NSF 25-593: Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers
Quick Facts
- Agency
- National Science Foundation
- Funding
- $3,000,000 - $20,000,000
- Deadline
- Rolling (Rolling / Open)
- Status
- Active
- Eligibility
- Universities leading consortia with partners
About This Grant
NSF 25-593: Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers is sponsored by National Science Foundation. Supports centers developing bio-inspired materials for engineering designs, relevant to biomimetic industrial systems. This program should be reviewed carefully against your organization's mission, staffing capacity, timeline, and compliance readiness before you commit resources to a full application. Strong submissions usually translate sponsor priorities into concrete objectives, clear implementation milestones, and measurable public benefit.
For planning purposes, treat rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows as your working submission target unless the sponsor publishes an updated notice. A competitive project plan should include a documented need statement, implementation approach, evaluation framework, risk controls, and a realistic budget narrative. Even when a grant allows broad program design, reviewers still expect credible evidence that the proposed work can be executed within the grant period and with appropriate accountability.
Current published award information indicates $3,000,000 - $20,000,000 Organizations should verify the final funding range, matching requirements, and allowability rules directly in the official opportunity materials before preparing a budget. Finance and program teams should align early so direct costs, indirect costs, staffing assumptions, procurement timelines, and reporting obligations all remain consistent throughout drafting and post-award administration.
Eligibility guidance for this opportunity is: Universities leading consortia with partners If your organization has partnerships, subrecipients, or collaborators, define responsibilities and compliance ownership before submission. Reviewers often look for implementation credibility, so letters of commitment, prior performance evidence, and a clear governance model can materially strengthen the application narrative and reduce concerns about delivery risk.
A practical approach is to begin with a focused readiness review, then build a workback schedule from the sponsor deadline. Confirm required attachments, registration dependencies, and internal approval checkpoints early. This reduces last-minute issues and improves submission quality. For the most accurate requirements, always rely on the official notice and primary source links associated with NSF 25-593: Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers.
Official Opportunity Details
Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
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These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.
Important information for proposers All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements.
Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.
Updates to NSF Research Security Policies On July 10, 2025, NSF issued an Important Notice providing updates to the agency's research security policies, including a research security training requirement, Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program annual certification requirement, prohibition on Confucius institutes and an updated FFDR reporting and submission timeline.
Supports university-based centers that conduct world-class, collaborative materials research and education while building shared facilities, training future scientists and strengthening industry and community partnerships.
Supports university-based centers that conduct world-class, collaborative materials research and education while building shared facilities, training future scientists and strengthening industry and community partnerships.
The Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) program provides sustained support of materials research and education of the highest quality while addressing fundamental problems in science and engineering. Each MRSEC addresses research of a scope and complexity requiring the scale, synergy, and multidisciplinarity provided by a campus-based research center.
The MRSECs support materials research infrastructure in the United States, promote active collaboration between universities and other sectors, including industry and international organizations, and contribute to the development of a national network of university-based centers in materials research, education, and facilities.
A MRSEC may be located at a single institution, or may involve multiple institutions in partnership, and is composed of two to three Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs), each addressing a fundamental materials science topic aligned with the Division of Materials Research (DMR).
February 5, 2025 - Postponed: Materials Research Science and Engineering Center… October 27, 2023 - DMR Open Hour: Materials Research Science and Engineering… Awards made through this program Browse projects funded by this program Map of recent awards made through this program Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) Division of Materials Research (MPS/DMR) Anticipated funding amount is subject to the availability of funds.
Estimated number of awards Proposals may only be submitted by certain types of organizations. Please see solicitation for details. Limit on number of proposals per organization Limit on number of proposals per organization description Only one MRSEC preliminary proposal may be submitted by any one organization as the lead institution in this competition.
An institution proposing research in several groups should submit a single MRSEC proposal with multiple Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs). A MRSEC proposal must contain a minimum of 2 IRGs and a maximum of 3 IRGs. The IRGs in a Center may be thematically related, or they may address different aspects of materials research typically supported by DMR.
Integration of multiple, differing IRGs into one MRSEC allows efficient utilization of resources, including common infrastructure, and better coordination of education and other activities of the Center. Institutions that were awarded a MRSEC in the FY 2023 competition as the lead institution are not eligible to submit a MRSEC proposal as a lead institution in this competition. MRSEC full proposals may be submitted by invitation only.
Proposals may only be submitted by certain types of PIs. Please see solicitation for details. Limit on number of proposals per PI or Co-PI Limit on number of proposals per PI or co-PI description An individual may be the Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI for only one preliminary proposal, i.
e. , no investigator, PI or co-PI, can be listed on the NSF proposal Cover Sheet on more than one proposal. There is additional eligibility information.
Please see solicitation for details. Review full program guidelines and learn how to submit a proposal in the latest solicitation. Share on X (formerly known as Twitter) Our Directorates & Offices Budget, Performance & Financial Reporting
Eligibility Requirements
- Universities leading consortia with partners
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply for NSF 25-593: Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers?
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Universities leading consortia with partners Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
What is the typical funding level for NSF 25-593: Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers?
Current published award information indicates $3,000,000 - $20,000,000 Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
When is the deadline for NSF 25-593: Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers?
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
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