Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion

NSF 13-556

Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) Program

October 14, 2014

MRSEC Directors Annual Meeting: Second Tuesday in October annually?

Daniele Finotello

mrsec.org mrfn.org

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion MRSEC History

• 1960-61 - Interdisciplinary Research Labs (IDLs) -ARPA

• 1971 - Proposal to transfer IDLs to NSF as a result of the Mansfield Amendment

• 1972 - NSF establishes DMR, MRL program

• 1984 - DMR establishes MRG program

• 1994 - DMR establishes MRSEC program

• 2005 - DMR requests a study of the MRSEC program by the National Academies

• 2010 - DMR establishes CEMRI and MIRT programs

• 2013 - DMR drops CEMRI/MIRT nomenclature and returns program name back to MRSEC with no small group competition

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion

IDL/MRL University Year Initiated Year TerminatedCornell 1960

Pennsylvania 1960Northwestern 1960Brown 1961

2014 Chicago 1961Harvard 1961Maryland 1961 1977MIT 1961North Carolina 1961 1978Purdue 1961 *Stanford 1961Illinois (Urbana) 1962 (with AEC)Carnegie Mellon 1973 2013Massachusetts (Amherst) 1973Pennsylvania State 1974 1980Case Western Reserve 1974 *Ohio State 1982 **Materials Research Laboratories at these institutions are being phased out. Materials Research Groups have recently been established at Carnegie Mellon University, Case Western Reserve University, Purdue University, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and the University of Texas at Austin.

TABLE 1 Year of Establishment and Termination of Interdisciplinary Laboratories (IDLs)/Materials Research Laboratories (MRLs)

From “Advancing Materials Research” chapter ‘Materials Research Laboratories: Reviewing the First Twenty-five Years’.

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion MRSEC Program Goals

• Stimulate and support outstanding interdisciplinary research and education in materials of a scope and complexity that requires a center

• Critical mass of investigators• Address fundamental, complex materials problems that are

intellectually challenging and important to society• Foster partnerships between academia and industry as well

as other sectors• Broaden participation of groups under-represented in the

sciences• Re-competition model and Seed program provide a

mechanism for a reinvention and adaptation to address emerging areas (flexibility)

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion Interdisciplinary Research

Groups (IRG): Core Unit• 2014: two or more IRG(s) in each MRSEC• Each IRG:

– Addresses a major materials topic or area synergistically– Involves several researchers with complementary

backgrounds, skills, knowledge.– Provides sustained support for interactive effort.– Is more than a ‘collection of individual investigators’.

• Interaction within an IRG is critical; Interaction among IRGs not required

• Collectively, the MRSECs span the entire breadth of research topics that DMR addresses as a division (and more): balanced portfolio

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion 2011-13 MRSEC Program Balance –

Mapping to DMR Individual Investigator Program

CMP28%

EPM28%

SSMC22%

POL 12%

BMAT4% CER

MMN

CMMT included across the board

23 Centers with a total of 58 IRGs

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion MRSEC Awards

• Existing MRSEC compete with new proposals in open competition in the 6th year of the award

• Six year awards, $56M* total in 2014; Individual Center support from ~$1.6M to ~$3.6M

* $51M in 2003

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion 2014 MRSEC Competition: PP

•Panel Review: August 26, 2013 – November 22, 2013

Topics were sought that solve fundamental, timely and complex materials problems that are intellectually challenging, important to society, and that potentially broaden the current portfolio. MRSECs include 2-5 IRGs.

Preliminary proposals reviewed based on the topical areas of IRGs, thus the IRGs in a MRSEC proposal may have been reviewed by different panels if the research areas are dissimilar.

81 pre-proposals (246 IRGs) reviewed in seven topical panels convened at NSF from October 28 to November 15, 2013.

Outcome: 26 MRSEC Full Proposals including 65 IRGs Invited on Nov. 22, 2013

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion MRSEC Pre-Proposals Review

16 21

191721

26

20 CER/MMNEPMCMPCHEMBMATENERGYSOFT

MRSEC

Centers Pre-Proposals MRSEC Reviewed

34

41

32

30

32

41

36

CER/MMNEPMCMPCHEMBMATENERGYSOFT

IRGs

Pre-Proposals IRGs Reviewed

27%

44%

26%

2%

2 IRG3 IRG4 IRG5 IRG

7 Panels79 Panelists28 Mail Reviewers545 Reviews

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion 2014 MRSEC Competition: FP

•Full proposals (Mail Review) due January 10, 2014: Invitations communicates on November 22, 2013

•All Full Proposals received on 1/10/14 Compliant

•274 Review Requests emailed

•224 Acceptances

•392 IRG Reviews

•<26 Proposals invited on April 10, 2014 to Reverse Site Visit Panels

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion 2014 MRSEC Competition: RSVP

•Reverse Site Visit Panels: <26 MRSEC with <65 IRGs Invited on April 10

•4 RSV 3-day Panels from May 20 to June 12

•50 Panelists

•<26 MRSEC recommended on July 10, 2014 include <65 IRGs

•Awards: November 1-15, 2014

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion A brief Summary: 2008 , 2011 & 2014

MRSEC Competition

14 (9) (maybe 14 > X > 9) Awards 2008: Largest turnover in the history of the program.

• 5 (3) (Any?) awards to institutions that have not had a MRSEC

• Once awards are made there will be less than 23 MRSEC including less than 58 IRGs (started with 23 and 58 respectively)

• In 2015, once the competition is complete, all MRSEC will have at least 2 IRGs:

MRSEC

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion Post Award Management

Site Visits• Program Director Site Visits, • Site visits with and without Panelists

Annual Reports• Annual Desk Review of all MRSECs: January – July

– MRSEC specific Annual / Final Report Guidelines– Annual Diary Note with Funding Recommendation

PI Meetings• MRSEC Directors’ Meeting: once per year

– Working groups: Broadening Participation, Communication, Education, Facilities, and Industry

Annual Education Coordinators’ Meeting– Focus on evaluation, broadening participation, and seeking sources

of support outside the MRSEC program. Next Meeting at MRS Dec. 3, 2014

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion MRSEC Post-Award Management

Annual Reports (We will Talk): Due 2-4 Weeks before site visit; Due no later than May 15.

Yearly (100+ pages); Pubs: BE NICE. IF YOU CAN, SEND US A FLASHDRIVE

Based on 23 Annual Reports:723 TT + 48 NTT Faculty; 288 Post-Docs; 838 GS & 198 UGSPubs: 687 Primary; 665 Partial; 652 SEF; 79 patents2 or More: 33%; from 14% to 55%

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion MRSEC Post-Award Management

2nd Year PD Site Visit1(/2) Day(s) (Maybe with Panelists,

budget permitting); 2 PDs (We are interviewing)

4th Year PD + Panelists Site Visit2 Days, 2 PDs, 4-8 Panelists Schedule: 1 in Feb., 3 in Apr., 4 in

May, 1 in June.SV Agenda soon mailed.

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion Highlights: What, How, Why

A Highlight shows:• An exciting outcome of an NSF supported project• Transformative results• Impacts of outcomes, especially benefits to society,

economy, industry, nation, etc.

Audiences include:• Congress, other policy makers• Business and industry professionals• Educators• The general public

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion Highlights: What, How, Why

When writing a highlight:• Short, straightforward sentences that articulate a single

point• Use simple language; avoid scientific terminology• Write for a public audience that is interested in high-level

impacts and benefits

Highlights are used:• Budget requests• Budget drivers• Budget requests• And more budget requests

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion

What we will work for the 2016/2017 competition

The “Alexandria Effect”

(2) Solic-itation

(3) Review Process(4) Award

Management

(1) Shape the MR-

SEC

Today: Focus on dates, post-award management, highlights

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion MRSEC 2016/2017 Solicitation

According to a 3 year schedule:

Pre-Proposal: Due July/August 2016?Panels before NSF moves?

Full Proposal: Due once in New Building? Or before?

Reverse Site Visit: Panels in late spring 2017?

Synergy Societal Broader ImpactsCenter as a Whole

Nat

ion

al S

cien

ce F

ou

nd

atio

nN

atio

nal

Sci

ence

Fo

un

dat

ion MRSEC Program

THANK YOU FOR COMING

LOOKING FORWARD TO HELP AND WITNESS YOUR MRSEC SUCCESS