- and information security-related
projects, publications, news, and events. Specific objectives of interest in these
areas of research include Cryptography and Cryptographic Test Methods;
Hardware Cybersecurity; Threshold Cryptography; Post Quantum Cryptography;
Security Testing Tools and Metrics; Vulnerability Semantics; Privacy Enhancing
Cryptography; Cybersecurity Conformance Testing; Security Automation; and
Security Engineering.
e. Information Access Division (IAD) supports technologies used to access
complex information relating to human action, behavior, communication, or
characteristics. Through collaborations with industry, academia, and the federal
government, IAD enables the advancement of these technologies for commercial
use. IAD provides guidelines and measurement methods to accelerate this
evolution. Specific objectives of interest in these areas of research include:
Measurement approaches for trustworthy and responsible AI, including human-
centered approaches; Biometrics for Forensics, Quality, Synthetic Data
Generation, and Digital Identity; Analytics and methods addressing (Synthetic)
Content authentication and Provenance in the areas of Generative AI and
Deepfake Detection; Human-Centered Cybersecurity; Information Extraction;
Modeling and Generating Language and Video Content; Search,
Recommendation and Information Retrieval; Research into the use of
Foundational Models to support Information Access Activities; Watermarking and
Information Provenance.
f. Software and Systems Division (SSD) works with industry, academia, and
other government agencies to accelerate the development and adoption of
correct, reliable, and testable software. This collaborative effort leads to
increased trust and confidence in deployed software and methods to develop
better standards and testing tools. SSD focuses on advances in state-of-the-art
software testing and facilitates the transfer of applications and technologies into
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national infrastructures and commercial sectors. SSD also collaborates with other
government agencies to develop Computationally-Enabled Measurements that
leverage data-driven approaches, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
(symbolic, neural networks, and generative AI), and High-Performance
Computing. Specific objectives of interest in these areas of research
include artificial intelligence, digital forensics; data analytics; data storage; cloud
computing; health IT; high-performance computing; image analytics; IoT for
health applications; material genome initiative; medical device interoperability;
software assurance; systems biology; and systems interoperability.
g. Statistical Engineering Division (SED) conducts fundamental and applied
statistical research on problems in metrology; develops and applies best
practices for the characterization of measurement uncertainty; and implements
modern methods and techniques for survey and experiment design, data
analysis, statistical modeling, and probabilistic inference using computer
software. Specific objectives of interest in these areas of research include
statistics for metrology (with an emphasis on the design and analysis of
experiments for interlaboratory comparisons, calibration, or reference material
certification); statistical methods in multiple domains including forensic science,
informatics, communications technology, and next-generation clock metrology;
statistical aspects of machine learning and artificial intelligence; and enhanced
access to statistical analysis methods via software.
8. International and Academic Affairs Office (IAAO) Grant Program
The statutory authority for the IAAO Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c)
and Title II, Division B, the Research and Development, Competition, and
Innovation Act (Pub. L. 117-167).
Program Description: The IAAO Grant Program has been designed to support
activities that strengthen and enhance the international metrology community and
promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness in support of the NIST
mission. NIST seeks to promote the efforts of International Organizations with a
metrology mission, Regional Metrology Organizations, National Metrology
Institutes and Designated Institutes to bolster the global metrology system and
regional metrology cooperation and enhance quality infrastructure. The IAAO
Grant Program will support scientific, industrial and/or legal metrology activities
and related quality infrastructure endeavors with an emphasis on the Western
Hemisphere, Asia Pacific, and Africa. Financial support may be provided for
conferences, workshops, or other technical meetings (in-person and virtual) that
are relevant to the mission of the IAAO. However, NIST cannot be an official
sponsor or co-sponsor for any event funded through this program. Additional
information about the IAAO and IAAO Programs may be obtained at
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www.nist.gov/iaao. All applications submitted to the IAAO Grant Program must
be in accordance with the program objectives listed above. The contact person
for the IAAO Grant Program is Magdalena Navarro, and she may be reached by
e-mail at magdalena.navarro@nist.gov.
9. Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) Grant Program
The MML Grant Program’s statutory authority is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c),15
U.S.C. § 278g-1(e), and Title II, Division B, the Research and Development,
Competition, and Innovation Act (Pub. L. 117-167).
Program Description: The MML supports the NIST mission by serving as the
national reference laboratory for measurements in the chemical, biological, and
material sciences. The MML is entrusted with developing, maintaining,
advancing, and enabling measurement systems in these areas for the nation.
The MML’s activities range from fundamental and applied research on the
composition, structure, and properties of industrial, biological, and environmental
materials and processes to the development and dissemination of certified
reference materials, critically evaluated data and other programs that help assure
measurement quality.
The MML Grant Program provides financial assistance to support the
conduct of research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research in the
following fields: materials science and engineering, materials
measurement science, biosystems and biomaterials, biomolecular
measurements, chemical sciences, and applied chemicals and materials.
All applications submitted to the MML Grant Program must be in accordance with
the program objectives set forth below. The appropriate MML Program Manager
for each MML field of research described in this section may be contacted for
clarification of the program objectives. The MML Grant Program contact person
is Jody Sandel and she may be reached at (303) 497-4695 or by e-mail at
jody.sandel@nist.gov
a. MML Office. Financial support may be provided for education and outreach
programs, conferences, workshops, or other technical research meetings that
are relevant to the mission of the MML. Financial support may also be
provided to organizations sponsoring conferences, workshops, or other
technical events that are relevant to the mission of the MML. However, NIST
cannot be an official sponsor or co-sponsor for any event funded through this
program. The contact person for this office is Jody Sandel, and she may be
reached at (303) 497-4695 or by e-mail at jody.sandel@nist.gov.
b. Office of Data and Informatics. The primary objective is to support
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researchers and institutions in the biological, chemical, and materials
sciences who need to leverage both large and information-rich data sets now
common in many disciplines. The division supports national needs such as
the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) and biological and chemical data
integration, as well as the modernization of current Standard Reference Data
for use in state-of-the-art computer paradigms (i.e., virtual computing, parallel
analysis, interoperability, semantic web, etc.) and the development of next
generation NIST reference data services. The division also facilitates the
MML's adherence to the government open-data policy by providing guidance
and assistance in the best practices for archiving and annotating research
and data outputs. The Office of Data and Informatics (ODI) identifies,
coordinates, integrates, and builds the capabilities needed to meet data
challenges and leverage data-driven research opportunities (including Big
Data and data.gov), particularly those that relate to the biological, chemical,
and materials science communities within the MML. As a service-oriented
organization, the ODI adds value to data activities by providing guidance,
assistance, and resources for optimizing the discoverability, usability, and
interoperability of data products in ways that support NIST scientists and
stakeholders. In addition, by fostering collaboration and coordination among
MML domain experts and other data specialists at NIST, the ODI supports
MML research programs where advanced manipulation, visualization, and
analysis of large data sets are needed to advance knowledge. The ODI has
also developed the Research Data Framework, which documents the
research data ecosystem and provides a guide to organizations and
individuals with a role in research data management. The contact person for
this division is Robert Hanisch; he may be reached at (301) 975-3463 or by e-
mail at robert.hanisch@nist.gov.
c. Materials Science and Engineering Division. The primary objective is to
collaborate or conduct research consistent with division programs that provide
the measurement science, standards, technology, instrumentation, and data
required to advance materials technology and manufacturing processes,
enabling those engaged in the materials science and engineering enterprise
to create innovative, successful products that solve problems in areas such
as microelectronics, transportation, civil infrastructure, biopharmaceuticals,
energy, and the environment. Division programs support the development
and application of soft materials, metal alloys, and inorganic functional
materials to include: multi-phase fluids and gels along with constituent
components such as polymeric molecules, nanoparticles, colloids, and fibers;
the processing and manufacturing of polymers into functional forms that
include thin films, nanostructures, and shaped bulk solids; the physical,
chemical, and mechanical properties of solid polymers; the electrical,
chemical, and magnetic properties of nanostructured inorganic materials
including magnetic thin films and nanoparticles, and 2-dimensional topological
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materials; electrochemical and surface science measurements and models
for advancing wet chemical manufacturing and energy conversion
technologies; mechanical properties and performance of advanced metal
alloys, particularly as related to thermo-mechanical processing/manufacturing
and application-relevant operating conditions; thermodynamic, physical
property, and kinetic data, models, and associated experimental techniques,
including density functional theory and interatomic potential calculations, and
methods and data to predict phase transformations, microstructure evolution,
and properties of advanced materials; additive manufacturing processes for
metallic and polymeric materials; and infrastructure and tools to support the
production, availability, and discovery of materials data including automated
experimentation and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) methods.
The contact person for this Division is Mark VanLandingham, and he may be
reached at (301) 975-8795 or by e-mail at mark.vanlandingham@nist.gov.
d. Materials Measurement Science Division. The primary objective is to
collaborate or conduct research consistent with division programs in support
of measurement science, measurement standards, and measurement
technology required to enable world-leading characterization of advanced
materials in support of the nation’s needs for determining the composition,
structure, and properties of materials. The division develops state-of-the-art
instrumentation, methods, models, and software to measure materials
accurately and precisely over a range of length and time scales. The division
provides benchmarking and validation of emerging materials analysis
methods, and disseminates reference materials, standards, and scientific
data to foster innovation and advance a wide range of technologies. Division
programs include: advanced microscopies, microanalysis and imaging;
nanomaterials and nanodevice research; solid sorbents characterization;
nano calorimetry; high throughput materials science; ; nanomechanical
properties; synchrotron science for materials characterization; materials
structure and dynamics; modeling and predicting materials structure and
properties; chemical detection technologies and standards for forensics and
homeland security applications; and materials science and standards for law
enforcement equipment and technologies. The contact person for this
Division is Dave Holbrook, and he may be reached at (301) 975-5202 or by
email at dave.holbrook@nist.gov.
e. Biosystems and Biomaterials Division. The primary objective is to
collaborate with or conduct research consistent with Division projects in
measurement science, standards, and technology to build confidence in bio
metrology and foster responsible biotechnology and biomanufacturing
innovation. The Division supports quantitative measurement and
standardization for methods such as advanced imaging and spectroscopy,
flow cytometry, genomic/metagenomic and omics measurements, as well as
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the design and validation of bioassays. The Division further supports the
development of advanced measurement capabilities and integration of
automation and AI/ML to accelerate quantitative and/or predictive engineering
biology. Current priorities include precision measurements and predictive
engineering of biological systems to support broad biotechnology sectors,
including precision medicine, advanced therapy, bio surveillance, cell-based
manufacturing, new technologies enabled by genome editing, and supply
chain resilience. The Division also leads and contributes to the development
of global standards as well as efforts to support their dissemination and broad
adoption. The contact person for this division is Sheng Lin-Gibson, and she
may be reached at (301) 975-6765 or by email at sheng.lin-gibson@nist.gov.
f. Biomolecular Measurement Division. The primary objective is to
collaborate with or conduct research consistent with the division activities in
measurement science, standards, technology, and data required to support
the nation’s needs in determining the composition, structure, quantity, and
function of biomolecules. In partnership with U.S. industry, government
agencies, and scientific institutions, the division performs fundamental and
applied research on the measurement of macromolecules such as proteins
and nucleic acids, as well as peptides, glycans, metabolites, lipids, and
natural products. Specific areas of interest include development of
measurement methods, standards, reference data, and technologies for
applications involving clinical diagnostics for healthcare; characterization,
development, and manufacturing of biotherapeutics; proteomics,
metabolomics, and drug discovery; and genetic testing in agriculture, law
enforcement, and clinical diagnostics. The contact person for this division is
Rebecca Zangmeister, and she may be reached at (301) 975-4912 or by
email at rebecca.zangmeister@nist.gov.
g. Chemical Sciences Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or
conduct research consistent with the division activities in support of the
measurement science, reference standards, technology, data and chemical
informatics required to support the nation’s needs in the determination of
chemical composition and chemical structure of organic, and inorganic
species in the gas and condensed phases, and in the measurement of a wide
variety of physicochemical properties and processes, including chemical
reactivity and mechanisms, as well as thermochemical and kinetics
properties. In partnership with U.S. industry, government agencies, and
academic scientific institutions, the Division performs fundamental and
applied research to advance and create state-of-the-art chemical
measurement capabilities, theory, and computational methods for quantitative
measurements and sensing of solids, liquids, gases, plasmas, transient
species, and multicomponent matrices. The Division also formulates and
disseminates reference materials and measurement standards and critically
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evaluates reference data and data science algorithms as applied to chemical
metrology. These activities support the chemical science, technology, and
engineering enterprise with the intent of fostering innovation and confidence
in measurements and technologies used in a wide range of applications,
including chemical analysis, gas sensing metrology, clinical health
assessment, food and nutritional assessment, sensing, manufacturing, and
energy transformation. The contact person for this division is Carlos
Gonzalez, and he may be reached at (301) 975-2483 or by e-mail at
carlos.gonzalez@nist.gov.
h. Applied Chemicals and Materials Division. The primary objective is to
collaborate with or conduct research consistent with division programs in the
measurement science, standards, technology, instrumentation, models, and
data required to support the nation’s needs for design, production, and
assessment of chemical and material products. In partnership with U.S.
industry, other government agencies and other scientific institutions, the
division provides thermophysical and mechanical properties; analysis of
reliability and performance of materials and structures; and information
systems for chemical and materials engineering, with the intent of fostering
innovation and confidence in the nation’s physical and energy infrastructures,
advancing additive manufacturing, enabling advances in chemical
manufacturing and in electronics, and promoting sustainability, public safety
and human health. The contact person for this division is John Perkins, and
he may be reached at (303) 497-6476 or by e-mail at john.perkins@nist.gov.
10. NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) Grant Program
The statutory authority for the NCNR Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and
(c),15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e) and Title II, Division B, the Research and
Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (Pub. L. 117-167).
Program Description: The NCNR Grant Program provides financial assistance
to support the conduct of research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative
research involving neutron scattering and the development of innovative
technologies that advance the state-of-the-art in neutron research.
Financial support may be provided for conferences, workshops, or other
technical meetings that are relevant to the mission of the NCNR. However, NIST
cannot be an official sponsor or co-sponsor for any event funded through this
program.
Additional information about the NCNR and NCNR Programs may be obtained at
www.nist.gov/ncnr.
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All applications submitted to the NCNR Grant Program must be in accordance
with the program objectives: to create novel approaches to advance high
resolution cold and thermal neutron scattering research; to develop new
applications of neutron scattering to physics, chemistry, and macromolecular and
materials research; nuclear engineering research on neutron sources and
neutron delivery systems; and to support the development of innovative
technologies relevant to neutron research, including, for example, high resolution
two-dimensional neutron detectors, neutron monochromators, and neutron
focusing and polarizing devices. The contact person for the NCNR Grant
Program who may be contacted for clarification of the program objectives is
Ronald Jones, and he may be reached at (301) 975-4624 or by e-mail at
ronald.jones@nist.gov.
11. Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) Grant Program
The statutory authority for the PML Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c),
15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e), 15 U.S.C. § 7501 et seq., and Title II, Division B, the
Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (Pub. L. 117-167).
Program Description: The PML Grant Program provides financial assistance to
support the conduct of research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research
consistent with the PML mission to support research in the broad areas of
mechanical metrology, semiconductors, ionizing radiation physics, medical
physics, biophysics, neutron physics, atomic physics, optical technology,
optoelectronics, electromagnetics, time and frequency, quantum physics, weights
and measures, quantum electrical metrology, temperature, pressure, flow, far UV
physics, nanotechnology, and metrology with synchrotron radiation.
Additional information about the PML and PML Programs may be obtained at
www.nist.gov/pml.
All applications submitted to the PML Grant Program must be in accordance with
the program objectives listed below. The appropriate PML Program Manager for
each PML field of research that follows may be contacted for clarification of the
program objectives. The contact person for the PML Grant Program is Vanessa
Velisek, and she may be reached at (202) 768-4502 or by e-mail at
vanessa.velisek@nist.gov
a. PML Office. Financial support may be provided for students to attend
education and outreach programs, conferences, workshops, or other
technical research meetings that are relevant to the mission of the PML.
Financial support may also be provided to organizations sponsoring
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conferences, workshops, studies, education and outreach programs, or other
technical events that are relevant to the mission of the PML. However, NIST
cannot be an official sponsor or co-sponsor for any event funded through this
program. Support is generally provided in increments of $5,000 per award.
The contact person for this office is Vanessa Velisek, and she may be
reached at (202) 768-4502 or by e-mail at vanessa.velisek@nist.gov.
b. Office of Weights and Measures. The primary objective is to provide funding
for research in the broad areas of documentary standards and legal
metrology. Specific objectives of interest in this area include evaluation of the
impact of legal metrology on commerce, support for specific standards related
activities, and the development of a national weights and measures training
program. The contact person for this office is Katrice Lippa, and she may be
reached at (301) 975-3116 or by e-mail at katrice.lippa@nist.gov.
c. Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division. The primary objective is to
collaborate with or conduct research consistent with the Division’s programs
in the areas of measurement science and technology that advance
nanofabrication and nanomanufacturing process development, and the
application of these capabilities to Division programs in integrated photonics,
plasmonics, metasurfaces, nano- and micro-electromechanical systems,
microscopy standards, nanoparticle characterization, biomolecular and cell
metrology, micro physiological systems, and flow metrology. Application
areas include advanced semiconductor manufacturing, position navigation
and timing, quantum information interfaces, therapeutic assessment and
diagnostics, and biomolecular assembly. The contact for this division is J.
Alexander Liddle, and he may be reached at (301) 975-6050 or via e-mail at
james.liddle@nist.gov.
d. Radiation Physics Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or
conduct research consistent with the division’s programs in the areas of
ionizing radiation including x-ray and gamma-ray measurements and
dosimetry, neutron physics, radioactivity measurements supporting the
protection of radiation workers and the general public, therapy and diagnosis
of disease, nuclear medicine and medical imaging, radiography, industrial
processing, nuclear energy, advanced energy production and distribution ,
national defense and security, space science, and environmental metrology.
The contact person for this division is Alan Thompson, and he may be
reached at (301) 975-4666 or by e-mail at alan.thompson@nist.gov.
e. Nanoscale Device Characterization Division. The primary objective is to
collaborate with or conduct research consistent with the division’s programs
to develop and advance the measurement science and fundamental
knowledge essential to characterizing nano- and atom-scale engineered
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materials and solid-state devices for innovation in information processing,
sensing, and future quantum technologies. The contact person for this
division is David Gundlach, and he may be reached at (301) 975-2048 or by
e-mail at david.gundlach@nist.gov.
f. Quantum Measurement Division. The primary objective is to collaborate
with or conduct research consistent with division basic and applied research
programs, including precision measurements; mass, force, acoustics,
vibration, and electrical metrology; DC and AC power metrology; electronic
instrumentation; quantum voltage, resistance, and current standards;
measurements of basic atomic properties including new metrology techniques
in atomic spectroscopy; Raman spectroscopy measuring fundamental
quantum processes in ultra-cold atomic systems including Bose-Einstein
condensates and Fermi degenerate gases, nanophotonic systems, quantum
dots, single photon devices, and quantum materials relevant to these
systems; and advancing quantum information science and laser cooling and
their broad applications to measurement science and measurement beyond
the standard quantum limit. The contact persons for this Division are,
Gretchen Campbell, who may be reached at (301) 405-09374 or by e-mail at
gretchen.campbell@nist.gov, and Gerald Fraser at (301)975-3797 or by e-
mail at gerald.fraser@nist.gov.
g. Sensor Science Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or
conduct research consistent with the division’s measurement and standards
programs in temperature, humidity, pressure, vacuum, flow, photometry
length and dimension, surface topography, , photonic sensors, tool mark
forensics, space weather metrology, optical properties of materials,
synchrotron radiation, and optical radiation and their application to addressing
national needs. The contact person for this Division is Maria E. Nadal, who
may be reached at (301) 975-4632 or by e-mail at maria.nadal@nist.gov.
h. Applied Physics Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or
conduct research consistent with the division’s programs in areas including
laser metrology, superconducting sensor array fabrication and application,
quantum information and computing, single photonics, medical imaging,
radio-frequency and microwave technology, advanced spectroscopic
measurements, terahertz imaging and metrology, laser applications,
compound semiconductor nanophotonics, spin electronics and molecular and
bio-photonics. The contact person for this Division is Kristan Corwin, who may
be reached at (303) 497-4411 or by e-mail at kristan.corwin@nist.gov.
i. Quantum Sensors Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or
conduct research consistent with the division’s programs in areas including
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superconducting detector arrays and systems for X-ray line metrology and
advanced materials research, gamma-ray detection for nuclear forensics and
medicine; astrophysics and cosmology; superconductive electronics circuit
design; superconducting quantum computing and information processing, and
the science and engineering of advanced cryogenics. The contact person for
this Division is Joel N. Ullom, who may be reached at (303) 497-4408 or by e-
mail at joel.ullom@nist.gov.
j. Time and Frequency Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with
or conduct research consistent with the division’s basic and applied research
programs in the areas of time and frequency standards, phase noise
measurements, network synchronization, ion storage, quantum information,
optical atomic standards, and frequency measurements in support of future
standards, optical frequency combs, chip-scale atomic clocks,
magnetometers and related devices, time and frequency dissemination
services, and time and frequency applications such as navigational systems
and telecommunications. The contact person for this Division is Elizabeth
Donley, and she may be reached at (303) 497-5173 or by e-mail at
elizabeth.donley@nist.gov.
k. Quantum Physics Division. The primary objective is to collaborate with or
conduct research consistent with the division’s basic and applied research
programs in the areas of quantum information science and technology,
quantum-based precision measurements, quantum degenerate gases of
atoms and molecules, chemical physics, and biophysics. The contact person
for this Division is Andrew Wilson, and he may be reached at (303) 492-6806
or by e-mail at andrew.wilson@nist.gov.
12. Special Programs Office (SPO) Grant Program
The statutory authority for the SPO Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c),
15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e), and Title II, Division B, the Research and Development,
Competition, and Innovation Act (Pub. L. 117-167).
Program Description: The SPO Grant Program provides financial assistance to
support the conduct of research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research
consistent with the SPO mission for special programs in broad areas of critical
national need and in response to federal mandates that cut across NIST’s
scientific and technical mission-focused laboratory programs such as forensic
science research, foundation studies, and standards and greenhouse gas
measurements research and standards. Additional information about the SPO
and SPO Programs may be obtained at https://www.nist.gov/special-programs-
office-spo.
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All applications submitted to the SPO Grant Program must be in accordance with
the program objectives listed below. The appropriate SPO Program Manager for
each SPO field of research described in this section may be contacted for
clarification of the program objectives. The contact person for the SPO Grant
Program is Corrine Lloyd, and she may be reached at (301) 975-8762 or by e-
mail at corrine.lloyd@nist.gov.
a. Special Programs Office. Financial support may be provided to attend
education and outreach programs, conferences, workshops, or other
technical research meetings that are relevant to the mission of the SPO.
Financial support may be provided for conferences, workshops, or other
technical research meetings that are relevant to the mission of SPO.
However, NIST cannot be an official sponsor or co-sponsor for any event
funded through this program. The contact person for this office is Corrine
Lloyd; she may be reached at (301) 975-8762 or by e-mail at
corrine.lloyd@nist.gov.
b. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Measurements Research and Standards
Program. The primary objective of this program is to develop or extend
internationally recognized measurements, standards, and methods to
accurately quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in urban and regional
settings. Atmospheric methods utilize accurate measurement of GHG mole
fractions in the atmosphere, while the analyses involved are often enhanced
by additional measurements of interest in air quality research, e.g., carbon
monoxide. Supported research aims to improve the accuracy of science-
based quantification of anthropogenic emissions and biogenic exchange of
CO and CH with the atmosphere. Areas of interest include 1) quantification
2 4
of GHG emissions from stationary sources; 2) coordinated measurement and
modeling tools to better quantify anthropogenic and biospheric atmospheric
exchange; 3) remote sensing of atmospheric GHG concentrations and their
attendant supporting analyses and observations; and 4) measurement
capabilities to further understanding of GHG transport in the lower
atmosphere. Additional information about the SPO GHG Research and
Standards Program may be obtained at https://www.nist.gov/spo/greenhouse-
gas-measurements-program. The contact person for this program is Anna
Karion; she may be reached at (202) 329-6621 or by e-mail at
anna.karion@nist.gov.
c. Forensic Science Research and Foundational Studies Program. The
primary objective of this program is to conduct and coordinate forensic
science research and foundational studies and to provide technical services
to address the needs of the forensic science community. The program
focuses on creating new materials standards; verifying methodology; and
evaluating new technologies for forensic science disciplines including the
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following: digital evidence, forensic genetics, biometrics, firearms and
toolmarks, drugs and toxins, statistics, and trace analysis. The program also
facilitates knowledge exchange and identifies best practices for the forensic
science community. Additional information about the SPO Forensic Science
Research and Foundational Studies Program is available at
https://www.nist.gov/spo/forensic-science-program. The contact person for
this program is Robert Ramotowski; he may be reached at (301) 975-4772 or
by e-mail at robert.ramotowski@nist.gov.
d. Forensic Science Standards Program. The primary objective of this
program is to strengthen the nation's use of forensic science by facilitating the
development and use of technically sound standards and guidelines and
promoting their adoption and use throughout the forensic science community,
especially by forensic science practitioners and other forensic science service
providers. NIST leverages the voluntary consensus process to generate
technical standards for the forensic science community through the
Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science.
OSAC achieves this by coordinating the development of technically sound
forensic science standards through the U.S. standards system and by
enabling participation from state, local and federal government, academic
institutions, and private sector organizations.
This program supports interlaboratory comparisons, forensic science
discipline-specific process maps, forensic science standards-related training
materials, work products that enable more rapid implementation of standards
listed on the OSAC Registry, and workshops to address specific forensic
science standards gaps. Additional information about the SPO Forensic
Science Standards Program is available at https://www.nist.gov/spo/forensic-
science-standards-program. The contact person for this program is John Paul
Jones II; he may be reached at (301) 975-2782 or by e-mail at
john.jones@nist.gov.
13. Standards Coordination Office (SCO) Grant Program
The statutory authority for the SCO Grant Program is 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and
(c),15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e), and Title II, Division B, the Research and
Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (Pub. L. 117-167).
Program Description: The SCO plays a unique role in the Federal government
by coordinating Federal standards and conformity assessment activities;
supporting U.S. industry with standards-related tools and information necessary
to effectively compete in the global marketplace; and serving as a resource to
Federal agencies and the private sector on the U.S. approach to standards and
conformity assessment. Information about the SCO and SCO programs is
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available at https://www.nist.gov/standardsgov.
The SCO Grant Program provides financial assistance to support the broad
areas of standards development and conformity assessment activities,
coordination activities with the private sector and federal agencies on standards
activities and programs, and other standards-related activities. Financial support
may be provided for the development of standards-related training materials,
publications, policy analysis, studies, and related research and information
services. Areas of interest include the development of pre-standard documents
for critical and emerging technologies. Financial support may be provided to
organizations sponsoring conferences, workshops, experiential learning
programs, or other technical events that are relevant to the mission of the SCO.
Financial support may also be provided to accredited Institutions of Higher
Education (IHEs) located in the U.S. or its territories to sponsor and for staff and
students to attend experiential learning programs, conferences, workshops, or
other standards-related meetings that are relevant to the mission of the SCO.
However, NIST cannot be an official sponsor or co-sponsor for any event funded
through this program. All applications submitted to the SCO Grant Program must
be in accordance with the program objectives listed above. The contact person
for the SCO Grant Program, who may be contacted for clarification of the
program objectives, is Mary Jo DiBernardo, and she may be reached at (301)
975-5503 or by e-mail at maryjo.dibernardo@nist.gov.
II. Federal Award Information
1. Funding Instrument. The funding instruments used in these programs will be
grants or cooperative agreements, as appropriate. Where cooperative
agreements are used, the nature of NIST’s “substantial involvement” will
generally include collaboration with the recipient in executing the approved
scope of work, in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.1.
2. Multi-Year Funding Policy. When an application for a multi-year award is
approved, funding will usually be provided for only the first year of the project.
If a project is selected for funding, NIST has no obligation to provide any
additional funding in connection with that award. Continuation of an award to
increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the sole discretion
of NIST. Continued funding will be contingent upon satisfactory performance,
continued relevance to the mission and priorities of the individual MSE
research grant programs, and the availability of funds.
3. Funding Availability. The availability of funds depends upon actual
authorization of funds, programmatic needs, and other costs expected to be
incurred by individual divisions within each laboratory, center, or office. If
funds are identified as available for financial assistance, those funds may be
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awarded to meritorious applications as determined by the applicable
program’s review and selection process (see Section V.2. of this NOFO).
a. Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services (ADIIS)
Grant Program. In FY 2025, the ADIIS anticipates funding individual
projects in the $5,000 - $500,000 per year range and with project
performance periods of up to five (5) years, consistent with the multi-year
funding policy (see Section II.2. of the NOFO).
b. Associate Director for Laboratory Programs (ADLP) Grant Program.
In FY 2025, the ADLP anticipates funding individual projects in the $5,000

$5,000,000 per year range and with project performance periods of up to

five (5) years, consistent with the multi-year funding policy (see Section
II.2. of this NOFO).
c. CHIPS Research & Development Office (CRDO) Grant Program. In FY
2025, the CRDO anticipates funding individual projects in the $5,000 -
$250,000 per year range with project performance periods that do not
extend beyond September 30, 2027, in accordance with the CHIPS Act of
2022.
d. Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL) Grant Program. In FY
2025, the CTL anticipates funding individual projects in the $3,000 -
$2,500,000 per year range and with project performance periods for up to
five (5) years, consistent with the multi-year funding policy (see Section
II.2. of this NOFO).
e. Engineering Laboratory (EL) Grant Program. In FY 2024, the EL
anticipates funding individual projects in the $5,000 - $500,000 per year
range and with project performance periods of up to five (5) years,
consistent with the multi-year funding policy (see Section II.2. of this
NOFO).
f. Fire Research (FR) Grant Program. In FY 2025, the FR Grant Program
anticipates funding individual projects in the $100,000 per year range and
with project performance periods of up to three (3) years, consistent with
the multi-year funding policies (see Section II.2. of this NOFO).
g. Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) Grant Program. In FY 2025,
the ITL anticipates funding individual projects in the $10,000 - $500,000
per year range and with project performance periods of up to five (5)
years, consistent with the multi-year funding policy (see Section II.2. of
this NOFO).
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h. International and Academic Affairs Office (IAAO) Grant Program. In
FY 2025, the IAAO anticipates funding individual projects in the $50,000 -
$200,000 per year range and with project performance periods of up to
five (5) years, consistent with the multi-year funding policy (see Section
II.2. of this NOFO).
i. Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) Grant Program. In FY 2025,
the MML anticipates funding individual projects in the $5,000 -
$12,000,000 per year range and with project performance periods of up to
five (5) years, consistent with the multi-year funding policy (see Section
II.2. of this NOFO).
j. NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) Grant Program. In FY
2025, the NCNR anticipates funding new, individual projects in the
$10,000 - $200,000 per year range and with project performance periods
of up to five (5) years, consistent with the multi-year funding policy (see
Section II.2. of this NOFO).
k. Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) Grant Program. In FY 2025,
the PML anticipates funding individual projects in the $5,000 – $250,000
per year range and with project performance periods of up to five (5)
years, consistent with the multi-year funding policy (see Section II.2. of
this NOFO).
l. Special Programs Office (SPO) Grant Program. In FY 2025, the SPO
anticipates funding individual projects in the $5,000 - $2,000,000 per year
range with project performance periods of up to five (5) years, consistent
with the multi-year funding policy (see Section II.2. of this NOFO).
m. Standards Coordination Office (SCO) Grant Program. In FY 2025, the
SCO anticipates funding individual projects in the $25,000 - $500,000 per
award range and with project performance periods of up to five (5) years,
consistent with the multi-year funding policy (see Section II.2. of the
NOFO).
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants. Eligibility for all programs listed in this NOFO is open to all
non-Federal entities. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education,
non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, state and local governments,
Indian tribes, hospitals, foreign public entities, and foreign governments. NIST
seeks to collaborate with a wide range of organizations and encourages minority-
serving institutions of higher education and community colleges to apply. Please
note that individuals and unincorporated sole proprietors are not considered
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“non-Federal entities” and are not eligible to apply under this NOFO.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching. The MSE research grant programs do not require
cost sharing.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package.
The application package is available at www.grants.gov under Funding
Opportunity Number 2025-NIST-MSE-01.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission for all programs listed in this
NOFO.
a. Required Forms and Documents
(1) SF-424 (R&R), Application for Federal Assistance. The SF-424 (R&R)
must be signed by an authorized representative of the applicant organization.
For SF-424 (R&R), Items 5, 14, and 19, use the Zip Code + 4 format (#####
-####) when addresses are called for.
SF-424 (R&R), Item 18. If the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form
(item (6) below) is applicable, attach it to field 18.
The list of certifications and assurances referenced in Item 17 of the SF-424
(R&R) is contained in the Federal Financial Assistance Certifications and
Representations (Certs and Reps) as part of the SAM.gov entity registration.
Instructions for filling in the SF-424 (R&R) can be found on Grants.gov,
grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/r-r-family.
(2) Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-Fed). The budget should
reflect anticipated expenses for the full term of the project, considering all
potential cost increases, including cost of living adjustments.
The budget should be detailed in these categories:
A. Senior/Key Person;
B. Other Personnel;
C. Equipment Description;
D. Travel;
E. Participant/Trainee Support Costs;
F. Other Direct Costs;
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G. Direct Costs (automatically generated);
H. Indirect Costs;
I. Total Direct and Indirect Costs (automatically generated);
J. Fee (not relevant to this competition);
K. Total Costs and Fee (automatically generated);
L. Budget Narrative and Justification document (item (9) below) should be
attached to field L.
A separate detailed R&R Budget must be completed for each budget period
during the proposed award (e.g. annual basis). To add additional budget
periods (e.g. year 2), click “Add Period” embedded at the end of the form.
Instructions for completing the Research & Related Budget (Total Fed + Non-
Fed) form is available in the R&R Family Section of Grants.gov, as well as at
the NIST Financial Assistance Agreements Office SF-424 Research &
Related (R&R) Application Package Guidance.
(3) CD-511, Certification Regarding Lobbying. Enter “2025-NIST-MSE-01” in
the Award Number field. Enter the title of the application, or an abbreviation
of that title, in the Project Name field.
(4) Research and Related Other Project Information. Answer the highlighted
questions and use this form to attach the Project Narrative (item (6) below),
Resume(s) or CV(s) (item (7) below) the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (item
(9) below), the Data Management Plan (item (10) below), and the Current
and Pending Support Form (item (12) below). Instructions for completing the
Research and Related Other Project Information can be found in
grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/r-r-family by scrolling down to Research
And Related Other Project Information.
Please note that the Project Summary/Abstract is not relevant to this
competition. However, Grants.gov requires an attachment to field 7 of
the Research and Related Other Project Information form to
successfully pass through Grants.gov. Please attach a document to
field 7 stating, “A Project Summary/Abstract is not relevant to this
competition”.
(5) SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities. (if applicable).
(6) Project Narrative. The Project Narrative is a word-processed document
responsive to the applicable program description(s) (see Section I. of this
NOFO) and the evaluation criteria (see Section V.1. of this NOFO).
This document is limited to twenty-five (25) pages and must consist of two
parts: the Cover Page and the Project Narrative itself. The page limit
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includes Cover Page; Table of Contents (if included); Project Narrative with
all required information, including figures, graphs, tables, images, and
pictures.
A. The Cover Page must consist of three (3) elements:
I) The name and address of the applicant institution, and the name,
address, and contact information for the application’s Principal
Investigator;
II) The specific component MSE research grant program to which the
application is being submitted, using the following choices:
a. Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services (ADIIS);
b. Associate Director for Laboratory Programs (ADLP);
c. CHIPS Research & Development Program Office (CRDO);
d. Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL);
e. Engineering Laboratory (EL);
f. Fire Research (FR);
g. Information Technology Laboratory (ITL);
h. International and Academic Affairs Office (IAAO);
i. Material Measurement Laboratory (MML);
j. NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR);
k. Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML);
l. Special Programs Office (SPO); and
m. Standards Coordination Office (SCO).
Any applicant that does not wish its application to be considered by other
NIST programs should indicate on its application that it would like
consideration of the project to be limited to the program specified on the
application.
III) Statement of Relevance and Benefit to the General Public.
Using no more than three sentences, describe the relevance and benefit
of the research proposed in this application to the public. This statement
should be succinct and use plain language that can be understood by a
general lay audience.
B. The Project Narrative.
The Project Narrative should describe in depth the scope of the proposal,
its goals, the methods and equipment to be used, its schedule, the
personnel working on the project and the location of the work that will be
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performed (specifying whether any NIST facilities, as required by Section
VI.2.i. of this NOFO, or NIST equipment will be necessary), the
qualifications of the personnel working on the project, and the institutional
capabilities of the applicant.
(7) Resume(s) or CV(s). Resumes are required for all key personnel, including
the principal investigator. Resumes are limited to two (2) pages per
individual.
(8) Budget Narrative and Justification. There is no set format for the Budget
Narrative and Justification; however, the written justification should include
the necessity and the basis for the cost, as described below. Proposed
funding levels must be consistent with the project scope, and only allowable
costs should be included in the budget. Information on cost allowability is
available in the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and
Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which apply to
awards in this program.
Information needed for each budget category is as follows (categories not
listed are automatically generated by the form or are not relevant to this
competition):
A. Senior/Key Person. At a minimum, the budget justification should
include the following: name, job title, commitment of effort on the
proposed project in terms of average number of hours per week or
percentage of time, salary rate, total direct charges on the proposed
project, description of the role of the individual on the proposed
project and the work to be performed.
Fringe benefits should be identified separately from salaries and wages
and based on rates determined by organizational policy. The items
included in the fringe benefit rate (e.g., health insurance, parking, etc.)
should not be charged under another cost category.
B. Other Personnel. Data is requested at the project role level, and not
at the individual level for Other Personnel. The budget justification
should include the following: job title, commitment of effort on the
proposed project in terms of average number of hours per week or
percentage of time, salary rate, total direct charges on the proposed
project, description of the role of the position on the proposed project
and the work to be performed.
Fringe benefits should be identified separately from salaries and wages
and based on rates determined by organizational policy. The items
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included in the fringe benefit rate (e.g., health insurance, parking, etc.)
should not be charged under another cost category.
C. Equipment Description. Equipment is defined as an item of property
that has an acquisition cost of $10,000 or more (unless the organization
has established lower levels) and an expected service life of more
than one year. The budget justification should list each piece of
equipment, the cost, and a description of how it will be used and why it
is necessary to the successful completion of the proposed project.
Please note that any general use equipment (computers, etc.)
charged directly to the award should be allocated to the award
according to expected usage on the project. Applicants should provide
at least two (2) quotes, if available, for equipment costing $25,000 or
more. If two (2) quotes are not available, please provide a statement
as to why two (2) quotes are not available. Any items that do not meet
the threshold for equipment can be included under the Materials and
Supplies line item in Section F, Other Direct Costs.
D. Travel. For all travel costs, required by the recipient to complete the
project, including attendance at any relevant conferences, the budget
justification for travel should include the following: destination; names
or number of people traveling; dates and/or duration; mode of
transportation, lodging and subsistence rates; and description of how
the travel is directly related to the proposed project. For travel that is
yet to be determined, please provide best estimates based on prior
experience. If a destination is not known, an approximate amount
may be used with the assumptions given for the location of the
meeting.
E. Participant/Trainee Support Costs. Participant support costs are
stipends, subsistence allowances, travel, and registration fees paid
to or on behalf of participants or trainees, who are not employees of
your organization, for conferences or training projects. The budget
justification should indicate the names or number of participants or
trainees, a description, and calculation of costs per person, a
description and date of the event, and a description of why the cost is
necessary for the successful completion of the proposed project.
F. Other Direct Costs. For costs that do not easily fit into the other
cost categories, please list the cost, and the breakdown of the total
costs by quantity or unit of cost. Include the necessity of the cost for
the completion of the proposed project. Only allowable costs can be
charged to the award.
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Each subaward or contractual cost or should be treated as a separate
item in the Other Direct Costs category. Describe the services to be
provided and the necessity of the subaward or contract to the successful
performance of the proposed project. Contracts are for obtaining goods
and services. Subrecipients perform part of the project scope of work. For
each subaward, applicants must provide budget detail justifying the cost of
the work performed on the project.
G. Indirect Costs. Commonly referred to as Facilities & Administrative
Costs, Indirect Costs are defined as costs incurred by the applicant
organization that cannot otherwise be directly assigned or attributed
to a specific project. For more details, see Section IV.2.a.(9) of this
NOFO.
(9) Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. If indirect costs are included in the
proposed budget, provide a copy of the approved negotiated agreement if
this rate was negotiated with a cognizant agency. If the rate was not
established by a cognizant agency, provide a statement to this effect. If the
successful applicant includes indirect costs in the budget and has not
established an indirect cost rate with a cognizant agency, the applicant will
be required to obtain such a rate in accordance with the Department of
Commerce Financial Assistance General Terms and Conditions, dated
October 1, 2024.
Alternatively, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f), applicants that do not
have a current negotiated (including provisional) indirect cost rate except for
those non-Federal entities described in appendix VII, paragraph D.1.b. of 2
CFR 200 may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 15 percent of modified
total direct costs (MTDC). Applicants proposing a 15 percent de minimis rate
pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f) should note this election as part of the
budget portion of the application. Please be aware that foreign applicants will
be limited to use of the de minimis rate and will not have the opportunity to
negotiate an indirect cost rate with NIST.
(10) Data Management Plan. Consistent with NIST Policy 5700.007, Managing
Public Access to Results of Federally Funded Research, and NIST Order
5701.008, Managing Public Access to Results of Federally Funded
Research, applicants proposing projects that include the conduct of research
must include a Data Management Plan (DMP).
7
https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2018/06/19/final_p_5700.pdf
8 https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2019/11/08/final_o_5701_ver_2.pdf
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All applications for activities that will generate scientific data using
NIST funding are required to adhere to a DMP or explain why data
sharing and/or preservation are not within the scope of the project. For
the purposes of the DMP, NIST adopted the definition of “research data” at 2
C.F.R. § 200.315(e)(3).
The DMP must include, at a minimum, a summary of proposed activities that
generate data; a summary of the types of data generated by the identified
activities; a plan for storage and maintenance of the data generated by the
identified activities, and a plan describing whether and how data generated
by the identified activities will be reviewed and made available to the public.
A template for the DMP, an example DMP, and the rubric against which the
DMP will be evaluated for sufficiency is available at: Information for
Applicants and Awardees. An applicant is not required to use the template as
long as the DMP contains the required information.
If an application stands a reasonable chance of being funded and the DMP is
determined during the review process to be insufficient, the program office
may reach out to the applicant to resolve deficiencies in the DMP. If an
award is issued prior to the deficiencies being fully rectified, the award will
include a Specific Award Condition (SAC) stating that no research activities
shall be initiated, or costs incurred for those activities under the award until
the NIST Grants Officer amends the award to indicate the SAC has been
satisfied.
Reasonable costs for data preservation and access may be included in the
application.
(11) Subaward Budget Form. The Research & Related Subaward Budget
Attachment Form is required if sub-recipients and contractors are included in
the application budget.
Instructions for completing subaward budget forms are available by visiting
the R & R Family section of the Grants.gov Forms Repository and scrolling
down to the R & R Subaward Budget Attachment(s) Form and selecting
“Instructions.”
(12) Current and Pending Support Form. Any application that includes
investigators, researchers, and key personnel must identify all sources of
current and potential funding, including this proposal. Any current project
support (e.g., Federal, state, local, public, or private foundations, etc.) must
be listed on this form. The proposed project and all other projects or activities
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requiring a portion of time of the Principal Investigator (PI), co-PI, and key
personnel must be included, even if no salary support is received. The total
award amount for the entire award period covered, including indirect costs,
must be shown as well as the number of person-months per year to be
devoted to the project, regardless of the source of support. Similar
information must be provided for all proposals already submitted or that are
being submitted concurrently to other potential funders.
Applicants must complete the Current and Pending Support Form, using
multiple forms as necessary to account for all activity for each individual
identified in the PI, co-PI, and key personnel roles. A separate form should
be used for each identified individual.
Applicants must download the Current and Pending Support Form from the
NIST website and reference the guidance provided as it contains information
to assist with accurately completing the form.
b. Attachment of Required Documents
Items IV.2.a.(1) through IV.2.a.(5) above are part of the standard application
package in Grants.gov and can be completed through the download
application process.
Item IV.2.a.(5), the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form, is an
optional application form which is part of the standard application package in
Grants.gov. If item IV.2.a.(5), the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
form is applicable to this proposal, attach it to field 18 of the SF-424 (R&R),
Application for Federal Assistance.
Item IV.2.a.(6), the Project Narrative, should be attached to field 8 (Project
Narrative) of the Research and Related Other Project Information form by
clicking on “Add Attachment”.
Item IV.2.a.(7), Resume(s) or CV(s), should be attached by clicking on “Add
Attachments” found in item 12 (Other Attachments) of the Research and
Related Other Project Information form.
Item IV.2.a.(8), the Budget Narrative and Justification, should be attached to
field L (Budget Justification) of the Research and Related Budget (Total Fed +
Total Non-Fed) form by clicking on “Add Attachment”.
Items IV.2.a.(9), the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement; IV.2.a.(10), the Data
Management Plan; and IV.2.a.(12), the Current and Pending Support Form
must be completed and attached by clicking on “Add Attachments” found in
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item 12 (Other Attachments) of the Research and Related Other Project
Information form.
Item IV.2.a.(11), the Subaward Budget Form(s), if applicable to the
submission, should be attached to the Research & Related Subaward Budget
(Total Fed + Non-Fed) Attachment(s) Form in the application package.
Following these directions will create zip files that permit the transmittal of the
documents electronically via Grants.gov.
Applicants should carefully follow specific Grants.gov instructions to ensure
the attachments will be accepted by the Grants.gov system. A receipt from
Grants.gov indicates only that an application was transferred to a system. It
does not provide details concerning whether all attachments (or how many
attachments) were transferred successfully. Applicants using Grants.gov will
receive a series of e-mail messages over a period of up to two business days
before learning whether a Federal agency’s electronic system has received its
application.
Applicants are strongly advised to use Grants.gov “Download Submitted
Forms and Applications” option found at “Download Submitted Forms and
Applications” to check that their application’s required attachments were
contained in their submission.
After submitting the application, check the status of your application here:
CHECK APPLICATION STATUS. If any, or all, of the required attachments
are absent from the submission, follow the attachment directions found
above, resubmit the application, and check again for the presence of the
required attachments.
If the directions found on the Grants.gov Online Help page are not effective,
please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk immediately. If calling from within
the United States or from a U.S. territory, please call 800-518-4726. If calling
from a place outside the United States or a U.S. territory, please call 606-545-
5035. E-mails should be addressed to support@grants.gov. Assistance from
the Grants.gov Help Desk will be available around the clock every day, with
the exception of Federal holidays. Help Desk service will resume at 7:00 a.m.
Eastern Time the day after Federal holidays.
Applicants can track their submission in the Grants.gov system by following
the procedures at the Grants.gov Track My Application page. It can take up to
two business days for an application to fully move through the Grants.gov
system to NIST.
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NIST uses the Tracking Numbers assigned by Grants.gov and does not issue
Agency Tracking Numbers.
c. Application Format
(1) E-mail and facsimile (fax) submissions. Will not be accepted.
(2) Figures, Graphs, Images, and Pictures. Should be of a size that is
easily readable or viewable and may be landscape orientation.
(3) Font. Easy to read font (10-point minimum). Smaller type may be used in
figures, margins, and tables but must be clearly legible.
(4) Page Limit. The Project Narrative for Applications is limited to twenty-five
(25) pages:
Page limit includes Cover Page, Table of contents (if included), Project
Narrative with all required information, including figures, graphs, tables,
images, and pictures.
Page limit excludes: SF-424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance;
SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities; CD-511 Certification Regarding
Lobbying; Resume(s) or CV(s); Budget Narrative; Indirect Cost Rate
Agreement; Data Management Plan; and Current and Pending Support
Form.
(5) Page layout. The Project Narrative must be in portrait orientation.
(6) Page size. 21.6 centimeters by 27.9 centimeters (8 ½ inches by 11
inches).
(7) Page numbering. Number pages sequentially.
(8) Application Language. All documents must be in English, including but
not limited to the initial application, any additional documents submitted in
response to a NIST request, all reports, and any correspondence with
NIST.
d. Application Replacement Pages.
Applicants may not submit replacement pages and/or missing documents
once an application has been submitted. Any revisions must be made by
submission of a new application that must be received by NIST by the
submission deadline.
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e. Pre-Applications.
NIST is not accepting pre-applications or white papers under this NOFO.
3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM).
Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. part 25, applicants and recipients are required to: (i) be
registered in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique
entity identifier in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM
registration with current information at all times during which it has an active
Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal
awarding agency, unless otherwise excepted from these requirements pursuant
to 2 C.F.R. § 25.110. NIST will not make a Federal award to an applicant until
the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM
requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by
the time that NIST is ready to make a Federal award pursuant to this NOFO,
NIST may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal
award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to
another applicant.
4. Submission Dates and Times. All NIST MSE Research Grant Program
applications will be considered on a continuing/rolling basis as they are received.
To be considered for funding in the current fiscal year, applications must be
received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 1st. Applications received after this
deadline may be processed and considered for funding in the current fiscal year
or in the next fiscal year, subject to the availability of funds.
When developing your submission timeline, please keep in mind that (1) all
applicants are required to have current registrations in the System for Award
Management (SAM.gov) and Grants.gov; (2) the free annual registration process
in the electronic System for Award Management (SAM.gov) (see Sections IV.3.
and IV.7.a.(1).(b). of this NOFO) generally takes between three and five business
days but can take more than three weeks; and (3) applicants will receive email
notifications over a period of up to two business days as the application moves
through intermediate systems before the applicant learns via a validation or
rejection notification whether NIST has received the application. (See
http://www.grants.gov for full information on application and notification through
Grants.gov.). Please note that a federal assistance award cannot be issued if the
designated recipient’s registration in SAM.gov is not current at the time of the
award.
Applicants will find instructions on registering with SAM.gov as part of the
Grants.gov process at: Applicant Registration | Grants.gov. Please note that after
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February 10, 2023, new international entities registering in SAM.gov will not need
an NCAGE code prior to registration if they are only pursuing financial assistance
opportunities with NIST. For more information, please visit FSD.gov.
All applications submitted to the 2025-NIST-MSE-01 Research Grant Programs
NOFO, must be received prior to the posting of the next NIST MSE Research
Grant Programs NOFO on Grants.gov in order to be processed under this
NOFO.
5. Intergovernmental Review. Applications under all programs in this NOFO are
not subject to Executive Order 12372.
6. Funding Restrictions. Applications for product development and/or
commercialization are not considered responsive to this NOFO.
7. Other Submission Requirements for all programs listed in this NOFO.
a. Applications must be submitted electronically; paper applications will
not be accepted.
(1) Applications must be submitted at www.grants.gov, under announcement
2025-NIST-MSE-01.
(a) Applicants should carefully follow specific Grants.gov instructions to
ensure the attachments will be accepted by the Grants.gov system. A
receipt from Grants.gov indicating an application is received does not
provide information about whether attachments have been received.
For further information or questions regarding applying electronically
for the 2025-NIST-MSE-01 announcement, contact the Grants.gov
Help Desk at 800-518-4726.
b. Amendments. Any amendments to this NOFO will be announced through
Grants.gov. Applicants may sign up for Grants.gov NOFO amendments or
may request copies from the programmatic and technical questions contact
for the appropriate program (see Section VII. of this NOFO).
V. Application Review Information
1. Evaluation Criteria
a. Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services (ADIIS) Grant
Program. The evaluation criteria that will be used in evaluating applications
considered by the ADIIS Grant Program and assigned weights are as follows:
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(1) Rationality. The rationality, innovation, and creativity of the
application and the fit of the proposed work to the objectives of the
ADIIS Grant Program (see Section I.1. of this NOFO). (0 – 30 points)
(2) Technical Merit of Contribution. The potential effectiveness of the
proposed activity and the likelihood and potential impact of the
applicant's approach to strengthen and enhance the mission of the
ADIIS Grant Program. (0 – 30 points)
(3) Staff and Institution Capability to Perform the Work. The quality of
the facilities and experience of the staff to assess the likelihood of
achieving the objective of the application. (0 – 25 points)
(4) Match of Budget to Proposed Work. Assessment of the budget
against the proposed work to ascertain the reasonableness of the
request. (0 – 15 points)
b. Associate Director for Laboratory Programs (ADLP) Grant Program. The
evaluation criteria that will be used in evaluating applications considered by
the ADLP Grant Program and assigned weights are as follows:
(1) Rationality. The rationality, innovation, and creativity of the application
and the fit of the proposed work to the objectives of the ADLP Grant
Program (see Section I.2. of this NOFO). (0 – 35 points)
(2) Technical Merit of Contribution. The potential effectiveness of the
proposed activity and the likelihood and potential impact of the
applicant's approach to strengthen and enhance the mission of the
ADLP Grant Program. (0 – 25 points)
(3) Staff and Institutional Capability to Perform the Work. The quality
of facilities and experience of the staff to assess the likelihood of
achieving the objective of the proposed work. (0 – 20 points)
(4) Match of Budget to Proposed Work. Assessment of the budget
compared to the proposed work to ascertain the reasonableness of the
request. (0 – 20 points)
c. CHIPS Research & Development Office (CRDO) Grant Program. The
evaluation criteria that will be used in evaluating applications considered by
the CRDO Grant Program and assigned weights are as follows:
(1) Rationality. The rationality, innovation, and creativity of the application
and the fit of the proposed work to the objectives of the CRDO Grant
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Program (see Section I.3. of this NOFO). (0 – 35 points)
(2) Technical Merit of Contribution. The potential effectiveness of the
proposed activity and the likelihood and potential impact of the
applicant's approach to strengthen and enhance the mission of the
CRDO Grant Program. (0 – 25 points)
(3) Staff and Institutional Capability to Perform the Work. The quality
of facilities and experience of the staff to assess the likelihood of
achieving the objective of the proposed work. (0 – 20 points)
(4) Match of Budget to Proposed Work. Assessment of the budget
compared to the proposed work to ascertain the reasonableness of the
request. (0 – 20 points)
d. Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL) Grant Program. The
evaluation criteria that will be used in evaluating applications considered by
the CTL Grant Program and assigned weights are as follows:
(1) Rationality. The coherence of the applicant’s approach and the extent
to which the application effectively addresses scientific and technical
issues that are relevant to CTL programs. (see Section I.4. of this
NOFO). (0 – 25 points)
(2) Qualifications of Technical Personnel. The professional
accomplishments, skills, and training of the proposed personnel to
perform the work proposed in the application. (0 – 25 points)
(3) Resources Availability. The extent to which the applicant has access
to the necessary facilities and overall support to accomplish project
objectives, and assessment of the budget against the proposed work
to ascertain the reasonableness of the request. (0 – 25 points)
(4) Technical Merit of Contribution. The potential technical
effectiveness of the proposed work and the value it would contribute to
the field of measurement science and engineering, especially as it
pertains to reference methods, reference materials and reference data
in communications technology. (0 – 25 points)
e. Engineering Laboratory (EL) Grant Program. The evaluation criteria that
will be used in evaluating applications considered by the EL Grant Program
and assigned weights are as follows:
(1) Technical Quality of the Research. The clarity, rationality,
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organization, innovation, and imagination of the application.
(0 – 35 points)
(2) Potential Impact of the Results. The potential impact and the
likelihood of achieving technical application of the results, and the
degree of alignment with NIST’s EL programs (see Section I.5. of this
NOFO). (0 – 35 points)
(3) Staff and Institution Capability to Perform the Work. The quality of
the facilities and experience of the staff to assess and overcome
barriers to successfully achieve the objective of the application.
(0 – 15 points)
(4) Match of Budget to Proposed Work. Assessment of the budget
compared to the proposed work to ascertain the reasonableness of the
request. (0 – 15 points)
f. Fire Research (FR) Grant Program. The evaluation criteria that will be used
in evaluating applications considered by the FR Grant Program and assigned
weights are as follows:
(1) Technical Quality of the Research. The clarity, rationality,
organization, innovation, and imagination of the proposed work.
(0 – 35 points)
(2) Potential Impact of the Results. The potential impact and the
likelihood of the technical application of the results and the degree of
alignment with NIST EL’s Fire Research Program (see Section I.6. of
this NOFO). (0 – 35 points)
(3) Staff and Institution Capability to Perform the Work. The quality of
the facilities and experience of the staff to assess and overcome
barriers to successfully achieve the objective of the application.
(0 – 15 points)
(4) Match of Budget to Proposed Work. Assessment of the budget
compared to the proposed work to ascertain the reasonableness of the
request. (0 – 15 points)
g. Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) Grant Program. The evaluation
criteria that will be used in evaluating applications considered by the ITL
Grant Program and assigned weights are as follows, for a total maximum of
30 points:
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